RUGBY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2771, 14 August 1924, Page 3

RUGBY.

TROUBLE OVER TATHAPE GAME

At Tuesday night’s meeting of the Iforowlienua Rugby Union, presided over by the President of the Union (Mr E. Nash), a letter was received from the Tailmpe Sub-Union to the effect that the notice fixing August 13tli as a date for a rep. match with Horowhenna was too short to enable their team to be assembled and asking '.hat another mid-week date be fixed. Mr Ilardie asked when notice was received that the team was coming. The S-.-retavy explained that the letter from Tailmpe was received on July 30th. Mr Hnrdie said that if this was so there was something wrong with (he Union when a reply was not sent to the Tailmpe Union until Saturday last. The Chairman: There was no meeting last Tuesday. Mr Hardier Why was there not a meeting. The Chairman: There was not a quorum. Mr Hardier T believe Mr Hutchins and Air Austin came over. Perhaps they could inform us if there was a o novum.

Mr Hutchins: There were only four. Five is a quorum. Mr Hardio: All 1 can say is that the whole Union is run topsv-turvy, and that we in Shannon suffered for it. We only heard on Saturday that (he Taihape team was coining. We got up a working bee and worked all Sunday getting the. ground in order. We made all arrangements for a smoke concert for the team, and then on Monday we were told they were not coming. I would like to know, Mr Chairman, when you lirst, saw the letter from Taihape saying that they could play us. The chairman: I know nothing of any correspondence received by the secretary until the Tuesday night when the meeting is to he held. The secretary (Mr L. Carmichael) : Tt is time there was some finality about this matter. Am I to bring up every letter that comes to this Union and show it to the chairman? This matter has come up before. I have been accused by the chairman of not showing him the correspondence and I want to know where I stand. As a matter of fact this particular letter was shown In me to the chairman in my office <m Tuesday last. Unfortunately I had to go to Wellington and on account of a bereavement in my family aid not get back until Saturday. Mr Austin: There would be no need to bring up every letter to the president of the Union. That is the secretary’s job. The chairman: I did not say there was. The secretary: No, but you inferred it. Chairman: Order, order, gentlemen, we are getting away from the •matter in hand. Mr Hardie: Well, this has caused a great deal of trouble in Shannon anyhow. We worked like niggers all day ou Sunday— A Member: Surely not on Sunday ! Mr Hardie : We worked all Sunday and Monday morning also, getting everything fixed up. Everybody was as keen as possible and then at lunch time we hear that the game is put off. Shannon is gotting disgusted with the Union, Levin is getting all the matches and Shannon is being treated anyhow. The Chairman: Which place is the biggest “draw” in the Union? Mr Hardie: Shannon. We had a £29 nett gate there in the match against Wairarapa a couple of years ago. The Secretary: I must correct that, Mr Hardie. I have been secretary for three years and there has not been a £29 nett gate there in my time. If you remember, Mr Hardie, there were a number of accounts came in after the settlement, which brought the amount down considerably.

Mr Hnrdie: J do not agree with von. I’lie -et th niont showed —

Chairman: It seems to me, Mr Tfardie, that you have come hero for one purpose—to create a disturbance. Air Hnrdie: I have come here with one purpose; to get justice for Shannon. We have been turned down for this game— The Chairman: T have yet to learn that you have been turned down. '('lie secretary: The whole trouble was in not having a meeting last Tuesday. If that meeting bad been held the whole thing would lmvo been all right. 1 can explain the Shannon gate in the match against Whirarapa. It was two years ago when flic match was played and at that time Air Mason was secretary of the Shannon Club. 1 remember a number of accounts coming in afterwards and knocking the £29 to pieces. Anioag.-I these was an account of several pounds for advertising. There were others, bull can only remember this one. Mr Hutchins: 1 think Shannon has been lmrdly dealt by in this matter. They have been put to a lot. of; expense — The chairman: What expense? Air Ilardie: There was a lot of telegraphing and \ hired a car to come down here on Sunday to find out the particulars of the match. The chairman: Who gave you authority to hire a car? ATr Ilardie: I hired it and I will put it down to the Union. The chairman: You had no right to hire a car. Could you not have ’phoned. It’s a funny thing if anyone can hire a car and put it down to the Union.

The secretary: I think Air Hardie was quite right in this case. We only decided on the game on Saturday and it was necessary for Air Tfardie to know what arrangements the team was coming under; whether. for instance, they were coming down line day and going back the next.

The Chairman: You fold tne that they were coming down and going back tbe same day. The secretary: How could they? Still, we had to look up their letter and this was what Mr Tfardie came down about. Mr Robinson : It seems to me that if Shannon has been put to expense over the match they should be paid.

The chairman: If seems to me that you want to get me out of the chair. AIY Austin: Not at all. Shannon certainly has a claim, ft is not. only a question of the expense incurred. There is the question of the en (husiasm which was worked up and which resulted in a corresponding disappointment. ATr Hardie: Air Chairman, you put yourself to a lot of trouble to ring up and put off the meeting after arrangements bad been made about the Bush match. Why could you not have rung up and let Shannon know about this in time? Why could you not have let us know when the letter came from Tailmpe, .so that we could have made arrangements enlier. The chairman: I did not know that it was to come off. Air Hardie: You had the correspondence in your hands. The chairman: I beg your pardon, Afr Ilardie, I did not. Will you withdraw those words? Afr Ilardie: T have nothing lo withdraw. The chairman: Then the best thing I can (lo is to vacate the chair. 'file chairman then left the room. On his refusal to resume the chair without an apology from Air Ilardie, which was not forthcoming, Mr Austin was voted to the chair, pro tern, oil the motion of ATr Dimock, seconded by Air Robinson. Business was then resumed, it being arranged that the game should be played at Shannon on August 27tli, if suitable to the Tailmpe Union. —Chronicle.