CONTROL OF RESERVE T

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1926, Page 7

CONTROL OF RESERVE T

FOOTBALLERS OR CRICKETERS? Thai the stronger sports bodies in Taranaki might help the weaker associations and that the Rugby Union should support cricket as the national summer game vvae a suggestion made during the dinner to the Hawke Cup team in New Plymouth last night. It brought forth the assertion that the union had been slignted by the cricketers. Mr. J. W. McMillan, of Stratford, said he had always stressed the necessity of coaches for cricket. Specially good work could be done in the schools through this means and play generally could be greatly improved. The public would get behind a movement in that direction. Taranaki residents were always considered good sports and he suggested that the stronger bodies might help the weaker ones. Personally he thought the Rugby Union should support cricket as the national summer game. It had a great opportunity of assisting country play, and if that were done footballers generally would be greatly admired for their action, and their example would be followed in other parts of the Dominion. A coach would be of great value, particularly in the schools. Mr. E. Jackson said he agreed with Mr. McMillan that the more wealthy associations should advance funds to get better grounds and coaches. By so doing they would be rendering a great service to cricket.

Mr. J. McLeod, chairman of the management committee of the Rugby Union, said there might be some method by which the union could help ti.o sport of cricket, but the only means was in supplying grounds. Most of the union’s money went into grounds to-day. It was spending £7OO a year in that direction, and before many years it would be double. Mr. McLeod considered the cricketers had missed an opportunity. Five or six months ago the union was approached to take over the T. reserve. A meeting was held and that was the last heard of it. But lie had been here long enough to know that cricket could not hold the ground by itself, ami they would be wise to call in the Rugby Union again. It was the only body with the funds to hold it. He considered the union had been slighted. It had been asked to take the grounds over and it had agreed, subject to certain conditions, such as a 21 years’ lease. It would not have been businesslike to have built a grandstand otherwise, and the ground needed one. He hoped another conference would be called. He quoted the case of Eden Park, which was the only really good ground in Auckland. The Rugby Union had provided £6OOO on hard and fast principles. He hoped there would always be co-ordination between the cricket and football bodies. The footballers would reciprocate and would do their best to provide good grounds that would be available for cricket. • Mr. T. H. Bates explained who had prevented the agreement with the union. He was a director of the company dealing with the reserve. It had gone to the union to ask it to take the ground over, and it was the Borough Council that had stopped the move. Mr. E. Whittle said he was ehairman of the company. He suggested the time was now ripe for a conference between the union and the cricketers. They could discuss this question and come to some conclusion as the interests of the two games were related. Mr. W. C. Weston said the idea was to work in with the union, but the Borough Council had told them they wanted the cricketers to control the reserve. The company was still free to make any arrangements with the union so long as nothing was done of which the council did not approve, and so long as the interests were safeguarded. There was no wish to work against the union. Mr. McLeod said the union realised that the council had not the power to grant more than a year to year lease, lie mentioned two instances in which the difficulty had been got over by inserting elaiises in the Washing-Up Bill. One of them related to Ka.iapo:. He had no desire to be acrimonious, but he thought the union should be given the opportunity of securing the reserve and making it ultimately into a gor.d ground for both sports. Mr. A. Bewley said be was sorry to hear there was friction between the cricketers and footballers. They were specially indebted to the footballers for improvements to the grounds during the last few years. The influence of the High School on football and cricket was valuable. The school had contributed to first-class cricket and the careful coaching given the boys there was going to be of increasing benefit to the game in the future.