PLAYER-WRITER PROBLEM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19308, 8 October 1932, Page 14

PLAYER-WRITER PROBLEM

POSITION REGARDING BRADMAN

Views of Sydney Journal

When the Board of Control last week adopted the clause relating to Test cricketers writing for the Press on cricket matters it gave rise to wider newspaper discussions than usual. The reason is that though the clause differs not from that in operation last season when the South Africans were here, Don Bradman has since entered into an agreement which provides, among other things, for him to contribute articles on cricket to the Press. .. The position is therefore clouded a trifle by the eminence as a batsman Don Bradman has attained. man has attained says the “Sydney Referee.”

The following clause or condition for Test match players is practically lifted intact from the conditions of last season. A matter of principle the Board has laid it down as follows:

“The Board will not approve of the selection for the Australian team to oppose England during season 1932-3 of any cricketer who, during such season, writes or contributes any article for the Press, which, in the opinion of the Board, comments upon the play in any first-class match, or upon the prospects of selection of a cricketer or cricketers who may possibly be a member or members of such team; provided that any cricketer whose sole occupation is professional journalism may, upon first obtaining the written permission of the chairman of the Board, and until such permission of the chairman of the Board, and until such permission is withdrawn by the chairman of the Board, write or contribute articles commenting upon the play in any such match.”

The cricketer himself and those concerned in the contract ought to approach the Board and endeavour to arrange for the privileges extended to a professional journalist being extended partly or wholly to him. Bradman really ought to have discussed the matter with the Board officially before signing up definitely. Alter the arbitrary way in which the Board dealt with him over the writing matter in England in 1930 he may possibly have felt disinclined to go to the Board. But as the Board is the constituted authority and has the right to lay down conditions to which players must comply in the broad interests of the game, no play should feel any compunction about getting in touch with it. That one may regard the clause as too rigid in its limitations does not alter the fact that the underlying principle is vital to the game. The main reason why as drafted, it is too drastic is that it may impose injustice. Had it operated in the eighties it would have barred such a graceful and authoritative writer as Tom Horan from either playing in the Tests or writing. That would have been a calamity to cricket. It would also have debarred Sam McMichael, who was not far below the sacred Test zone. Sam’s notes on the game were rich in tone, so well-informed and breathed such admiration for cricket and cricketers that were he a Test player the operation of the clause would have been distressful. These two men were engaged in the Victorian Public Service.

Now I cannot imagine Don Bradman making the error some other internationals have done—of writing in terms offensive to fellow players, grating to their susceptibilities, or making comments likely to interfere with the good feeling of the men.

The clear course in front of the young champion is to get in touch with the Board and discuss the position, as it affects him. We may be sure the Board will not throw overboard the broad principle, but there may be a means of smoothing out the position from the Board’s end, or of broadening the terms of the clause without departing from the principle. If is generally understood that Don Bradman will approach the Board in this matter. It is sure I think, that if the Board does not see any way of solving the problem Don Bradman will stand by his contract and not play in the tests. Then unless those with whom the contract has been made voluntarily take some action to overcome the difficulty the great batsman will be lost to Australia in the coming tests. That will become a disaster to the game, even though it be for one test series.

The presidents of the two senior Cricket Associations of Australia, Mr A. W. Green (N.S.W.) and Canon E. G. Hughes (Victoria) may be expected to see in this something in which to unite in smoothing out the little problem, Men of their known tact and experience, to whom cricket is even motre than a game, will know how to handle it (if necessary) with honour to cricket. It Is not a very intricate situation, after all.

Vines is Generous: “I do not agree with the suggestion that it was experience of the court, gained during the Borotra match, that enabled me to defeat Cochet.” stated Ellsworth Vines. “Borotra played too well for me. He ran me off my feet. That’s all there was to it. I prefer the Wimbledon court to the Paris one. It may be just psychological, but I think I play my best tennis on grass.” Golfers Struck by Lightning: While playing golf at Aldeburg, Suffolk, early in August, three golfers and two caddies were struck by lightning and badly burned. Others were severely shaken. Those struck were the Hon. Andrew Vanneck, of Hevningham Hall. Suffolk, brother of Lord Huntingfield; Major Marriott, a London visitor; Captain B. I. M. Barrett, a retired army officer, of Aldeburgh; and Percy William Cook and Stanley White, two local caddies. All five were taken to Aldeburgh Cottage Hospital suffering from extensive burns on their bodies. What is “Cycling”? To ride a bicycle must one necessarily be sitting astride the saddle? “Not at all,” says the Wallasley (Eng.) magistrates who listened to an ingenious defence from the father of a boy who was summoned for causing an obstruction with his machine along a forbidden part, by riding with one foot on the pedal, while with the other he propelled the machine forward. The father attempted to argue that a boy thus “scooting” could not be said to be riding his machine. One of the magistrates answered this by asking him what would he consider a man was doing if, in a circus, he rode round the ring with his head on the saddle. A small fine was imposed.

Slow to Taka on Ice Hockey: Ice skating and ice sports in the South Island of New Zealand have made a decided step forward in popularity this winter. A very large number of enthusiasts now find recreation and and abundance of thrills when conditions allow them to don skates. “When one considers the natural facilities and number of ice rinks offered by the Mackenzie Country and Central Otago for this form of sport,” says a New Zealand writer, “one wonders that a game so packed with thrills and so fast as ice hockey has been as long in coming to New Zealand.” It’s a fact that ice hockey is about the most exciting game in the world. They think so in Canada and in Sydney.

Floodlighting for Swimmers. For the safety of bathers at night, floodlighting has been installed at the open-aid swimming pool in Barking Park (England) which is to remain open nightly until 11 o'clock. Sarazen Eclipses Babe Ruth. Babe Ruth, American baseball star, no longer pulls down the biggest salary in sport. As a result of winning the British and American open golf championships, Gene Sarazen is earning at the rate of £25,000 a year. He has accepted a contract with Raymond McCarthy, a big sports promoter and publicity man, at £25,000 a year for two years. Boxing Champion on Tramp Steamer. Jack Petersen, the British cruiserweight and heavyweight champion, left Cardiff in August on a tramp steamer for a trip to the Argentine. He will be away from England for two months, and will do the work of one of the crew. World Cycling Records. Lucien Michard has broken two more world’s cycling records at Paris. He covered the 500 metres, flying start, in 29 4-ssec., beating the previous record held by another Frenchman, Gerardin, by 2-sses., and then beat his own kilometre record, flying start, with lmin 6 2-ssec—an improvement of 3-ssec. Prince’s Speed Boat Trophy. The Prince of Wales has presented a trophy to be known as the Britannia Cup, for the outboard race in the British Motor-Boat Club’s final regatta, at Poole this month. The Prince is expected to enter his own outboard for the event, and it may be driven by a professional.

Will Suzanne Come Back? “Everybody wants to know whether I am going to return to the courts,” said Mdlle. Suzanne Lenglen, in a London interview. “Frankly, I really don’t know. What I can say is that I am leaving at the end of July for Cannes, where I am going to practise. I think that my form should soon come back, and I really feel in splendid health.” If Suzanne Lenglen comes back to amateur lawn tennis after giving professionalism the go-by for five years, French lawn tennis enthusiasts will want to know why France cannot be included in the Wightman Cup contest. Golf Balls Then and Now. Man drove againsl machine in an interesting test of the respectivve merits of “guttie” and rubber-cored golf balls on the Barnehurst golf course, near Bexley Heath, recently. Balls of various years dating back to 1888, had been produced according to their original specifications, and these were driven by a mechanical device, and then by the Barnehurst professional, L. Gates. The longest “guttie” drive with the machine was of 220 yards with a ball of 1900— the period immediately before the advent of the rubber-cored ball. Bates’ best distance with that ball was 197 yards. An improvement of more than 20 yards was obtained with the pre-sent-day British ball, driven by the machine, over that of the 1913 type.

Next Olympic Games. Believe it or not—the next Olympiad will be with Germany as host in 1936; Japan is asking for the Games in 1940. Germany was to have been host in August, 1914. Taranaki Tries Rugby League. After a lapse of 18 years Rugby League was reintroduced to Taranaki, when, in the presence of about 5000 spectators, reinforced Ponsonby and Devonport teams of Auckland, played a drawn game, 28 all. Scattered h.is Ashes. The dying wish of Mr A. R. Wager, a well-known member of the Manchester Wheelers (Eng.), was fulfilled recently when a little band of relatives and friends struggled to the summit of Mam Tor, the famous Derbyshire mountain, and (says “Cycling”) scattered his ashes to the wind. Los Angeles Rose Bowl. A letter received in England by air mail from Mr. E. J. Southcott and posted in Los Angeles just before the Olympic Games started says that the Rose Bowl track is banked about like Herne Hill, but 3 feet narrower. He said' that the boards were springy and the slopes not sufficient on the corners. Ted McDonald and Bacup. E. A. McDonald has been re-engaged by Bacup for next season, his second with the Lancashire League Club. “In League games this season he has taken 78 wickets at an average of 9.57 runs, and in the last seven matches he has taken 38 wickets for 6.44 runs each. His performance against Burnley recalled that on the same ground, in 1923, when, as professional for Nelson, he took ten wickets for 18 runs,” says a Manchester writer. English Bowls Champions. In the English singles bowling championship final at Paddington (London), E. P. Bakes (Poole Park) beat E. W. Fortune (St. George's Bristol) by 21 to 14. Baker, who has held the championship of Dorset for two years, is a photographer at Bournemouth. He is three years the junior of his opponent, and has been playing bowls eight years. Fortune is an advertising novelty designer in the employ of a Bristol printing firm. He is 38 years of age, and has been playing about 10 years, and is the holder of the Somerset championship. Ribs versus Skull. A most remarkable accident occurred shortly before the first day of the French Cycling Grand Prix, when Kaufmann was run into during training by an amateur named Matthie. Both men came down, Kaufmann escaped with abrasions, while MatthiL had to be carried off with a fractured skull. His injuries were not the result of his fall on the cement, as his head never touched the track itself, but of his frenzied crash against Kaufmann’s ribs, which ached violently from the tremendous impact, although they stood the strain far better than poor Matthie’s head.