"TREATED SHABBILY"

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 96, 20 October 1936, Page 51

"TREATED SHABBILY"

PETONE CLUB STATUS

REASONS FOR RELEGATION

An indication that the feeling of all members was that the club had been very shabbily treated was given in a letter from the Petone Cricket Club notifying the Wellington Cricket Association's management committee at Ms meeting last night that the club had decided to carry on. The club, however, still desired to know upon what grounds it was relegated and what it was required to do to regain its status next season. The need of a definite policy was stressed in the club's letter. . ■

Pointing out that it would be impossible to indicate all that happened in dealing with the matter, of relegating Petone, Mr. J. H. Phillipps (chairman) said that one could appreciate that Petone'wanted something concrete. He thought that, the club should be informed that after full consideration the relegation was agreed to by a majority of the members of the management committee of ,the Wellington Cricket Association, andhe took it that it must have been the opinion of the majority.

: Mr. J. E. Banks: I.do not think we are under any obligation to supply them with a reason.

In spite of the attitude which he had taken up, and which was well known, Mr. C. W. D. Bell said that he doubted whether the committee ought to be. asked to give reasons for anything it did. ' . '

The chairman: I think that in practically all cases the clubs have a perfect right to be given some valid reason for the management committee's actions. . In this case the matter was decided by a majority. : ■

A suggestion by Mr. Banks that the letter to Petone should mention that the relegation was on account of the club being the weakest was adopted. , Mr. Bell thought that the whole thing had been so fully yentilated that there was little more to add. The committee functioned for the good of cricket in Wellington .in particular and in New Zealand in general, and in all it did it was actuated by those ideals. ''■-■■■;.

"We are also possibly the trustees for the clubs," remarked the chairman, in suggesting that they could be told of certain actions.' The association had merely to justify its action in this case. ' '.'-. ... .' ■'.'•■'■'. '■'"..'.' "'..:'

It was agreed that a letter should be sent to the Petone Club pointing out that, after due consideration,' the committee by a majority reluctantly relegated the club as 'being the one' regarded as the weakest. • ■ ;

There was some discussion also on the question of policy, as mentioned in Petone's' letter. Mr, W. A. Baker stated that he had in mind the question of a sub-committee being set up to go into the whole matter with a view to bringing down a proposal for the next annual meeting of delegates. '

Mr. Bell: In a sense it has been dealt with by a higher body. ;

Mr. Baker said that the '■committee must show that it was endeavouring to get over a difficulty, and he intended to move in the direction he had indicated. ■■ , ' . ■ ....: . • :..