U.S. ATHLETES COMPLAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1931, Page 9

U.S. ATHLETES COMPLAIN

CONDITIONS IN NEW ZEALAND

TOUR THOUGHT TOO STRENUOUS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES REPLY. By Telegraph-—Press ■ Association. .. Wellington, Aug. 4. Dissatisfaction with their treatment and the conditions of amateur athletics in New Zealand was expressed by the three American University athletes, Kiser, Rotliert and. Simpson, who toured the Dominion under the auspices of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, on their return to San Francisco on May 14. . The team went.to Mr. C. G. Krogness, the New Zealand Association’® representative in America, and ventilated their grievances. The athletes complained that the tour was too strenuous; several meetings were held at towns .which were so small that a fair income from the attendances was impossible. In a number of towns the ne.commodation they received was the third and fourth best. They felt that the association was giving them as lit- i tie as it could, but still maintaining a good appearance itself. The athletes said they were well treated regarding expenses with, few exceptions. One was the question Of clothing expenses. Clothing deteriorated rapidly on the trip. They understood they would,, get £lO apiece at the conclusion, of the tour to meet this expense, but at the end of the tour the geqiiest was refused.

They stated that Mr. Tracy, of the New Zealand Council, gave thein £1 to last them for the four last days of the tour with two towns still to visit, and about 700 to 800 ffiiles to travel.

One impression they received was that the co-operation which should exist” between, the local centres was absent, and that the development of amateur athletes was finder a heavy handicap by lack of harmony. The association’s reply prepared by Mr. E. R. W. McVilly- stated that , the tour was arranged to give the visitors as much leisure as possible and of seeing the things in which they were, interested. It was difficult to understand how the tour could be described as too stre'liuous. _ The association’s object in arranging meetings in the smaller towns was primarily to give a fillip to athletics in localities where professionalism had ruled. No. complaints had been made about, the accommodation during the tour. The requests for clothing expenses were declined solely on the ground that it might endanger the status of tile visitors, and the association felt a deep obligation to the visitors, fill of whom were kept in kindly remembrance,' but he coiild only express regret that the team had discovered so many shortcomings during their brief sojourn. The letter concluded: “Very probably if .we were seriously looking for the cause of ! the captious and destructive criticism the use of a microscope would be unnecessary to make the discovery.”