CYCLISTS APPEAR BEFORE SPECIAL MEETING OF CENTRE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18013, 25 November 1926, Page 8

CYCLISTS APPEAR BEFORE SPECIAL MEETING OF CENTRE.

LENGTHY INQUIRY INTO RECENT STADIUM STRIKE. The Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union held a special meeting last evening to inquire into an alleged strike by some of the riders at a recent meeting at the English Park Stadium, and at the conclusion of the lengthy investigation a resolution was unanimously passed expressing displeasure at the attitude of the riders and warning them that any repetition of the offence would be severely dealt with. The chairman (Mr W. J. Walter) said that as he had reported the matter as chief consul he thought it would be advisable to have someone else in the chair. Mr Winter Cole was therefore voted to the chair. Apologies for absence were received from some of the riders. The apologies were received and it was decided to ask the riders to attend the next meeting of the centre if necessary. Mr Walter said he had attended the meeting at the Stadium on October 30 and he had reported that the riders bad refused to ride unless the prize money was increased. The Stadium people had threatened to cancel the meeting, and after a lot of talk the cyclists went in and competed. These cyclists had seen the advertised programme, had entered for the events, and then gone to the ground and refused to ride. It was grossly unfair and unsportsmanlike. Mr C.. Stewart: Did the riders know what they were entering for ? Mr Walter: Yes. Mr G. Henderson moved that the riders and the Stadium authorities be called in to the meeting, and this was agreed to. Sixteen riders put in an appearance, and Messrs A. L. Moffat, A. Forbes, J. Johns and H. W. Nesbitt represented the English Park Stadium, Ltd. * The riders were asked individually whether they intended to ride that night, and ail but one or two answered in the negative. Various excuses were offered, though the riders were practically unanimous in the opinion that they were justified in striking. One rider said he had seen the programme advertised in the “Lyttelton Times” on the Monday before the race as a £lO event, but in the programme it was a £7 race. lie was dispatched to the newspaper office to get a clipping, but on returning said he had made a mistake, as the race on the programme coincided with the one which had been advertised.

11. Burnand, one of the riders, and also a centre delegate, said they had ridden that night on the promise of Mr Nesbitt that the prize-money would be increased in future. The riders could not afford to keep their machines on the poor prize-money.

Mr Walter asked the riders if they thought it was a fair thing to the public, of whom the Stadium people were the best guardians. D. E. Le Fevre replied by saying that the average rider won only one race in a season. The riders were put in the programmes whether they intended to compete or not.

Mr G. Henderson said there was an understanding between some of the riders and the Stadium that the entries should be carried forward week by week. At this stage another rider entered the room, and on being asked what he had to say about the matter he created laughter by exclaiming, “I'm doing what the other coves are doing.”

Me Henderson asked if the riders thought it a right and proper thing to dictate the matter in front of the grandstand after the public had been admitted. 11. B. Dixey: Yes. certainly.

Mr W. C. Miller asked the riders if they preferred to be entered week by week or to enter officially themselves. D. E. Le Fevre: If the present state of affairs is going on we prefer to enter week by week.

Mr A. L. Moffat, one of the Stadium representatives, expressed the opinion that the centre were on the wrong track in holding the inquiry. Last season there had been trouble and the centre took no notice of it. The riders had put a bayonet at the heads of the promoters and in order to keep faith with the public they gave way to the cyclists. This last time, however, the promoters thought it time to take a stand and it was their intention of putting on a free show for the public and allowing the willing riders to take the prize-money. “ The riders won in the first instance and there was no inquiry, but now that we have won the centre have asked us to come along,” said Mr Moffat, who asked why there had been a change in the centre's attitude. Mr Walter said he thought it was the duty of the Stadium pepole to bring the matter before the centre. He had brought the question up this time. Mr Moffat. Where was your delegate last year? Mr Walter: I arrived at the ground late last time. In reply to Mr O’Rourke, Mr Johns said the Stadium paid the money that was advertised for all its races. Mr Moffat said that when the riders found that the Stadium people were going to put on a free show that night they soon consented to ride. Replying to Mr Henderson, Mr Burnand said the riders were willing to pay the entry fee if the prize money was raised to £lO. Mr Walter: Would you have ridden that night if you had not received Mr Nesbitt's promise that the money would be raised? A chorus: No, certainly not. In answer to Mr J. 11. Parsons, who wanted to know if the Stadium people thought it fair thing to ask the riders to compete for £7, Mr Moffat said the Stadium could not be run lor nothing. Mr Walter said the riders should have held a meeting in the proper manner as it was not fair to the public. No other club could give the prize money the Stadium were giving. Mr Burnand: We cannot train every night and ride for poor money. The chairman said if the riders thought it was not worth while then it was their own funeral. What the centre was up against was the way the riders had acted; in a manner detrimental to the sport. They had caused what might easily have been a serious disturbance. Such happenings tended to lower the standard of the sport. The public had been disappointed very often through the wet nights, and unless the riders got public support it was little use their riding. The English Park people had to get interest on their money and for this they had to depend entirely on public sup port. Mr Nesbitt stated that in 1924 the riders paid 7s fid entry fees for £2l prize money, last year they paid 7s for £23, while in the programme to which they took exception the entrance money was 3s and the prize money £3l. Mr Johns said he was pleased to hear the chairman speak in the manner he had done as it showed that he had a grip of the position. If the Sta-

dium got the support of the riders and the public then they would be only too pleased to double the prize money. Mr Moffatt asked the riders whether they would ride for £7 for a shilling entry. There was a chorus of “ Noes.” When Mr Moffat asked if that was definite there was a good deal of hesitancy and the riders commenced chatting amongst themselves. Mr Parsons said it would not be fair to the other riders to accept the verdict of those in attendance that night. After the riders had retired Mr Johns said the Stadium people had decided that no more entries would be received unless on a proper form and accompanied by entrance money. The Stadium representatives then retired. Air Stewart said the whole thing savoured of an industrial dispute. Mr Miller said that if the riders were not prepared to compete for what money was put up then the best thing the} 1- could do was to get out?. Clubs spent a lot more money than riders spent, and it looked as though the latter were in the game for what they could get out of it. It was all right to compete for cash, but there should be a certain element of sport in it as well. The centre had to back up the Stadium as a sports body, and they should tell the riders if they did it again they would be disqualified for a considerable period. Mr T. O'Rourke moved:—“ That this meeting views with disapproval the action of the riders in refusing to ride at the Stadium on October 30, and that they be informed that any such occurrence in the future will be severely dealth with.” Mr G. Henderson seconded the motion, and several delegates spoke in favour of it. The motion was then put and carried unanimously.