RUGBY GATE PRICES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 20 September 1927, Page 4

RUGBY GATE PRICES

NELSON STANDS FIRM ATTITUDE OF NEW ZEALAND UNION PRESIDENT report of conference AT WESTPORT At tin; meeting of the Management Committee of the Nelson Rugby Union held last evening, the delegates attending the Conference of the Unions of the Seddon Shield area, held at Westport, on the 17t.1i instant, presented their report. The delegates present at. the Conference were: Buller: Messrs jStevens and Hayes; West Coast: .Mr Alan Adams (a New Zealand selector); Golden Bay-Motneka: Messrs Manoy and Green; Marlborough: .Mr vStrachan, of Westport; Nelson: Messrs Frank and Blewett,

The main item oi interest was the fixation of the price of admission to Shield matches. The proposed charges, as set out by the Marlborough Union, were declared carried, despite a very strong protest from Nelson, who contended that the price of admission to matches was a. purely domestic matter. The Nelson delegates"informed the Conference that their Union would not agree to an increase in the prices of admission. The Buller-West Coast delegates stated that their respective Unions were satisfied with their share of the gate, as received' from the "respective ' Shield matches held in Nelson this year, but that their Unions depended on the gate, receipts from such matches, for without them their Unions would be. bankrupt. Their support to the higher charges was based on the ground of the high cost of assembling their teams, and of the heavy transport expenses _to Shield matches. The strong opposition of the League and Soccer codes was also a factor, and they thought the Nelson Union should agVee to the increased charges at Nelson and thus provide more financial assistance to the. weaker Unions, such as, the Coast, Buller, Golden Bav and Motiieku Unions.

LET NELSON DROP OUT

Mr Adams, the West Coast delegate, further slated that it had been rumoured that. Nelson would drop out of Seddon Shield games. He ventured the opinion that it would be a good job if they did

so. it was pointed out by Nelson that the gates were divided on a 60—50 basis and, therefore, whatever the prices charged, each Union shared alike, hence, no injustice .and, further, that the. Nelson City Council were the final arbiters of the "prices of admission to Trafalgar Park, and that body could protect the public of Nelson by saying what such prices of admission" to Shield matches should be. Mr Manny's answer to this was that the. games could bo played at Richmond and "probably result in bigger gate receipts. The Nelson delegates stated that it was early discernible that the other delegates'had arrived at a decision previous, to the sitting of the Conference. The position now is that the prices of admission to Shield matches are:— Gentlemen 2s, ladies Is 6d, plus Is for grandstand and other seating accommodation, meaning a total admission charge, of gentlemen 3s, ladies 2s 6d, against Nelson's present gross charge of gentlemen 2s 6d, ladies 2s. Once this bylaw is confirmed by the New Zealand Union it will be incumbent on the Nelson Rugby Union to make these charges if it desires to remain a participant in Shield games.

SPIRIT OF COMMERCIALISM

The delegates were thanked for their report and the matter was then discussed by the members present. Various speakers spoke strongly on the matter and pointed out that the Ranfurly Shield had recently been the subject of adverse newspaper criticism, concerning the soirit of commercialism that was crcepitig into the game, and to the large sums the holders of the Shield received from gate receipts. The opinion was expressed that the New Zealand Union could not possibly be a consenting party to the infliction "of a gate charge that, was distasteful to a Union and the public it served. The fact that the President of the New Zealand Rugby Union was one of the. most energetic workers in the movement to compel the Nelson Union toV increase its charges was the subject of very unfavourable comment.

It was finally decided to forward a strongly worded protest on the subject to the* New Zealand Union, who will decide, the confirmation, or otherwise, of this matter, which is so vital to the football public uf Nelson.