ALL BLACK TOUR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17230, 22 December 1923, Page 1

ALL BLACK TOUR.

QUESTION OF EXPENSES. ATTITUDE OF SCOTTISH UNION. “It is my opinion that unless the English Rugby Union agrees to allow the players reasonable out-of-pocket expenses no New Zealand team will make the tour Horae,” said Mr S. F. Wilson in the course of a discussion with a “ Star ” reporter on the recent developments in connection with the proposed tour. The attitude of the Scottish Union, said Mr Wilson, was a matter on which he had insufficient information to make any comment. Nothing was known in New Zealand of any grievance on the part of the football authorities in Scotland, and no statementhad been made by the Scottish Union of any grievance. When the 1905 New Zealand team went’ Home the Scottish Union did not want to play them. They seemed to be a bit hide-bound in Scotland. Apj&rently they considered that the arrangements should have been made through the International

Board, an attitude with which Mr Wilson agreed. The invitation for the New Zealand team ca/nie through the English Rugby Union. ,and not through the International Board, and there was a strong indication that the invitation was not very spontaneous hut was a .response to the active working of the New Zealand . representatives in England. So far >s the question of the allowance was concerned, however. Mr \Y ilson was unite emphatic in the opinion that unless reasonable out-of-poc-ket expenses were allowed there would be no tour. “ Bawbees again.” said a New Zealand player who has taken part in Rugby at Home “The Scottish Union is the most conservative body in the world, and it cannot stand a joke. The joke came to light in 1905. The All Blacks wanted a guarantee of £SOO before they played that famous match in In-verleith. The Scottish Union buttoned its pockets and said ' naw.’ The boys from down tinder’decided to give it a go anyway, accepting all the gate whether it was a'hatful or nothing. Fortune smiled. The burghers rolled up in rhass formation, the gate was £3000,, and New Zealand grabbed the lot. Worse than that, George Smith galloped through the dower of Scottish chivalry, and the All Blacks won bv 12 points to 7, thought at half-time they had been down. What a knock for the Thistle.” Writing at the time, a Press correspondent ysaid ‘‘No caps were given to the Scottish fifteen, and this displav of parsimony has been adversely commented on on both sides of the border. There is soreness in official circles at missing a grand opportunity of swelling the union coffers.” Describing New Zealand’s final spurt at Inverleith, a -eport says: “A wild yell from the New Zealand students in front of the Press stand announced the fact that Smith had got over, and all doubts were set at rest when his colleagues were seen to be crowding round lym, almost falling on his neck in their delight. No one troubled mucli about the place-kick. % Whether it was converted or not did not much matter. The All Blacks had pulled the game out of the fire.”

QUESTION OF ALLOWANCES

Per Press Association". DUNEDI-N, December 22. Mr Neil Galbraith. who was treasurer to the New Zealand Rugby Union in 1905, states that all arrangements for the All Blacks were left ir. the hands of the English Uniqn, who, with the Welsh Union, guaranteed a minimum of £SOO for international matches and anything over that to be equally divided. Scotland was asked for the same, but declined, stating that the New Zealanders could have the whole gates of two matches in Scotland, which came to about £llOO. not £3OOO as cabled. Regarding the travelling allowance. the New Zealand Union were guided by the precedent established by the International Board in granting Beddell-Siev wright’s team a daily allowance for the whole tour of 3s a day. When the question was raised during the All Black visit, Beddell-Sievwright evaded .the fact that an actual payment was made, but so far as the New Zealand tour was concerned he (Mr Galbraith), as treasurer, paid each member • twenty-one shillings a week.