SUSPENDED COMMITTEEMAN.

Shannon News, 4 August 1922, Page 2

SUSPENDED COMMITTEEMAN.

APPEARS AT RUGBY MANAGEMENT MEETING. 0 OTHER MEMBERS REFUSE TO SIT ‘ WITH HIM. A climax in the belting charges that have be'en before the llorowhenua Rugby ynion during the last three meetings was reached on Tuesday evening. At last week’s meeting Mr F. D.- Whibley, who brought the charge of betting against Mr W. Bevan, was suspended lor relusing to apologise or withdraw his charge when it was declared to be not. proven. Mr Whibley attended Tuesday night’s meeting as usual, the other members present being Messrs. W. Thomson (acting - chairman), R. W. Percy, M. Winiata, L. Dixon, L. S. Carmichael, ,W- Bevan and Father Vibaud.

The minutes of the previous meeting were 1 read, in which the suspension of Mr Whibley was referred to.

MR WHIBLEY PRESENT

The chairman staled that although Mr Whibley was suspended at the last meeting lie was present that evening.

Mr Whibley: The Union has no power to suspend me for good.

The chairman: Well, 1 have a iegai opinion on the point, which says we have. The was read as follows: “The rules and by-laws . . . make no provision lor 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 eomluitte/e.” Continuing, the chairman said from that it. would- appear the

committee had power to suspend if the matter was put to" the vote, it was for the committee to say if Mr Whibley was to leave the room or otherwise. PARLIAMENTARY PRECEDENT.

Mr Whibley questioned the right of the committee to suspend him lor 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. Air Whibley said be was willing to put up £1 against a similar amount by the chairman, and lie was prejpared to forfeit his money if the case as he had stated it was wrong, thje money to go to the Rugby Union. The chairman: But that, would be Lotting. MOTION FOR FURTHER SUSPENSION.'

Mr Bevan: I move that Mr Whibley be suspended till he apfUfbgises, The motion was seconded by Mr Dixon. 11 “

Mr Percy said lie agreed with the motion. Mr Whibley: But what should I apologise for? Mr Percy: For not withdrawing your charge when it was not proved. Mr Winiafa said he would repeat what he had said before, and ask Mr Whibley to be sport enough to apologise and let the committee go on as before. - The chairman: I would like to see Mr Whibley withdraw and apologise. He was not the first man who had made a mistake, and he would be losing nothing by. doing ,-the right thing now. Mr Dixon: What is Mr Whibley'& reason lor not' apologising? The chairman: He considers he lias not failed to prove his charge. WHAT IS MISCONDUCT?

Mr .Whibley pointed out that in tire legal opinion it- was stated that a member could only be suspended for misconduct, lie did not consider Ins ■'action misconduct;.

The chairman; The president ordered. you to withdtraw or apologise and you refused Mr Whibley: That’s not misconduct. That legal opinion has been very carefully .worded. There is no misconduct about that charge l 1 made. The chairman: Well, the only other thing is for the .committee to refuse to sit with you.

Mr Whibiey: Metre's the position—you can’t suspend me under the circumstances, there is no’ misconduct. The chairman: If yo’ti do not do what the president; ttills you, you are .guilty of misconduct.- _ " Mr Whibley: Oh, come off. You should get an opinion from’ anothei solicitor.

The chairman stated they had got to do something, so he would put the motion to the meeting.

Mr Whibley said he would decline to withdraw.

The chairman: You refuse? Mr Whibley: I can’t withdraw the charge made., The chairxnan: You won’t withdraw?

Mr Whibley: No, certainly not, The chairnpan then put the motion, which was carried.

MR WHIBLEY ASKED TO LEAVE , TIME ROOM.

The chairman:- The motion is carried, and ’ 1 as U Mr to leave the meeting.

* 23 Mr 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 tails to prove it, and then refuses to withdraw—well, I will not sit on 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? Mr Bevan: Not till Mr Whibley

leaves the room. I think the best thing for us is to “get.” The chairman: Are we going to sit or not. Mr Dixon: \Vhat‘s to be done with the businessP The chairman: The president and secretary will have to cany on and call on another management committee. Messrs. Bevan and Winiata said they would refuse to sit with Mr Whibley. “BURY YOUR FEELINGS AND APOLOGISE.”

At this stage Father Vibaud entered the controversy, and asked" Mr Whibley, in the interests of football, to withdraw and apologise. “Be sport enough to. do the right thing and bury your feelings.” Mr Whibley: The position is this. The charge was made to the committee so that they could deal with it. They brought down a report that it was not proved. He did not agree

with that, and had nothing to regret ' in making the charge. The! only thing against him, according to the legal opinion, was misconduct. Last week he was suspended illegally, and he considered the committee 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, andr stated that what he said was he would withdraw if he found he was wrong. Father Vibaud supported the chairman’s version of what, was aid. 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, yon 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: 1 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 tiie shoulder. Mr Whibley appealed to ihe 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 conducting business.

Mr Bevan then left the meeting, re marking as he went that Mr Whibley could see him any lime he wanted to. Mr Whibley: I don’t want to see you. The less 1 see of you the better I like you. A UNIQUE SOLUTION. Father Vibaul" then moved: That the Committee go on with the affairr- of the Union, completely ignoring Mr Whibley. There being no seconder, the motion lapsed. OTHER MEMBERS RETIRE. Messrs. Win i da, Dixon and Percy then withdrew from the meeting. The chairman stated as there was not a quorum present the meeting could not go ■n, and he declared it closed. The chairman added that the president and secretary would have to conduct the affairs of the Union meantime.