A DIFFICULT QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 190, 6 May 1908, Page 9

A DIFFICULT QUESTION.

$ PAYMENT OF FOOTBALLERS. ' INTERESTING DISCUSSION, (DT TEI.ECUA.ru—I'I'.ESS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, May 5. ; The question of recompensing represent tivo footballors for, time lost'while-on toi was discussed by tho management commi toe of tho Canterbury Rugby Union to-nigh when considering the order paper which to be presented at the conference of.del gates to bo held in Wellington this month 'Mr. S. F. Wilson opened-tho diseussic by stating that in his opinion represent tivo footballers who lost their wages shou be paid for timo lost. In reply to a que tion ho said that only those-players who, Wages were stopped when they left off woi should be paid. The chairman • (Mr. G. ll.' Mason) sa that in that case they wero dealing .rath 1 hardly with the clork, and ho would like draw attention to this aspect of tlio-matte The clork was given a fortnight's holiday the' year for tho extra work given, and tl wagos ho recoived during that period did m perhaps compensate him for tho extra tin ho had put in. Tlio workman got paid fi his overtime, and if: ho took a week's hoi day lie was more than paid by-that ove time. This was a matter that had to 1 very'' seriously considored, otherwise tin were inflicting a soveh .hardship' on tl team.. Personally, ho had not gorio beyor this point into tho matter. Mr". Wilson said that the : question of pa; merit was a very vexed one indeed. Tho ma who was receiving liis wagos and 10s. a di abovo. his wages was a professional withoi a doubt-. The man who lost' his time ar was-paid for it was not-a professional : the broad senso of tho term. _ • Tho Chairman:'lt is a question of tho tlii lino botween a cash amateur and a profe sional. Mr. T. Walton said that ho was total! opposed to -Mri Wilson's point of view.- Th question, without doubt, was, of mo: ; momentous importance to footballers in Ne Zealand. - They-got a mari to saorifico h work for a day or two, and it. was confendc that the local Union or-the New Zealan Union should pay him for that time. B considered that was an absolute mistake, i whori they- did_ that they 'wore opening t-I door to.professionalism.. He hoped delegate of : tho conference would raise their voici with 110 uncertain sound against the proposa Ho would' bo, .agreeable to it -if ;it on! wprit as far.-as paying out-of-pocket expense but it would • not/stop at ; that. Tlio. que tion would be stretclicd, multiplied,. and e: tended to any. degreo: : Mr. Wilson said that ho. did not beliovo i professionalism at all. He had; been on tl Canterbury Union Selection Committee f< three years, and last year that Union sent toam on a twelve days' tour of tho Woi Coast. Tho whole of tho players-were worl ing men, and some of them' had ; their liomi to keop up. Just after, that,' a team ..wf sent on an eight days' tour in tho South,.an they, experienced groat/ difficulty iii; gottin this, team together. •: Tho moh who.refused 1 play Baid they could riot afford'it, .and 1: did not think thoy could. AVhon a man h.i represented tho Province and boon at the tc of tho tree for sonib tiine, tho novelty ha disappeared, arid lie could not afford to gi\ his tiirio to the game. In order t6 test tl' feeling of delegates, he moved that the del gates. to the .'conferencer. at. AVollington 1 instriictod to support tho' proposal of pa; mont of roprbsenta'tiyo. players for time los . Tlio Chairman; mentioned that the matt< might'not come up, but-Mr. Wilson poinU: out that it might a rccommendaion to tl: English Union. V lirreply to a question by Mr. J. R. Evan the' Chairman said that the, Northern. Unio separated , from 1 tho /English Union ovor tl ■vei-y same nuostion. - : Mr. Matthews seconded • tho motion, bt it was, lost by seven votes to. threo.