MR W.H.CHAMBERS ON UNPAID SUBSCRIPTIONS.
COLLIERY CLUB’S ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual meeting of the Denaby and Cadeby Main United Cricket Club was held in the Denaby Main Hotel on Friday evening. Mr W. H. Chambers presided over a good attendance, which included Messrs H Watson Smith, C Phillips, J Cox, Hewitt, J Towey and A E Robinson with the secretary pro tem (Mr G L Robinson) and others.
THE BALANCE SHEET.
Mr G. L Robinson presented the balance sheet for the season 1913, which showed the income to be £241 16s 0 ½ d, and the expenses actually paid £241 2s 9d. Accounts owing by the club amounted to £11 14s 9d, so that although there was a balance for last year of nearly £14, the 1913 season finish with the club about £11 on the wrong side. On the income side the subscription brought in £75 13s 6d, and the gate receives (first team £18 16s 11 1/2d, second team £2 16s 5d, casuals 1s 10 1/2d) £21 15s 3d.
The tearoom was responsible for an income of £8 18s 10d, made up as follows: Mrs H L Smethurst,£1 2s, Mrs J Cocks £1; Mrs G L Robinson 16s, Mrs H W Smith 14s 8d, Mrs C W Phillips 14s 3d, Rev S F Hawkes 12s 4d, Mrs E Robinson 11s 10d, Mrs R Williamson 9s 6d, casuals £2 18s 3d.
£70 was received from the Ball committee and profit from the canteen amounted to £25 16s 5d. The club paid away £64.19 s 2 1/2d in wages and £70 to the colliery company for erection of a wall round the ground.
A QUESTION OF EXPENSES.
Mr Towey asked if it was in accordance with the rules of their expenses in connection with friendly matches. He referred particularly to the Normandy Park journey.
The SECRETARY said that he had been under the impression that they paid these expenses. He saw no difference between a league fixture and a friendly match. The matter had been thrashed out in the committee, and if it was not right he was prepared to stand it. That was his position. It was here and he was afraid it would have to stay there.
Mr Towey: is this precedent to be followed in future?
Mr Cocks observed that at the committee meeting the question was thrashed out, and opinion was divided as to whether expenses had been paid in previous years, and the account was passed on the understanding that the team should pay their own expenses in friendly matches in future.
Mr Smith pointed out that at the committee meeting the secretary said that if the account did not meet the satisfaction of the committee he would refund the money out of his own pocket. He did not think anyone could have said it fairer than that.
COLLIERY COMPANY’S GENEROSITY.
The CHAIRMAN called attention to the item of £70 paid to the colliery company and asked the total amount the club were indebted to the company in respect of it.
The SECRETARY said that the work done cost something like £140 and the company had agreed to wipe that debt of on the payment of £70.
COST OF CONVEYANCES.
The CHAIRMAN: there is another item on the balance sheet which I observe, that is the cost of conveyances appears to be more than enough to be incurred in the conveyance of players to matches. I am told that a good deal of that was to pay for spectators as well as players. I should like to know what the secretary has to say about it. With regard to the expenses paid in friendly matches, I fully agree with the objection. It is not a proper expense, and the committee must take care that such an expense is not incurred again. It is not a fair charge in my opinion.
The SECRETARY: I think we gave Mr Law less than what was due to him but he accepted. Most of it went to casuals. It is not a serious item, and I don’t think it will occur again.
Mr Phillips explained that they had to guarantee Mr Law 12 persons. The difficulty had arisen through spectators going in the wagonnette, and, instead of the driver be responsible for them, the club had been responsible for the extra charge.
Mr Phillips was of the opinion that the club should only be responsible for the players conveyed.
The CHAIRMAN: we should get the money back from those who aren’t players.
Mr Smith did not think they should be comment about the first team, and not about the casuals. He did not see that the casuals should have an outing at the expense of the club without comment any more than the first team.
Mr A Robinson, as the one was responsible for this unfortunate bit of business, said he would like to explain himself. The secretary was perfectly right, according to the rules. The rules said. “The first team.”. But it was not a rule of the club that the fares of the casuals should be paid. These fares had been contrary to rules. The rule was distinct and it didn’t require a Sir Edward Carson to interpret the reading of it.
A member: it was passed by a small subcommittee that the affairs of the casual be paid.
The CHAIRMAN; then it is ultra vires that the committee should do any such thing. The rules ought to be known by every member who subscribe. If you distribute the money in this way it is not in accordance with the object to which it was subscribed. If I were asked to pay fares of anyone who would like to go, who was a member or not I should decline to do anything of the sort. I should pay my subscription for the benefit of the club and nobody else.
BELATED SUBSCRIPTIONS
The CHAIRMAN there is another thing I rather doubt that some of the members have paid their subscriptions. That is wrong. You must remember that people subscribe the purpose of helping others to enjoy themselves, and if they cannot afford to pay a proportion of that for the privilege of having that enjoyment. I cannot see that they can properly appeal to someone else to do everything for them. (Here here). I do not think that it ought to be continued.
Mr A Robinson: they ought to be black listed.
Mr Chambers. It is not fair to those who pay their subscriptions.
Mr A Robinson we should not allow them to use anything until they paid.
The CHAIRMAN suggested that a shilling a week might be allowed until the subscriptions were paid, that would not be an hardship on anyone.
Mr A Robinson: we have a resolution which covers this but we never carried it out. The secretary remarked that eight or nine years ago he took a stand on that matter. There was no doubt that however keen they were about getting subscriptions, they will still be some that they could not get in. What they wanted to do was to prevent them playing.
After further discussion the chairman move that no member be allowed to play unless he paid a substantial amount of its subscription.
A member: let them pay 2/6 down and the rest before the first and you.
The chairman accepted the members and it was carried unanimously.
It was then proposed that the secretary make out a list of those players who do not pay their last year subscription. The committee should know all those, so that they need not be admitted on the ground again until they are paid.
The CHAIRMAN. I do not think that it would be conducive to the best interests of the club.
Mr A Robinson I we are not going to forgive all of them. I move that the names of those who do not pay their strip productions be posted in the Pavilion.
A POLICE ACCOUNT.
The chairman next called attention to the amount of £8 out for the police. Was it such a disorderly crowd that they wasted policemen to keep them in order. He asked.
It was stated that the police were asked to attend to supervise the canteen, to see that no one but members entered.
The chairman Are you bound to pay 10 shilling a match for that.
The secretary they made an application for three pounds but it has not been paid.
The matter was left in the arms of the committee
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
On the suggestion of the chairman, the list of VP’s was cut down to 6 as those who were struck off were made later. Richard Duberry Ernest Chambers was re-elected president and the following vice presidents: messes Phillips Cox, Smith, Ray, Robinson and Milnes are. The reverent F S Hawkes was proposed, but withdrew. Mr GL Robinson was thankfully services are secretary and, as he wished to resign, Mr Percy Chambers was appointed. W. J. Dunk was elected treasurer. The following names were added to the committee to fill various vacancies: messes Jones, Cooke, Towey, Asprey, Britain and GL Robinson.
Captain
Mr Phillips was appointed captain of the first team, and, in returning thanks for his election, said that the coming season they would have to put their shoulders to the wheel for many other clubs would, under the new rule, be going a long distance for players. They were at a disadvantage as far as that went, but they would have to do their best and await results.
Messes A Robinson and Smith were nominated as vice captain’s, and the latter was elected. Messrs Feeney and Broadbent were appointed captain and vice captain respectively of the second team. Mr Dabbs was appointed manager of the canteen.
THANKS
Mr Smith proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Robinson for his services are secretary, which the chairman seconded, remarking that. Mr Robinson had stepped into the breach and carried out the duties in a very satisfactory way.
Mr Chambers said he was very pleased to be with them again. He had had rather an anxious time of it since he was there before. It was not because he had lost interest in the club that he was not amongst them more frequently. He was always ready to do what he could. It was a game of all others, and if he could you would ask them to let him play. He came to see them play sometimes, but he was beginning to think that he was a Jonah because they lost every time he did so. (Laughter.) He hoped they would have more success in the future