SUNDAY BOWLING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1078, 20 March 1913, Page 3

SUNDAY BOWLING.

NOTICE OF MOTION THROWN OUT.

Mr T. Rimtner presided over a special meeting of members of the above club last night, to deal with a notice of motion moved by Mr Hornblow and seconded by Mr Stiles, prohibiting the green being thrown open for Sunday play. There were present: Messrs Kel low, Stuneil, Hornblow, Stiles, Lumsden, Freeman, Speirs, Hennessy, Easton, Clemett, Walker, D. Whibley, Green, Fields Hopper, Witchell, Harvey, Parkes, Perreau, Geo. Barber, Petrie, Dr. Adams and W. Nye, and the following new members elected since the last meeting : Messrs Redgrave, Read, Meyer, Berry, Pearson, Oben and Gibbs. At the last meeting a resolution

was passed objecting to the ladies recording their votes, despite the " fact that they bad voted on every motion submitted to the annual meeting. A resolution was passed at the last meeting that the secrej. tary of the New Zealand Bowling Association be asked to give a ruling as to the legality or otherwise of the ladies recording their votes, and the secretary read the following reply : “In reply to your letter I am to stale that my executive rules as follows: Unless there is a minute to the contrary in your Club’s - minute book, lady members have a right to vote on all matters pertaining to the management of the Club.” —J. J. Roberts.” Mr Speirs moved that in view of the above ruling that the meeting be adjourned in order to give the ladies an opportunity to be present and record their votes. This w&s seconded by Mr Walker. Messrs Stiles and Hornblow opposed the resolution for adjournment on the ground that whichever way the ladies voted it would not prevent division of feeling on the question of Sunday bowling. The secretary stated that it was pointed out by a member at the annual meeting that the ladies were not entitled to vote, but the minute book had been burnt in the Bank fire. He said the ladies did , not desire to vote.

Mr Hornblow said the Secretary had informed a lady member that she was not entitled to vote. , Mr Witchell denied this. Someone interjected that they would not belong to a club if it was to be governed by ladies. Mr Hornblow considered that the Club, by its attitude at last meeting, had offered a gratuitous insult to the ladies. Mr Clemett indignantly asked

who had insulted them. Mr Horn blow : You did. You » have asked for it, and now you have got it. Some cross firing then took place between the two last mentioned, and Mr Clemett accused Mr Hornblow of bringing ladies to the last meeting to support the resolution opposing Sunday bowling. Mr Hornblow denied that he had asked one person' to attend this or the previous meeting, either male or temale, neither had he canvassed for members to support the present motion. He challenged Mr Clemett to name one person to the meeting whom he had asked to attend either that - night or on the previous occasion. - The resolution re adjournament was withdrawn. After some more exchanges Mr Hornblow was called on to move the motion standing in his name. He said he desired to eleminate irrelevant personalities. The green was held in common by every member and each member had a perfect right to criticise the actions and conduct of any member so tar as club conduct was concerned. Two or three members by their conduct had no right to compromise the Club. He reiterated some of the arguments expressed at the previous meeting. Mr Smiles said the Club had arrived at a critical stage and it was not too late even now to settle the question amicably and restore unanimity among members which was essential if the Club was to be successful. It was not the Club’s intention to encroach on the Sunday, and they should continue as they started. He admired those who were prepared to stand by their principles on this matter, and he opposed Sunday play on principle. He hoped the meeting r~ would do the honourable thing bj the founders of the Club, and fix up the matter amicably before it was too late. Mr Walker spoke in favour of the motion. Mr Kellow said if Sunday play meant that the Club was going to lose ten or a dozen members it was a serious matter. As a member-of the Club, he would not play on Sunday. He asked members to go to the ballot having the welfare of the Club at heart, Messrs Freeman and Hornblow were appointed scrutineers, and the ballot resulted as follows: For the motion, 11 ; against, 20. Mr Harvey asked whether all the members present were financial, and the Secretary said thej were not. All present, however, voted. Mr Speirs asked whether _ those members who had recently joined f paid the full fee. In reply, the Secretary said it had been decided at a committee meeting some time ago that any person joining the Club after January could do so on payment of one guinea, as against two guineas. This concluded the meeting.