SEQUEL TO BETTING CHARGES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2462, 3 August 1922, Page 2

SEQUEL TO BETTING CHARGES.

MR WHIBLEY’S DEFIANT ATTITUDE. attempted ejection. A climax in the betting charge that Las been before the Horowhenua Rugby Union during the last three meetings was reached on Tuesday evening. At last week’s meeting Mr F. D. Whiblev, who brought the charge of bel ting against Mr W. Bevan was suspended for refusing to apologise or withdraw his charge when it was declared to be not proven. Mr Wkibley attended Tuesday night’s meeting as usual. The other members present being Messrs W. Thomson, acting chairman, K. W. Percy, M. Winiata, L. Dixon, L. S. Carmichael, W. Bevan and Father Vibaud. The minutes of the previous meeting were read in which the suspension of Mr Whiblev was referred to. MR WHIBLEY PRESENT. The chairman stated that although Mr Whiblev was suspended at the last meeting he was presentthat evening. Mr Whibley: The Union, has no power to suspend me for good. The chairman: Well, I have legal • .pinion on the point, which says we have. The opinion was read as follows: “The rules and bylaws make no provision for the suspension of a committeeman by the Management Committee, and under the circumstances I am of the opinion that the suspension of a committeeman for misconduct would be in order if carried by a majority vote of the committee.” Continuing, the chairman said from that it would appear the Committee had :tower to suspend if the matter was put to the vote. It was for the committee to say whether Mr Whibley was to leave the room or otherwise.

PA 1? UIAMENTA RY PRECEDENT. Mr Whibley questioned the right of the committee to suspend him for more than one meeting. He quoted the practice followed by Parliament in the case of a suspended member. He was suspended for one sitting only. Mr Whibley said he was willing to put up £1 against a similar amount by the chairman and he was prepared to forfeit his money if the case, as he had stated it, was wrong, the money to go to the Rugby Union. The chairman: But that would be betting. MOTION FOR FURTHER SUSPENSION. Air Bevan: I move that Mr Whibley be suspended till he apologises. The motion was seconded by Mr Dixon. Mr Percy said lie agreed with the motion. Mr Whibley: But what should I apologise for? Air Percy: For not withdrawing ’ your charge when it was not proved. Air Winiata said he would x-epeat what he had said before and ask Air Whibley to be sport enough to apologise and let the committee go on as before. The chairman: I would like to see Air Whibley withdraw and apologise. He was not the first man who had made a mistake, and he would lose nothing by doing the right thing now. Air Dixon: What is Mr Whibley’s reason for not apologising? The chairman: He considers he has not failed to prove his charge. WHAT IS AHSCONDUCT. Air Whibley pointed out that in the legal opinion it was stated ■that a member could only be suspended for misconduct. He did not consider his action misconduct. The chairman: The president ordered you to withdraw or apologise and you infused. Air Whibley: That’s not misconduct. That legal opinion has been very carefully worded. There is no misconduct about the charge I made. The chairman : Well, the only other thing is for the committee to refuse to sit with you. Air Whibley: Here’s the position. You can’t suspend me .under the circumstances, there is no misconduct. The chairman: If you do not do what the president fells you, you are guilty of misconduct. Mr Whibley: Oh, come off. You should get an opinion from another solicitor. The chairman stated they had got to do something, so he would put the motion to the meeting. Air Whibley said he would decline to withdraw. The chairman: You refuse? —x Air Whibley : I can’t withdraw the charge made. The chairman: You won’t withdraw? Mr Whibley: No, certainly not. The elm irnmn then put the motion v hich was carried. MR WHIBLEY ASKED TO LEAVE THE ROOAI. The eh airman: The motion is carried and I ask Air Whibley to leave tlie meeting. All 1 Whibley: I decline to do so. The chairman: There is only one thing, gentlemen. I take it that a man who makes a charge and fails to prove it and then refuses to withdraw —well, I will not sit bn a committee with him. Mr Whibley: You can only suspend me for one meeting. The chairman: Are we going on with the business or not ? Air Bevan: Not till Air Whibley leaves the room. I think the best thing for us is to “get.” The chairman: Ai’e we going to sit or not? Mr Dixon: What’s to be done with the business?

The chairman: The president and secretary will have to carry on and call on another management comi mittee. I Messrs Bevan and .Winiata said t they would refuse to sit with Mr j Whibley. I “BURY YOUR FEELINGS AND i APOLOGISE!” : At this stage Father Vibaud en- ‘ tered the, controversy and asked Mr 1 V Whibley,’ in the interests of foot- 1 ball to withdraw and apologise. “Be sport enough to do the right thing ' and bury your feelings.” 1 Mr Whibley: The position is this. ( The charge was made to the com- ' mittee so that they could deal with f it. They brought down a report 1 that it was-not proved. He did not agree with that, and had nothing to 1 regret in making the charge. The only thing against him, according to the legal opinion, was misconduct. : Last week he was suspended illeg- 1 ally and he considered the commit- I tee was still acting illegally. The chairman reminded Mr Whibley that, when he made the charge in the first instance he said he would withdraw if he could not prove it. It would only be a fair thing to stick to what he said. Mr Whibley denied that, and.stated that what he said was he would j withdraw if he found he was wrong. Father Vibaud supported the chairman’s version of what was said. Unless Mr Whibley complied there could be no order in the committee. Authority must be respected. Mr Whibley: I refuse to withdraw. The chairman: Whatever your feelings are now, Mr Whibley, you should stick to what you said and withdraw. Mr Dixon: Why don’t you apologise for the accusations you made? Mr "Whibley: Because they were made in the interests of the game. There should not be any apology wanted for that. NOT UNDER ANY CONSIDERATION. • Father Vibaud: Will you withdraw on the ground that there was not sufficient evidence to support your charge? Mr Whibley: I won’t withdraw anything under any consideration. “I’LL SHIFT HIM.” At this stage Mr Bevan rose and approached Mr Whibley’s chair and with the words, “I’ll shift him” seized Mr Whibley by the shoulder. Mr Whibley appealed to the chair for protection. The chairman hastily rose to his feet, and called Mr Bevan to order. He would not allow that conduct as there was a constitutional way of T -- conducting business. Mr Bevan then left, the meeting, remarking as he went that Mr Whibley could see him any time he. wanted to. Mr Whibley: I don’t wish to «?eo you. The less 1 see of you the better I like you. A UNIQUE SOLUTION. Father Vibaud then moved: “that the management committee go on with the affairs of the Union, completely ignoring Mi- Whibley.” There being no seconder, the motion lapsed. FOUR MEMBERS RETIRE. Messrs Winiata, Dixon and Percy then withdrew from the meeting. The chairman stated as there was not a quorum present the meeting could not go on, and he declared it closed. ' The chairman added that the president and secretary would have to conduct the affairs of the Union meantime.