TEMUKA

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19750, 17 March 1934, Page 4

TEMUKA

FOOTBALL CLUBS CONFER QUESTION OF GATES Representatives of four country football clubs affiliated to the South Canterbury Rugby Union met in conference at Temuka on Thursday evening, and as a result several resolutions were carried concerning the policy to be observed in regard to the ‘‘gates" question at the annual meeting of the Union on Monday evening. The clubs represented were Temuka, Geraldine, Waihi and Pleasant Point, all possessors of senior teams, and from the delegates Mr T. H. Langford, of the Waihi Club, was elected to the chair.

After the position of each club had been explained in regard to the effect of the suggested payment of 50 per cent of all gates to the Union, it was decided to vote against the proposal at the Rugby Union’s meeting; to lay down the principle of home-and-home games, and to support a sliding scale of payment on takings to the Union. Speaking for the Geraldine Club, the conveners of the meeting, Mr W, H. Jackson said that its position had been fairly well outlined in a statement which Mr D. McKechnie had prepared for reading at the annual meeting, and which had been published in "The Timaru Herald.” Since the publication of the statement, certain of the Timaru Clubs had shown a little more sympathy towards the country clubs. He took it that the latter were opposed to the Rugby Union’s proposal, yet they could sympathise with the Union to a certain extent, but certainly not to the extent of supporting the proposition. It had developed a purely town v. country issue.

Pleasant Point, through Mr G. W. Wakefield, stated that although it was in favour of the Union receiving something a little over 10 per cent, it considered that 50 per cent was too high. The club was not in opposition to anything else. Temuka’s Position. For Temuka, Mr T. Dwan said ne was glad to have the opportunity of explaining the position. If 50 per cent of last year’s gates locally had been paid to the Union the Temuka Club would have been £SO in debt for the season. The position of a town club was so different from a country one that townspeople could not know of the many difficulties that beset the running of a ground. The Rugby Union knew that it could not get 50 per cent of the gate takings. Everyone knew that the Union was in a bad position financially and Temuka was willing to agree to 10 per cent, of all gates or an amount equivalent to 10 per cent. If the Rugby Union did not grant home and home games and ask for 10 per cent, other means would have to be taken to deal with the position. He asked if honorary members of other clubs had to pay admission on top of membership fees, and Geraldine replied that it had no honorary members, and Pleasant Point that it allowed vice-presidents and officials free to the ground, but charged all others. Mr Dwan concluded by remarking that some action to curtail the issue of free tickets wolud have to be taken at the Rugby Union’s meeting. Mr O. S. Priest, on behalf of the Waihi Club, said that as the annual meeting had not been held, his club had no expression of opinion to offer, but last year after paying 10 per cent, the club had made a loss of £6. Union’s Indebtedness. The chairman said that when considering the question of payment of a .proportion of gates -to the Rugby Union, one had also to consider why this was necessary. He had served on the management committee of the Union and he knew a lot of its difficulties. The Union had borrowed a sum of money from the New Zealand Union and interest on that had been accumulating on the principal, which was being held as a liability. The Union need not have got itself into the position. Auckland and Canterbury had obtained big sums as grants from the New Zealand Union on the occasion of the tour of the British team and not paid them back. South Canterbury had borrowed £377 and paid it back, and on top of that the New Zealand Union had made £937 out of the match. The match against the South African team had produced £4OO and the New Zealand Union got that. The money was made in South Canterbury, and the Union was fostering football in New Zealand by functioning. South Canterbury had a big debt to the New Zealand Union but it was foolish of the parent body to talk of foreclosing on Fraser Park, when the local Union was developing football in the district. Further, the South Canterbury Union w’ould not keep the country clubs out if they did not come into line in the proposition. Their best games were put on by the country clubs, and they provided half of the representatives. The country clubs had a hard job to keep the men playing and it took all the money they could get to keep the clubs going. The action of the Management Committee in cutting down the admission charge at Fraser Park from 1/- to 6d was foolish. If a man could not pay 1/he could not pay 6d, and the Union wanted country clubs to be foolish too. He could see that the Union would not get 50 per cent, and they should not get more than 10 per cent. After further discussion, which was taken in committee, the chairman said that they had to act in the best interests of football. He did not think any money was ever made out of footbal locally. A motion, moved by Mr Jackson and seconded by Mr F. Malcolmson (Pleasant Point), that all country clubs vote against the motion proposing the payment of 50 per cent of gates, was carried. A second motion, moved by Mr L. Connolly and seconded by Mr M. M. Coffey, that the country delegates at the annual meeting lay down the principle of home and home games, was also carried. It was then explained to the meeting that Mr A. G. Knowles, of Timaru, who happened to be in Temuka, had a scheme for instituting a sliding scale of payments on gate takings. Mr Knowles was invited to explain the principle, and his suggestion was adopted, it providing for the payment of 10 per cent on the first £2O taken throughout the season, 20 per cent on the second £2O, 33 and 1-3 per cent on the next £75, and 75 per cent thereafter.

bowling. Teams trom the Temuka Bowling Club On Thursday travelled to Oamaru and played return friendly games against the Phoenix Club. After several breakdowns and considerable delay, the bowlers reached Oamaru about an hour late, but managed to play the full 21 heads. Temuka won the men’s match by 12 points, but the local women were defeated by a wide margin. Results were (Temuka names first): Men. —Giles, O’Connor, Snow, Pierce

(s) 16, v. J. Robertson, Hendy, Marshall, Forrest (s) 13; Joynt, Connolly, Keys, McCallum 21, v. Brown, Reid, Kear, Aikenhead (s) 12; Sullivan, Buzan, Meek, Fraser (s) 18, v. Chase, Simkin, Bedford, Thomson (s) 18; Morris, Clark, Scrimshaw, Smith (s) 17, v. Familton, Grenfell, Dunbar, Buist (s) 19; Gourley, Hancox, Strange, Collins (s) 20, v. Forrester, Treseder, Watson, Grant (s) 18. Totals—Temuka 92, Phoenix 80. Women—Mesdames Johnson, Palmer, Miss McGarva, Mrs Davis (s) 13, v. Mesdames McLean, Forrest, Glass, Ashton (s) 26; Mesdames Cameron, Winter, Shand, Harrison (s) 14, v. Mesdames Adams, Freeberry, Berry, Aikenhead (s) 21; Mesdames Earl. Blackmore, Thomson, Dickinson (s) 11, v. Mesdames Watts, Robertson, Blacklock. Grenfell (s) 31. Totals—Temuka 38, Phoenix 78. In the Temuka Ladies’ Club singles championships two games were played yesterday. Mrs Cooper and Mrs Fletcher winning, and Miss Armstrong beat Mrs Johnson. The draw for the third round of two-lifers in the A grade took place yesterday, Miss M. Johnston being drawn to meet Mrs W. Shand, while Mrs J. B. Davis has a bye. FISHING PROSPECTS. Prospects for salmon anglers, if the weather remains settled, will be bright for the week-end, according to the Acclimatisation Society’s Ranger (Mr F. W. Pellett). H stated yesterday afternoon that the Rangitata was fishable and the Opihi had a good mouth for fishing. 18 salmon had been taken on Thursday and six yesterday morning. SOCIAL EVENING. Many friends of Mr and Mrs C. A. Chester, “Barbarafield,” Temuka, gathered at the Parish Hall on Thursday evening, where a social, following the wedding of their daughter, Mona Eileen, to Mr Edward Brown Taylor, was held. About 200 guests spent a very pleasant evening dancing. Fancy dances were given by Miss Kellahan. Mr Brosnahan was M.C. During the evening, Mr and Mrs E. B. Taylor visited the hall. GENERAL NEWS. From mail posted on Thursday and arriving at the Borough Council Chambers yesterday a further £lO5 in rates was collected before the imposition of the 10 per cent, penalty. This leaves about £438 outstanding. Registrations for the Temuka District High School jubilee celebrations now total 400. There were 10 new enrolments on Thursday and 16 yesterday. EXCEPTIONAL ENTERTAINMENT. Ernst Lubitsch’s Paramount Picture, “Trouble in Paradise,” Miriam Hopkins Kay Francis, Herbert Marshall. Charlie Buggies and Edward Everett Horton, comes to Temuka to-day. Every performance in the film is an individual masterpiece, although all are blended into a perfect whole by the hand of Lubitsch. There are Kay Francis as the enormously wealthy Marianne Colet; Herbert Marshall as Gastional fame; suave crook of international fame; Miriam Hopkins as Lily, his sweetheart and confederate; Charlie Ruggles as the Major, suitor for the hand of Marianne; Edward Everett Horton as his rival; C. Aubrey Smith, as the chairman of the board of directors of Colet et Cie, and Robert Greig as Jacques, Mme. Colet’s butler.

The Temuka Farmers’ Union will hold a general meeting of members In the Fire Brigade rooms on Tuesday at 2.30 p.m. The executive of the Temuka District High School jubilee committee has been granted permission to charge for admission to the jubilee sports on Easter Monday.

At Milford on Thursday next, March 22, a harvest home ball will be held in the Public Hall. A good floor guaranteed and Kelland’s orchestra.

Mr E. A. Murrell, D.F 0.A., F. 1.0., (England) representing John R. Procter Ltd., Christchurch will be making the next professional visit to Temuka, on Saturday April 14. Appointments can now be made by ringing up the U.F.S. Dispensary. ...