FOOTBALL.

Otaki Mail, 16 April 1923, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

HOROWHENUA RUGBY UNION. MEETS IN LEVIN. IMPORTANT MATTERS DISCUSSED. The annual general meeting of the Horowhenua Rugby Union was held in Levin on Tuesday evening, there being an attendance of about 60, including delegates from the following Clubs: Shannon, Tokomaru, MangaUao, Moutoa, Eoxton, Wanderers, Weraroa, Rovers, Kuku, Hui Mai, Otaki, Te lloro, Koputaroa, and Puraparaumu. Mr E. Nasli, President ol' the Union, occupied the chair. MOTIONS OF CONDOLENCE. In opening the meeting the Chairman said that they should first pass a vote ol sympathy with Mrs Thomas and family in the death of the late Mr G. Thomas. He had reported the meetings of the Rugby Union for a number of years and had besides done a considerable amount for football by his unfailing interest in the game. The motion was carried in silence.

Mr Bebbington said that before proceeding with the business he would suggest that a vote of condolence he passed with the relatives of the late Mr Mclntyre. A letter hail already been sent to Mrs Mclntyre from the Management Committee, but he would like to see a notice of the nature suggested in tlie minute book. The motion was carried in silence. The Chairman said the main business was the election of officers. On this election depended the sucec& of 1 lie Union for llte coming year and lie would only sav that lie trusted that the new office-bearers would he as keen in (he interests of football as tltose of the past year had (applause). The balance sheet, the main items of

which are given below, was read am adopted. The receipts totalled £3BO 14/10, tie chief items being Balance brought fot ward £ls 14/0, gate money £250 13/7

school grant £lO 10 6. insurance £6C

The expenditure included Referees' i expenses £ls 14/3, travelling £BO 18', 1 ground expenses £ll 17/11, Government tax £2l 8/4, school grant £l'.* 10/6. printing and advertising £32. jerseys £l2. secretary's honorarium i £2O. refreshments £37 12 6. insurance I £53 15/. The total was £369 6/, leaving ! a credit balance of £ll S 'K>. j ONE OR THREE .SELECTORS? i Nouce of motion was received from the Hui Mai Club that Rule 7 of the Rule Book be altered to allow of one selector for senior teams instead of three as at present. The Chairman explained that, the notice had not. been received in time and if would be for the meeting to decide whether they should proceed with the business. On the motion of Mr Percy, seconded by Mr Casey, it was decided to deal with the matter. , Mr W. Bevan. speaking to the motion. said that three selectors were an

j absolute farce. The selectors wen | scattered over a large district and i had been found impossible to get then . together at matches. Further, the tin • ion was short of funds and it war

necessary to pay the expenses of several selectors when one could do the work equally well. Mr Bebbington, speaking in support of the last speaker, said that if they

could get a rnan of ability—and !:< was sure that such a man could be got —he coubl watch the game and pick

out the men to play in the most suitaide position, without being embarrassed by the conflicting opinions of other selectors. Such a man would be fully responsible, which would ensure careful selection as there would be no chance of one man putting the blame for a bad selection on to the others as at present.

Mr W. Moynihan opposed the motion. The method of selection as carried out at present was that adopted by the New Zealand Rugby Union, and had been found to give better results than any other. The present system might be found expensive in a country club, but in the best interests of football that should no* be the chief consideration.

Mr Bowden said that it was hard for three men to give satisfaction —how then would one man manage to do so He considered that it was better to have the ability and experience of three in this matter.

Mr Casev, speaking in favour of the motion, said that one advantage of a single selector would he that it would give more finality to decisions in selecting team-. Sometimes players got the idea that certain selectors were biassed in favour of one man, to the disadvantage of others, which left a certain amount of dissatisfaction. With one selector they would know that there was no appeal. Mr Kearney said that as there had ■ been so much trouble about three ?e----lectors he considered it would be a { good thing to try one for a year, if I it was not found satisfactory they could then revert, to three. ' After a lengthy discussion the moI (ion, which received considerable supf port, that Rule 7 be altered, was mov- ; ed by Hui Mai and seconded by Wanderers, but was lost on the two-thirds I majority required to alter a rule. [ it was moved by Mr Peters and ee--1 conded by Mr Jackson that there be a recommendation from the Union that selectors attend different matches alternately.—Carried. ELECTION OF .OFFICERS. The following officer? were elected: Patron, Mr W. H. Field, M.P.: President, Mr E. Nash, re-elected: secretary, Mr L. S. Carmichael, re-elected: treasurer. Mr Casey; management committee, Measrft Sciascia, McMillan, Grimstone, Procter, Austin, Hutchings and Sevan; vice-president to the New

Zealand Rugby Union, Mr J. Procter; • delegate to the N.Z. Rugby Union, Mr I J. O’Connor; senior selectors, Messrs l R. Wehipeiliana, S. Parker and T. Rowlands; junior selectors, Messrs .1. Puti and Grimstone; auditor, Mr W. • Bull, re-elected. j COUNTRY UNIONS’ CLAIMS. , Mr W. Moynihan said that, when i delegates [attended meetings of the , N.Z. Union, they should do all in ( their power to obtain fair representa-! tion for country unions in representa-1 tive teams, which it was notorious I they did not get at present. ! The selectors stated they had no time | to go through country teams. A thing that had been proposed was that a team be picked from the country un- ( ions to play the four centres in order to give selectors an opportunity of j picking good men.

It was decided to circularise country unions asking them to support a claim for better representation in the N.Z. rep. teams, and also on questions of finance. QUESTION OF CLASSIFICATION. Mr M. McLean brought tip tile question of the recent decision of the llugby Union that Paraparaunnt be compelled to play senior next season. He would like the Union to reconsider its decision in this respect. Paraparauinu had lost several men since last season and would not he übitt 10 put in a satisfactory senior team It was a small district and they did not .have a large selection of players to prk from He doubted if they could pet a good junior team together and to compel them to play senior would not be in the best interests of football The Chairman said this was a mat ter for the Management Committee. Mr \V. Moynihan said he would like to know who was responsible for 11 e sending out of the notices compel'mg certain teams to play senior. le seemto him that this was a matter that should have been left to the iiw>rn' ig

committee. The Secretary said that the qu : t! in :d classification was one that was always cropping up. The late Management Committee, when considering this question had decided to sp-.J out these notices to the two leading teams in the junior Competition, which were rukoinaru and Paraparaumu, and leave it to them to protest against tins to me incoming Committee if they had

a grievance. Mr O. Cluny said that it was always the desire of every club 1o promote men to senior rank where possible arc! die matter of classification should be left to the Club. Mr Carmichael said that the tor.s were in the best position to judge and file matter was best left in their bands. Mr Bebbington said that he had i recommendation from the Wanderers Club that no player who had on to played as a senior should be allowed to revert to junior rank. He thought himself that classification should be done at the end of the season. In 'he

case of club- where a big selection was not available, this would give time io look around for players for the com ing season. This also applied to the Clubs which played junior teams only as otherwise after the first couple of games, a classification might take some of their men and spoil the team for the season. Mr W. Moynihan said that he would recommend that the new committee inform Tokomaru and Paraparaumu that they would riot be compelled to play senior teams. Tokomaru was in very much the same position a*- Paraparaumu in regard to players, and it was doubtful if a senior team could lie got together. Mr W. Bevan said that his reason for voting that these teams he, compelled to play senior was that, they were so much better than other junior teams that the games were a farce. Mr Moynihan said that he had nothing against individual members of teams being put up to senior, all he asked was that the whole team should not be put up.

Mr Moynihan's motion that only individual members of the Tokomaru ;md Paraparaumu teams be compelled to [day senior, was put and carried unanimously.

\ hearty vote ol thanks to the cha ncluded the meeting.