Cricket 1909

92 CR ICK ET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r i l 29, 1909. AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN FINANCE The result of the representations made to the sub-Committee of the Board of Control by the three players deputed to perform that office by the meeting in Melbourne, was that the Board saw no reason to alter the terms it originally decided on. On the broad question of principle it is well that the Board saw fit to stand to its guns. It is good to know that the calculations of the Board were not, as has been contended, based on a misunderstanding of the financial position. The Board allows £6,000 for expenses, but there is reason to believe that these should not exceed £4,000, and if this be borne out, it will make the argument of those who criticised the Board seem weaker than ever, The approximate amount of profit derived by the members from some at least of past Australian teams has leaked out, though little authentic has been placed before the public beyond what was elicited in the bankruptcy proceedings of a player who had been to England more than once. As monetary considerations have been so pro­ minent in cricket for so many years, as money has been the root of most of the opposition to the Board of Control’s rise in Australia, and as Australian cricketers visit­ ing England in a representative capacity to play England are public men for the time being, it would have been better for their cause if the travelled players had produced the statement of receipts and expenditure of the last three teams for the private informa­ tion of the Board’s sub-Committee. At least any such documents would not have helped their cause. It is an assumption for any reasonable man, seeing that one member of the Board’s sub-Committee participated in the profits of two teams. Mr. G. H. S. Trott has recently written in the press : “ My experience of cricket tours in England convinces me that the demands made by the Board are extortionate, and a team going home under those conditions will have to be very successful in the field to make the tour a success financially. The most successful trip I had the pleasure of making was in 1896, and each player made about £300 over and above expenses. In 1888 I made about £80 clear, and in that trip most of the players had overdrawn. In 1890 a little over £100 was the amount claimed by each player, and in 1893 about £150 was netted, so that it can be easily seen, with the percentage claimed by the Board, unless the team has an exceptional season, very little over and above expenses will be the share of the players.” If the facts of Mr. Trott were correct, the three players—M. A. Noble, C. Hill, and F. Laver—who placed their views before a sub-Committee of the Board of Control, would have been able to support them. But it is clear that the players’ delegation brought forth no convincing evidence. When it was officially made known that the terms of the Board were not to be modified, we ventured to ask Mr. W. P. McElhone, the Board’s hon. secretary, a question: “ Did the players pro­ duce any documentary evidence in support of their statements, if any, respecting the finances of past teams?” “ No,” said he, thirty-four matches was £12,741 6s. 6d. The expenses of the tour (minus hotel ex­ penses) totalled £3,229 7s. 5d., leaving a credit of £9,51119s. Id. on the English tour, or £679 8s. 6d. each for fourteen men. The hotel expenses may be set down at £80 per man, so that from the English tour and the one match at Sydney the players had about £680 profit. That year a profit was also made in America, in New Zealand and in Tasmania, and on the whole tour the profits exceeded £700 per man. In support of these facts, a copy of the financial statement sup­ plied to the members of the team by the manager is produced. It is the first time such a statement has ever seen the light of publicity. And, in view of the secrecy in such matters for so many years, it will be highly interesting to all who desire to see the control of Australian cricket maintained as it is just at present on a basis that must command the confidence of the public. The expenses of the t©ur were £3,229 7s. 5d. Add the hotel expenses of fifteen men at £80 per man and the total is £4,429. Deduct from this the amount of compensation to J. Harry and the preliminary expenses incurred in connection with the American and New Zealand matches, and the total expenses of the English tour are approximately £4,230. Compare this sum with the £6,000 for ex­ penses allowed by the Board of Control! In 1896, £12,741 was taken in England, and yet the team this year will play two Test matches more than that of 1896. These facts are significant. At the same time, the estimate of £18,000 as receipts for the tour seems excessive. R eceipts , Date. May. Place. 11. Sheffield Park .................. 14. Leyton.................................. 18. Crystal Palace .................. 21. Eastbourne.......................... 25. Sheffield .......................... 28. Manchester........................... June. 1. O xford.................................. 4. B ristol.................................. 8 . Wembley P a rk .................. 11. Lord’s .................................. 15. Leeds .................................. 18. Birmingham .................. 22. Lord’s .................................. 25. Nottingham .................. 29. Bradford ........................... July. 2. Manchester........................... 6 . Southampton ................... 9. Leyton.................................. 13. Leicester ........................... 16. Manchester........................... 20. D e rb y .................................. 23. Lord’s .................................. 27. Oval .. ........................... 30. Bexhill.................................. August. 3. Birmingham .................. 6 . Canterbury.......................... 10. Oval .................................. 13. Brighton .......................... 17. Oval .................................. 20. Cheltenham .................. 24. Taunton .......................... 27. Liverpool .......................... 31. Scarborough .................. Sept. 3. Hastings .......................... S h a r e of A dm ission M oney M atch. Lord Sheffield’s X I............... E ssex....................................... England X I............................. South of E n gland................ Yorkshire................................ Lancashire ...................... Oxford University................ Gloucestershire ... ... . England X I............................. M.C.C. and Ground ... . Yorkshire................................ Midland C ounties................ England .................. ... . N o tts ....................................... Yorkshire................................ North of England ... Hants.......................... Players .................. Leicestershire.......... England .................. Derbyshire ........... M.C.C. and Ground Surrey .................. Lord de la Warr’s XI, ENGLISH TOUR IN 1896. GENERAL STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE. E x pe n d itu r e . By Railway Fares......................................................................................... ,, Refreshments and Luncheons .......................................................... ,, Steamer Fares, Sydney to London and London to Sydney ... ,, Petty Cash, as per vouchers .......................................................... ,, Stationery................................................................................................. ,, E xch an ge................................................................................................. ,, Medical E xpenses.................................................................................. ,, Law Costs—Preparation of Agreement of Team for Tour ,, Compensation Amount J. Harry .................................................. ,, Bills and Sundries, which include Drag Hire, London Coaches, Buses, Cartage on Tour, also Services of Mr. J. A. Murdoch at Lord’s ......................................................................................... ,, Cables......................................................................................................... ,, Tips at Grounds, Hotels, Railway Porters, and S.S. Cuzco ... ,, Scorer’s Salary........................................................................................ ,, Cricket Materials, which includes Badges, Sashes, Ties, &c., for Team ......................................................................................... ,, Umpires’ F ees.......................................................... ......................... ,, American Tour Account: Preliminary Expenditure (includes £20 drawn as petty cash to be accounted for in Statement American Tour Business) .......................................................... ,, Donation Account, which includes Amounts voted to Mr. C. W. Alcock, J. J. Kelly, and Geo. Lohmann ................... „ NewTZealand Tour Account................................................................. Warwickshire ... K e n t .................. England .......... Sussex ........... Surrey ........... Gloucestershire Som erset........... Lancashire England XI. ... S outh................... £250 0 0 281 1 6 250 0 0 200 0 0 o23 0 6 829 9 0 293 2 7 133 17 6 250 0 0 324 15 0 372 1 2 223 1 6 . 1,033 2 6 130 2 5 400 15 6 184 6 0 125 16 9 156 11 6 102 4 6 . 1,177 5 9 94 3 0 508 15 6 585 0 6 250 0 0 465 10 4 425 12 6 . 1,203 6 9 283 0 0 391 4 9 302 0 6 103 12 6 264 19 9 292 14 0 230 12 9 £12,741 6 6 £327 9 1 79 16 8 1,627 10 0 38 5 0 46 14 3 12 6 2 2 0 7 7 0 0 0 160 239 13 4 20 19 11 213 19 3 53 11 0 40 19 156 0 Receipts .......................................................... £12,741 6 6 Expenditure .................................................. 3,229 7 5 Credit Balance .......................................... 9,511 19 1 Credit Sydney Match .................................. 873 9 10 Total Credit .......................................... 10,385 8 11 One-fourteentli Share.................................. One-thirteenth Share of Test Match, 679 8 6 Sydney ................................................. 67 3 10 746 12 4 180 0 0 7 15 2 £3,229 7 5 one member of that sub-Committee, by reason of his having been a member of two of these teams, must know practically all that “ the players ” could have told him. By failing to produce such statements, the players have, rightly or wrongly, impressed most people who think independently that “ their statements were verbal.” The 1896 Australian Eleven played a match at Sydney before leaving for England, from which, after payment of all expenses, the team netted £873 9s. 10d., which gave to each of thirteen members £67 3s. lOd. In England the team’s share of the gate of In relation to these accounts it may be stated that two members of the team, J. J. Kelly and A. E. Johns, received a half-share each, the former having displaced J. Harry, who had been originally selected. Onthe NewZealandtour the one-fourteenth share amounted to £47 18s. 5d., out of which