PAID CRICKET SECRETARY

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1932, Page 5

PAID CRICKET SECRETARY

MR DOUGXAS HAY’S ARGUMENT. REPLY TO COUNCIL CHAIRMAN. By Telegraph.—Frees Association. Hamilton, Jan. 12. Answering Mr. E. R. Cay gill, chairm-n of the New Zealand Cricket Council, who yesterday criticised Mr. Douglas Hay’s suggestion that the employment of a full time paid secretary to the New Zealand Cricket Council should be considered, Mr. Hay, interviewed to-day, stated that he hoped noticing which he said would be taken as criticising the work of a number of men in Christchurch who loved cricket and who for many years served, faithfully and well, as members of the New Zealand Cricket Council.

Mr. Hay’s contention is simply that cricket has reached a stage in New Zealand when it has become necessary that its affairs should have the same busi-ness-like attention that any other large and important organisation requires if it wishes to succeed. The time has arrived when only a competent paid servant can be expected to efficiently and promptly attend to the council’s business, and such a man would not only do what is being done at present by honorary officers, but his whole time and thought would be concentrated on the council’s affairs and the game in New Zealand. It would be his business not only to build up the council’s finances, but also to keep in touch with everything of importance pertaining to the game. With such a man Mr. Hay /maintains that many of the council’s worries would disappear, and he takes the case of the recent tour which, it was seriously suggested, should be abandoned after New Zealand had. undertaken to send it : d the whole of the English cricket programme had been arranged. This occurred at the time of the earthquake in February. The team was to leave New Zealand in March, and the financial arrangements were not complete. The proceeds of a sweepstake had. to be used to send the team, a procedure which many cricketers, who have no objection to a sweepstake as such, could only deplore when used for purposes of such a game. The whole thing was undignified and would be unnecessary were the council running on right lines.