CHARGE FOR BASIN

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 132, 2 December 1930, Page 16

CHARGE FOR BASIN

RATES THOUGHT HIGH

■■ kcQUNCIL^AND CIUCKETEItS

faMossrs. P. B. Broad and A. Varney, representing the Wellington Cricket Association, waited upon tbo Bcscrvcs Committee otV the City Council yesterday afternoon to ask that the charges which thu council proposed to make ior the use of tlio Basin Reserve by the' association, as set out in a new agreement presented by the City Solicitor for signature, should be made less stringent. 'If the percentage commission which Iho council asked for was not reduced, it was said/ the association could not cany on. Mr. Broad said Unit about eighteen months ago the association had made representations that the 20 pur cent, oa gate'takings should be reduced, for last season, only, to 35 per cent., and to that the council had agreed. The agreement now presented made provision again for 20 per cent., which was more than, the association could afford to pay.1 Its reserves were falling by from ".£SO to £100 per year, and the expenses were becoming heavier each year. , Last season there wore two big matches on the Basin, the M.C.C. Test and the match against Wellington. The weather was bad for the .Wellington watch; but in'spite of the conditions the commission paid to the council was £.155, not taking into account wages and amusement tax, which made a total outgoing of £205 or £.210. The commission paid in respect of the Test match !was £IS7, and wages and amusement, (ax would bring (lie sum up to ahout'£2so. In.line weather the'commission 'payable to the council would have been £200, a. very heavy burden to heap upon any sport, particularly cricket, which was played mostly by young men on small salaries. The.association' did not object to the figure jthat was produced by the 15 per cent., but it did ask that the commission should be.iixed at that figure and not at' 20 per cent. "Cricket cannot continue to exist it" it is to pay so high a rate," said Mr. Broad. The A.A.A., ho continued, had gone to' Athletic Park because it could not afford .to pay the rate the council was asking the Cricket Association to pay. The A.A.A. was going to hold some big meetings this year, and the result would be that the council would lose from x.500 to £600. He understood that the A.A.A. was paying £25 flat for the use of the park. Last year, notwithstanding the reduction to 15 per cent., the association paid the council £745, including the £200 flat rate, the third highest amount for the past ten years; at 20 per cent, the amount would have been about £900. If the, concession asked for was granted the association would bo able to put on more matches; there was talk of an Australian team coming to New Zealand. If more matches could be staged, as could be do" c if the commission was made 15 per cent, instead of 20 per cent., the council would lose nothing. The. association also asked that the season should continue until 15th April, or till after Easter, as had been the case in, the past. The agreement presented proposed 7th April. The proposed increase from 10 to 15 per cent, on members' and complimentary tickets was also objected to. After some general discussion, the chairman, of tho committee, Councillor B. C4.iH. Bum, said ho was glad the association, had stated its case.- "He thought that an arrangement-could very well be como to regarding the extension of the season to 10th April or Easter, if later, and said that the committee would consider the larger question without delay and would advise ■th^.-assoeiation of its decision.