30/- EACH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20481, 28 July 1936, Page 6

30/- EACH

TICKETS FOR SHIELD MATCH » SEATS IN STAND SOAR IN VALUE By Telegraph—Press Association DUNEDIN, July 27. . A few hours after they had been purchased tickets entitling the holders to seats in the grand stand at the Ranfurly Shield match between Otago and Southland at Carisbrook on Saturday, though purchased at 3/6, were being sold at prices ranging from £1 to £l/10/-. Queue at 4 p.m. Sunday While it had been expected that there would be a great demand for seats at the opening of the box plan at Begg and Go’s, this morning, the rush for tickets was so great that the formation of a queue outside the office began at 4 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, and any who joined it later did so at the risk of being unable to obtain tickets. In fact, a Southlander who made a special trip to Dunedin by motor, arriving at 3 o’clock this morning, was one of those who were disappointed. The arrangements made by Begg and Co. saved thlse who took their place in the queue a long wait in the open on a very cold night. As they formed up outside the office they were given a ticket bearing their number in the queue, and were allowed to proceed to the Y.M.C.A. building where they were made as comfortable as possible. So rapidly did the numbers of claimants for seats grow that by midnight on Sunday more than 350 tickets had been Issued. As each person was entitled to book six seats, the disposal of the greater number of 2500 seats available was thus ensured. Before 3 o’clock ticket No. 400 had been allotted, and any who arrived subsequently were advised that they took their place in the waiting crowd at the risk of eventally not being able to obtain tickets. Paid Deputies It is stated that a number of those who were earliest in the queue took their places not out of enthusiasm but as paid deputies of others who desired to avoid a long wait. The number who were thus employed received as much as £l, and at least one case is known in which payment of that amount had to be made without the expected return, because the deputy arrived too late to be assured of receiving tickets, and found on reaching the booking office that all the seats had been sold. A man who was among the first arrivals in the queue and required only two of the six tickets which he was able to purchase disposed of the remaining four at 7/6 each. It is unlikely that he would have done so, however, had he known that shortly afterwards that the popular price of resales was to be 15— and that the amount would have risen by the early afternoon to £l/10/- in a few cases. Sharp Practice At least one Instance of sharp practice was revealed. It appears that a person to whom ticket 421 in the queue was issued early in the morning decided in view of the warning that he might not be able to obtain seats that it would be more profitable to sell his place and not wait. To ensure a ready sale for the ticket he set about removing the figure “1”, and careful folding of the ticket made the erasure less apparent. The ticket was soon exchanged for a pound note, but a later examination raised doubts which were shown to be only too well founded. SOUTHLAND INTEREST By Telegr.ph—Press Association INVERCARGILL, July 27. The phenomenal Interest being taken in the Ranfurly Shield match between Otago and Southland at Dunedin on Saturday was shown when the 170 stand seats allotted to Southland were literally sold before the plan was opened this morning. One man waited from 11 o’clock last night, and he was joined by others, including women, after midnight. It was cold and foggy and they must have found it difficult to keep warm. Seats or no seats Southlanders are determined to take Dunedin by storm on Saturday. Already about 2000 seats have been booked on the special trains, and it is believed that 4000 or 5000 will go north by road, rail and air. One party is reported to be making the journey on bicycles. It was learned today that the arrangements made by the Railway Department for the transportation of the crowds on all lines in Otago and Southland represent probably the biggest undertaking of the kind in the history of the railways.