A COMPROMISE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1939, 23 December 1913, Page 6

A COMPROMISE.

COMPETITIONS SOCIETY. . FINDS CREDITORS GENEROUS. FINANCIAL MATTERS ARRANCED, j'si'A committee.. meeting of t-iio New Zea- ! .la.'nd,; Competitions Society was held last : W:iiiiigs. iiu the .rooms, . of:. the Sports ;Federatioii.;.; i ,,Tlicro..were present: Mr. (in ; the. chair);? J. M. Clark, ,J.. lfeiliMell, A. M. Lewis,W. Can-, J, M. Oeiklis. and.li.vl'limmer.- •! .. tho 'last imeeting :it; u was ■';■ mentioned "• that when the office,-S and judges (with .tho .exception .'of.: Mr.v, Bacyertzj:'. wero' paid, r ■and tho City Council was paid its. rent :for ■tho..;.Town' , llall (less a rebate of' I :i'so). tiiAt ...there would bo : sufficient to jpa.yl tlio sum of" 15s. in'the' £ to" tho I. society's "creditors, and • it' had' been' i decided to endeavour to . compromiso with them on. that basis". V.' Since:, he had gono into tlio .figures' a littles more carofujly,. and taking Mr. Baeyertz's £30 . into consideration, it had been found,that there would bo only 12s. in.tho £.. That being tlio case, ho had consulted Mr. Lcvvey, who had drftwn up,.the following agreement for creditors to .sign,-. This was worded as under: — .•J®-- yWe; the tinder-signed creditors ' A' of tho New Zealand Competitions Society, hereby mutually agreo that Janitor-, payment of rents, salaries. . J, ;.,'ftnd wages in full, we will accept . in full settlement of our respective ....accounts tho sum of 12s. in tho subject to an audit of tho accounts v .; being effected after tho payment is ;' made, and a duly certified balancosheet being produced to moneys . ..available for payment of tho so- '■ eiety's debts the surplus will bo ■ divided pro rata amongst us." . Continuing, Mr. Dykes said that ho had been round to all tho creditors on tho list (which fie read) on the one day, and was pleased to say that everyone had signed the agreement. Tho : aggregate amount was £57G. They had all treated tho society in a reallv splendid, manner, and if tho City Council, which should more than any other creditor .-liavo come forward, had assisted in the same manner tho creditors could have been dealt with more liberthat, body :: was tho last to'aoo that any good was derived from ■competitions. ■ (Applause.) :,i XTho chairman (Mr. Levvoy) paid a'tribute, to tho good work that had been accomplished by Mr. Dykes, and the liberal, spirit in which tho society had been met by iis - creditors in. the present On his motion it was resolved: "That the society expresses its heartiest thanks to the secretary (Mr. Jamos Dykes) for his energy and 'tact in bringing' about a satisfactory settlement of tho financial' obligations of tho society to its creditors, and at tho same time to express the society's deep senso of gratitudo to the creditors for tho liberal spirit in which they met tho society in the unfortunate position it was placed in through the effect of tho recent strike."

..Mr. Dykes said that all that- now remained was to pay tlio money out, square up every tiling, and have dono with it.

' It was suggested that tllo matter of Mr. Baeyertz's verbal claim for £30 for acting as judge of music and elocution was in abeyaiieo, and that the correspondence in connection with tho arrangement between that, gentleman and the society was to have been produced. T'lio secretary read the correspondence, fhis consisted of an offer to judge (at the last competitions) for £75, if they were a financial suecess, and nothing if they were not. The minute of the meeting at which the letter containing that offer was'coiisidored stntoil tlint the society, as an alternative, suggested a straight-out feo of £50. That- was communicated to Mr. liaeyertz, who telegraphed that lie wanted tho £75 or nothing arrangement, and « minute of tha_ next, meeting: recorded that it was decided to atlhoro to tho original offer. It was held by Messrs. Helliwell, Geddis, and Plimmnr that there was no doubt as to what the original offer meant—that Mr. Baoycrtz luid generously offered to take a sporting chance. Mr._ Lovvey held that the original offer might mean the offer of tho society (a straight-out feo of £50),

Mi-. Heiliwell said that that eonld not be, as lie rc-membered distinctly entering a protest against tho gambling spirit of' the offer Mr. Baeyertz had made. . Others present remembered tho protest which had been made by Mr. Hcjliwoll. ■ Mr. Carr wished to know how Mr. Baeyertz had come to claim £30. Mr. Dykes said he had made tho claim verbally after the Competitions— said ho would reduce his feo to that amount. .' A voice: What fee? Mr. Dykes: "Seventy-five pounds, I suppose!" A motion to tlie effect that tho £30 fee claimed by Mr. Baevertz (verbally) bo not paid failed to find a seconder. Mr. IT. PJimmer moved and Mr. J. M. Gcddis seconded: — ■ "That the' original terms of tho agreement with Mr. C. N.. Baflyertz, viz.. £75 or nothing, and insisted upon by him ill a telegram, be adhered to." This was agreed to without a dissentient voice.

• Mr. Heiliwell then proposed that Mr. Baoyertos bo. presented with a- cheque for £30 for the good work ho had done at the last Competitions.

Tho chairman said he was sorry, but bo could not accept the motion. Any moneys available belonged to the credi-. tors, and must bo paid to them pro rata." ' .

In response! to a question it was stated that pmt-winners came in as creditors and would receive l'2s. in the £1. Mr. Dykes was given the necessary authority to pay out. The idea was convoyed at the meeting that the Competitions might be given a rest next year.