ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 17, Issue 290, 24 August 1923, Page 4

ASSOCIATION

THE CHINESE TOUR There was a full attendance of members of the Council of the Now Zealand Football Association last night, Mr. A. Varney presiding. The question of a Chinese tour in New Zealand was brought up in a report of the Emergency Committee. It appeared that no the publication of a cablegram from Sydney stating that an extension of the Chinese tour to New Zealand could bo arranged for, a cablegram was sent to the New South Wales Association asking upon what terms such an extension could be arranged for. The following was received in reply:—“This association controls Chinese tour. Willing extend matches suggested, Auckland, October 27; Wellington, November 4; Dunedin, 11. Terms: You provide entertainings, hake 20 per cent, profit, Sydney to Sydney. (Signed) Storey.” In the report of Mr. H. Graves, as- > sistant manager of the Now Zealand I team to Australia, the following refer- [ ence to the Chinese tour was made: — “On our arrival it was arranged with the Commonwealth Football Association to give us two weeks of their tour so that the team should stay in New Zealand six weeks. This was reported to your secretary, together with other information, and it was arranged that Mr. Menzies and your secretary should get into touch with the promoters in Auckland. Members of your council are aware of what took place in con--1 neetion with subsequent negotiations. On account of the promoters’ financial difficultiese, the tour was postponed. Australian Soccer enthusiasts got together, and so the Australian Tours, Ltd., was floated, and the tour arranged, the team to leave Australia on September 11, too late for a visit to New Zealand.” The council discussed the matter very fully, and decided that the dates and terms were not accentable, but if a visit in this direction was desired! in future negotiations bo conducted direct with the Chinese authorities. The chairman stated that he was in correspondence with the Y.M.C.A. authorities in China, and he had no hesitation in saying that there would be no difficulty in the way of arranging a visit to New Zealand if it were desired. The 'question of oversea tour§ was considered! on a report from the Finance Committee pointing out that the credit balance of the council was only £2l, and that as there was little or no prospect of that being increased in the near future, it was impossible for them to negotiate any overseas visits for New Zealand alone until sufficient funds were forthcoming to pay cables and arrange preliminaries. The secretary stated' that as a matter of fdet the visits to and from Australia had resulted in a loss to the council of about -I’6o. and unless the affiliated associations agreed to increase their contributions they would have to agree with the rccommenda. tion. The committee’s report was agreed to. It was decided that the council would not agree to pool with the Australian authorities in regard to the Canadian tour. Mr. Graves reported as follows on the tour of the Canadians :—“lt was arranged with the Australian authoritiese for them to contribute £l5OO, being half share of assembling charges (£475) and steamer fares (£1400) between a Canadian port and Sydney (plus kit allowance of £5O per man, viz., £lOOO, on the understanding that they are allowed to have the Caaiadians seven clear weeks in Australia. It is understood that the Canadians’ tour is to be abandoned if the English tour is arranged for 1924.” Mr. Ferkins mentioned that eighty names of boys attending Wellington College had been handed in as desiring to play Soccer.

CANADIAN TEAM MAY VISIT NEW ZEALAND. „ Vancouver, August 21. Tho Nanaimo Association Footbidl Club’s team, this year’s champions of Canada, are likely to accept the Commonwealth’s invitation to tour Australia and New Zealand. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn