PUBLIC MEETING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3684, 30 August 1927, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

TO DISCUSS FOOTBALL MATTERS. ■■RESOLUTION TO TRANSFER TO MANAWATU. The public meeting convened by the Foxton Football Club, for the purpose of discussing what action h oxton should take with regard to the treatment received at the hands of the Horowhenua Rugby Council in connection with football matters, held in the Masonic Hall last evening was attended by a representative gathering of upwards of one .hundred ladies and gentlemen. Mr. H. Hutchins (President) of the Foxton Football Club read the advertisement convening the meeting and moved that Mr. J. K. Hornblow preside over the meeting. On taking the chair Mr. Hornblow apologised for the unavoidable absence of the Mayor (Mr. M. E. Perreau), owing to an indisposition and read a letter of apology from Mr. F. A. Mason (headmaster of the District High School), also unable to be present, but who expressed the hope that every effort would be made to place football locally on a sound footing and that present.difficulties would be cleared up. He also referred to the presence of the ladies and the interest they evinced in local football. In outlining the history of Rugby football locally, the Chairman stated that years ago Fox'ton was the centre of football in this district. Forty years ago Foxton had possessed a team and some of the old players were stil with us and keenly interested in the welfare of Rugby and anxious that the Foxton Club colours \vould remain in existence in Foxton for many years to come. Football had been played locally before Levin was on the map and when Palmerston North was a small .village. Fokton were, the pioneers of the National game in this district. In the early days (here had been no governing body and the players had played for the love of the game and, in many instances, made great sacrifices to get a team together .and arrange matches.- Subsequently the Manawatu football area had been defined and that area included the Manawatu County and that district bounded by the Manawatu River. About twenty years ago, owing to travelling difficulties, a sub-union had been formed locally which included Poroutawhao, Foxton, Rangiotu (then known as Oroua Bridge), and Sandon and for some years this sub-union proved satisfactory. The Horowhenua Rugby Union then came into existence and its boundaries were defined. Although the natural boundary between Manawatu and Horowhenua was the Manawatu -River, by some means or other, Foxton was lifted out of its natural environment and placed in the Horowhenua district and in this connection he could find no record that Foxton was consulted as to the transfer. Another peculiar feature about this boundary was the fact that within a-radius of five miles of the Foxton borough the territory was still in the Manawatu district. This area is so defined in the N.Z.R.U. rule book. Foxton community of interest, it could not be denied, lay to the north and east and not to the south. Since the inclusion of Foxton borough in the Horowhenua district there had been continual pin-pricking, irritation, and dissatisfaction locally. Why? Foxton, as pioneers of Rugby in this district rightly expected fair and equitable treatment from the governing body. Had they received it? Foxton had been dissatisfied for years and three or four years ago public indignation meetings had been held over the treatment meted out to this end of the district. Interest in the game had, to a great extent, been damned by continual local dissatisfaction, with the result that prominent townspeople had lost interest in the game. Last year a deputation had waited on the combined Union requesting that Foxton be merged into its natural area, Manawatu, but this had been deferred and the chairman of the Horowhenua Council (Mr. J. O’Connor) had then asked Foxton to give them another trial. That had been done and again this year conditions were no better and the result had been the calling of the meeting that night. Mr. Hornblow then moved the following motion, which was seconded by Mr. H. Hutchins:— “That this meeting of citizens and representatives of Foxton Rugby Fottball 'Clubs resolves that, in order to promote the best interests of our national game locally requests the Horowhenua- Rugby Council to take the -necessary steps through the Manawatu-Horowhenua Rugby Union to have the Borough of Foxton included within the Manawatu Rugby Union’s boundary and that the following delegates be permitted to appear before the Manawatu-Horowhenua Rugby Union to give reasons in support of this request, namely: Messrs M. B. Bergin, J. K. Hornblow, D. Christie, D. R. Barron and G. Alexander ; that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Horowhenua Rugby Council and the Manawatu-Horowhenua Rugby Union.”

Mr. F. Robinson: I object to the word “Clubs” in that motion. Foxton is a junior club. The Chairman: You can not object to the motion. Are you the Awahou Club? Mr. Robinson: I am speaking on behalf of the Awahou Club. I have the backing of that club and I object to Awahou being included in

this motion. Foxton in only a Junior Club. Awahou is the senior club in Foxton. : Mr. Hutchins (President of the Foxton Club), in seconding the motion, said that dissatisfaction had been rife among players and spectators during the season and the Club had thought it proper that a public meeting be convened to discuss the matter and it was with the object of getting the feeling and support of the public of Foxton that the meeting had been called. Mr. E. G. Martin said he spoke as a spectator, who had to pay a shilling to see the administration of the Horowhenua Rugby Union. In the first place he challenged Mr. Robinson’s legality to sit on the Horowhenua Rugby Union as a representative of the club until he proved the financial position, or otherwise of that Club. The matter before the meeting was no concern of an un(inancial club. The speaker said lie had been a player of Rugby locally. Everyone knew what the administration of the Horowhenua Rugby Union was. It was Levin first and then Levin again. No encouragement was given to any club outside Levin. At the beginning of the present season some of the Foxton Club members had been, inveigled into the Awahou Club un’ider the understanding that they would be made “All Blacks” (applause). Continuing, Mr. Martin said that on no occasion had those players been made use of except to jockey a certain member on to the Horowhenua Rugby Union. (Applause). , There had always been good football locally years ago, but under the Horowhenua Rugby Union’s questionable treatment it was impossible to continue. Some of the representatives on the Horowhenua Union were there simply to do what they could for Levin, or to use the words of one such delegate “to smash football in Foxton.” T]iat was the policy of a particular delegate right through. The “I-am-it” policy (applause), It could not be lost sight of either, that Horowhenua was now squeaking over the treatment they were allegedly getting from Manawatu —and yet they were dishing up the same stuff here! The sooner Foxton got away from Horowhenua the .better. On the Unioi\ it was just a case of a good time for .a few. (Applause). Mr. E. Bryant said he would / like to see Foxton stay in the Horowhenua district. Five years ago, lie said, an endeavour had been made to join up with the Manawatu UnJon and iit was then found to be impracticable. If it was impracticable then it was still so now. Foxton had three delegates on the Union now and if there was any trouble it lay with the clubs themselves. There had been a growl about rep. matches, but it was the local delegates who had shifted the matches to Levin. The growl was with the delegates and not the Uinon. He was opposed to Foxton pulling out of the Horowhenua Union. Mr. Robinson said he would like to speak in defence ot the Union. There was not one man on the Union who had wanted to take the • rep. matches away from Foxton except the local delegates. Two years ago Neville The Chairman: Has this anything to do with the motion,? Mr. Robinson: I am explaining my position. The chairman: Well, keep to the motion. Mr.‘ Robinson: I have been unjustly attacked. However, speaking, to the motion, he said that if Foxton tried to join up with Te Hawaii they would (ij have to get permission to do so from the Horowhenua Council; (2), obtain the approval of the Manawatu Council; (3), take the matter to the Supreme Court of the two bodies. A unanimous vote of the Horowhenua delegates would be necessary at the combined meeting before any alteration could be made. A voice: And what if they don’t agree? Mr. Robinson: Then the matter would be referred back to the Horowhenua Council and probably the N.Z.R.U. and then back to the Horowhenua Council (laughter). A voice: Oh yes, now we see how it’s done (laughter). Referring to the rep. match, Mr. Robinson said that he stated-at the Union meeting prior to the last rep. match that he was very busy and going away, but if the match was allowed to be played in Foxton he would find fifty posts, wire and goal posts and put everything in order and afterwards take down the fence, posts, etc., and remove them from the ground if anyone would erect the fence. The Foxton delegate at that meeting said het had consulted 20 or 30 players and not one would offer assistance so the match had been taken to Levin. Mr. R. Hornblow (secretary of the Foxlton Club) explained that there was not so much growl .over the rep. match as over the treatment meted out to the Foxton Thirds. Could Mr. Robinson explain anything about that? Mr. Robinson said that he was away from the meeting when the matter was discussed. He knew that his fourths played on the day that Foxton Thirds defaulted. Mr. J. K. Hornblow, in replying to the motion, said that Mr. Robinson had stated that unless the Horowhenua delegates were unanimous the request contained in the motion would be thrown out. He could find no such provision in the book of rules ? Mr Robinson: It’s not in the rules; it’s in the foundation. Mr Hornblow: Then your foundation must be democratically rotten. (Applause). Mr Hornblow, continuing, said it

was very strange that Foxton, not having been consulted previously, should be debarred, according to Mr Robinson, from now making a request to be transferred to its natural geographical territory. If such treatment was meted out, then the local governing bodies would be quite within their rights in refusing the Horowhenua Council permission ,'to play on any of the local reserves.

The motion was then put and carried, Messrs Robinson and E. Bryant being the only two dissentients. Mr Robinson then attempted to address the meeting amidst interjections but was ruled out of order by the chairman.