RUGBY UNION AND CLUBS

Southland Times, Issue 19553, 29 June 1922, Page 2

RUGBY UNION AND CLUBS

To the Editor. Sir, It has been truly said that of all cowards the anonymous writer is the greatest. For this reason I felt inclined to treat "Hoot or Hoots" with contempt deserving of his class, but as he is apparently one of the most ignorant in this town as to the management of rugby football; apd as his letter is one mass of inaccuracies, I feel that it might be well to state a few facts to let the general public see the true position regarding a few statements in the letter signed: "Hoots or Hoots.” In the first place, your correspondent wants to know what the Union intends doing with the £6O a week for five months of the year in coming seasons? 1 wonder if he does read the paper on a Thursday morning? I think not. If he did he would would know that the Union never has a season of five months and does not average £6O a week. This season there will be eleven club games only, together with six representative fixtures, and this season is one well above the average. But assuming the Union did have £6O a week for five months, this amount would barely provide for current expenses without making any provision for improvements to grounds. I wonder if your anonymous friend realises that the following are some of the annual expenses of the Union: Wages £400; repayment of principal and interest N.Z. Union £200; advertising £75; travelling expenses rep. team, yearly average, £400; amusement tax, say £100; school footballs and incidental expenses £l5O, and then in addition, insurances, footballs of senior matches, jerseys, stationery, postages, and a hundred and one other items. We certainly have a lot left for "Perks.” I wonder if "Hoot or Hoots” will maintain that new dressing accommodation and other conveniences are not required? If be takes the interest in the game he would like your readers to believe he does, he must have inspected the players’ quarters in their interests and unless he is decidedly one-eyed, he must admit that something must be done at once. And how else can the necessary funds be raised than by a carnival? No one is crying poverty and no voice is raised in respect of the other carnivals recently held or to be held in the near future. Why? Because the majority of the people have more sense than your correspondent. And if your correspondent did read his Thursday morning paper, where did he see that the Union intended asking the public for £5OOO. And did he not see that an application for a loan for the purposes aforesaid had been made to the N.Z. Union for £3500, and was at the present time under consideration. And then again, if he had been watching the movements of the local Union and reading the reports he would have noticed, if he is able to understand what he does read, that the amount available from the N.Z. Union is limited and is being loaned for the purposes and in the order mentioned.

A careful perusal of the letter in question must satisfy you and your readers that “Hoot or Hoots" is entirely ignorant of football affairs and either does not read the reports of the meetings or is incapable of understanding what he does read.

I pass by the passages in his letter supposed to be sarcasm as being in decidedly bad taste.

In conclusion, I would like to inform Hoot or Hoots" that the clubs are nominating their candidates and arranging matters in connection with the carnival as expeditiously as the Union expected, and like the good sports they are, will give the Union every assistance to get sufficient cash in hand to warrant the commencement of a grandstand .and dressing accommodation for the players, which will be second to none in New Zealand. I am, etc., J. A DOIG. Member Management Committee.