PAID GENTLEMEN.

Inangahua Times, Issue 03, 9 October 1878, Page 2

PAID GENTLEMEN.

(FROM THN WORM) ) At tho first glance there is litllo lo conned tho Australian ttfl»kotor« now in LCngiand with any dinpujtoiw to what docs or drtos/no^ conptHute nil nmnteur. They omno horo to pluv cricket— -all but, three of fliony claiming to ; l >° b Y l)irth ' nml position gentlemen— opduly nttd avowedly trusting to pny oxpoiisos of Irnvel and I living by oxUibitincj tl»oir poworn and not thinking it derogatory lo pocket any ! clinnoo profit that might nccruo. Their opponents, whntcvor social distinctions tuny exist among thorn, they only know ns belonging to two classes — thoso who tveeivo money for exhibiting their skill, nnd thoso who piny ns gentleman. They bow take strong objection to tho bills lor expenses of somo of tho prominent cricketers who took part m tho mutch Gentlemen of England versus Australian. Probably, but for tho fact thnt'tho Gloucestershire- oaptiiin and tho secretary to Iho Aiiffhalinti Klovon both claimed tho" Hi'i'picos of Midwinter, nothing would huvo bocu hourJ of this. Tho terms of somo of our professional amateurs nro well known, nnd £50 for four gentlomon's expenses for. two diiya nii«ht not, con« sidonnt? tho enormous sum ronlisod by tho fmrticnlnr contofit^ Jmvo boon thought exorbitant. Indignant nfc tho tdmrp prftiitico of nt lonsfc ono who has fiont in h's bill, tho Austniliuns now iireuo that if tho four piny cm it) question want n foo for plnyinß they two in vcnlity nothing but pvofoinionnltf, atul ought not to have been enKfltfod in tho match for which thoy mulco thoir claim. It. is uot v/hollv without reason thoy docliuo to fioo tbo dillorenco botwoon givinir a ' playor' , hfs foui", «ix, or ton punnda,-nnrl following n 'Kcnlloman ' « fancy nraouul (or ospcnooH, or rWlifio to bo poi'HUiilod 1 thiit »oveiV ponndh ton por day can bo louitinuitoly oxpon(\cd in r'ilwny,. fa'f3, cubs, nnd hotel bills. In refusing Anything boyond expotises out, of pock 'fctho AuHrflliana aro right, and thoso who ciniia morn ought not to huvo hod n plaeu in an olove'n suppoaod to oonsist culircly of unpaid and gqntlomen oricketcrs. It is not only in crickot that thin systom Itnß grown up of makiag Imcklmndod pnynumt— for that is what allowing fixpcnseH roally, means— to gontlemen, who l.y virtue of thoir post I ion, uro supposed to bo abopo bci»i.g hired. At horso sh«»WH and tho like, nobloraon and Rontlemon of •position, noting aa iiulgea do not suruplo to mnko n charge disguised by tho naiuo 'of oxponsoft. Paid Rcnti*m<»n oxist only bcoauso a fooiing of fa'iw sharno (Inters them from openly and honontly joining t,lio ranks of professionals. Among thoso «bo piny with tho .gonllomon and sook pny with tho pluyorK arc somo to whom money is of no 'object; thoKo have not tho Bomblmu'O of oxyiifie. Others, who chooso to wuka a buHuu'ss of a pnHiiino, ami find thnt they cannot rtf Ford to Jcvqto thcmfielvos to it, ought boldly tc look tho silniilioh in llio fa.epi uhlosm oricltot bo mndo a luoVnrt of gaining lioneslly a livorlihood,, it i«, liko all other gamefl, a luxury. If a gentleman oan nfiford this luxury by nil tnoaus Ibt'hiirn play; if he onnnot hour tho cost there ah) two ronsohablo oourst.-;), upon — oithef to giy<> it up or turn pro* f'eHiiional, as nvora than ono good man of tho proHfnV.ijypnoruliAn has done. Had flic most prominent of onr paid amatuoiH followed tho eJwmplfl set thorn by Daft and Slophonso'u lofty vr'oiild riot only have •ooramandod, as did' thoso ero while ani'itcura, tho admiralio-n and cstoetu of all elanfii'R, but would havo made moro monoy ns pi-ofeHKioDui.s then as paid gentlemen. JNpw bonn fide amateurs only inilf like being a^sociftted with thorn, while bonn fido platers are bittorly joalous of their fu'lso position. Cricket has, liko all olhorH Rporls, its own definition of what a a professional. In podostrianism I hero nro several vraya in which an nnvUcur o in loqho oaHte — by competing for a money prize, or against a professional, cv \v. accepting a shavo of gato monoy. The sntno rules apply to aquatic. Indoor games, if judged by tho camo standard ns nthletic, nro wholly given uf. to pro* fossionnls, though no ono would consider hitriHclf degraded by having a turn with a professional at billiards, ragkots, or tonnis. In hmUing n. d shooting all ar» equal. Coursing is now bomg mado n gato money spccu'atlon, and what diffbrouoo thcro b botwo«n an auinteur and professional trap shot may b<> juiged fi»o«n tho groat niattth of last woolt, whon an onolosecJ ground i hundreds ot llio . outqi.lo nubliu mud to '

witness a member of the aristocratic Gun with an Amer.o.n wuo is Timr'~wnr r -- — , — e*«[qnnl but exhibits his skill at musiothnll*. "-*•— uUhl soon from comparinß the lnws of diflerent sports tlinfc if Iho fioncrally admitted principle of not sookinß to K<rin money is tbo qualification of an nmatour, it will bo very difficult to find in acquatics, podestrianism, or orickot a real non-pro-fessional ; for gate money is tho muinsti\y of eriokot and nmatour pedestrknism, nnd nfiocts rowing and swimrainff also. Doos not ovory club chargo for admission to its RroundsP Is not tho sum so roolisod placed to its credit ? and do not the acts of I a club involro in responsibility each individual member P Steamers chartered by the UnivorMby Boat Clubs accompany tho Oxford nnd Cambridge orows from Putney to Mortlnke, monoy iv taken for admission tickets, nud tho Club funds benefit by tho surplus which thoro may bo when tbo cost of fho craft has been disbursed. One broad pnnciplo runs through nl| laws of «port— that, though, in many cases he may risk money ou bi« performances, , nn nmatour Is amateur no longer when he takes ft fi*od sura fordoing a certain thing. There is ono dopnrluro from this rule whioh is justified. Whin a gentleman is nskod to piny at v distanco from hid homo, then it is only reasonable that the expense should full upon tlio club and not on tlio individual. But oven theu'the right plan is for tho club to entertain its mombers ns guests, nnd any objootiou tliftt oan bo lolt tntho fact is removed by Iho dolicaoy of lh-» process. All oliiim to tho titlo of gentlemen p nyers is forfoitcd by those who, whether in out or Homo matoha.*, regulurlv vanA in their bills, making of orieket a commoroiul trnnsnotion, in nbieh (ho chargo made for expenses leaves n hnndsomo bnlnnco over actual outlay. To sum up nnd to ndopt tho use of a word whioh is clymnlogicnlly yo inappliciblo fot the purpose of mnking the distinction us ' nmnKut',' thoro nro two classes, professionals and non-profos* Hionnls; and tho soonor sfronc measure* nro taken to compel those who linvo boon making n profit out of cricket, nnd yet rank with thoso who theoretically, rjfuso i.rofit, cither to giro up cricket nltogolher or tnko thoir proper plnco Hmong Iho players, tho bettor.