BREEZE AT RUGBY MEETING.

Shannon News, 15 August 1924, Page 3

BREEZE AT RUGBY MEETING.

TROUBLE OVER TAIHAPE GAME. . At Tuesday’s meeting of the Horowhenua Rugby Union, presided over by the Presidefit of tne Union (Mr E. i\ash), a, letter was received ii'Oin the Taihape Stub-Union to tile effect that tne notice fixing August 13tb as a date lor a rep. mated, with Horowhenua was too short to enable (heir team to ! be assembled, and asking that another I mid-week date be fixed. Mr .Bardie asked when notice was received that the team was coming. The Secretary explained tfiat the letter Iroin Tainape was received on July 30th., Mr Bardie said that if this was so there was something wrong with the Union when a reply was not sent to the Taihape Union until Saturday last. The Chairman: There was no meeting last Tuesday. < * Mr. Hardie: Why was there not a meeting. The Chairman: TJhere was mot a quorum. Mr Hardie: I 'believe Mr Hutchings and Mr Austin came over. Perhaps they could inform us if there was a quorum. Mr Hutchings: There were' only lour. Five is a. quorum. Mr Hardie: All I can say is that the whole Union is run topsy-turvy and that we' in Shannon suffered for it. We only heard on Saturday that the Taihape team was coming.' 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 firstsaw the letter from Taihape saying that they could play us. r ajhe chairman : I know nothing ol any correspondence "received by the secretary lumtil the Tuesday night when the meeting is to be held. The secretary (Mr Li. Carmichael):' It is time there was some finality about this- matter. Am Ito 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 by me to the 'chairman ih/my office on Tuesday last. Unfortunately 1 had to go to Wellington and on account of a bereavement in my family did not get back until Saturday. Mr Austin : There would be no need to -bring up every letter to the president Qf the Union' That is the secretary’s job. The chairman: I did not say there was.

The secretary: No, but you inferred

Chairman : Order, order, gentlemen, we are getting away from Hie matter in hand. Mr Hardie: Well, this has caused a great deal of trouble in Shannon anyhow. We worked like niggers all day. on Sunday— A Member: Surely not on Sunday! .Mir 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 getting disgusted with the Union. Levin is getting all the matches and Shannon is being treated anyhow. Tjhe 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 you there, Mr Hardie. I have been secretary for three years and there has not been a £29 nett gate thgre in my time. If you remember, Mr* Hairdie, there were a number of accounts came in alter the settlement; Which brought the amount down considerably. Mr Hardie: I do. not agree with youi. The settlement showed— Chairman: It seems. to me, Mr Hardie, that you have come here for one purpose—to- create a disturbance. Mr Hardie : I have come here with one purpose: to get justice for Shannon. We have been turned down for this game—' ' The Chairman: I have yet to learn that you 'have been turned down. T{he Secretary; The whole trouble was in not haying a meeting last Tuesday. If that meeting had been held the whole thing would have been all right. I can explain the Shannon gate in the match, against Wairarapa. It was two years ago when the match was played and at that time Mr Mason was secretary of the Shannon Club. I remember a number of accounts coming in afterwards and knocking the £29 to pieces. Amongst these was an account of several pounds for advertising. There wore others, but I can only remember this, this.

Mr Hutchings : 1 think Shannon lias been hardly dealt by in this matter They have been put to - a lot of expense— The Chairman: What expense? Mr Hardie; There was a lot oi telegraphing and I 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? . Mr Hardie: 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. j|he Secretary: I think Mr Hardie was quite right in this case. We only decided on the game on Saturday and it was necessary for Mr Hardie to know what arrangements the team was coming under: whether, for instance, they were coming down one day and going back the next. | The Chairman : Yon told me that ! they were coming down and going t back the same day. j The Secretary: How could they? , Still we had to look up their letter k and this was wbaj; Mr Hardie came down about.

Mr Robinson: It seems to me that if Shannon has been put to expense over this match they should be paid. The Chairman ; It seems to me that

what you want is to get me out of the chair...

•; Mr ; Austin: .Not at all. , Shannon certainly has a claim. It .is not only a question of the expense incurred: 'inhere is the question,.>oi me enthusiasm which was worked up and which resulted in a corresponding disappointment.

Mr Hardie: Mr chairman, you put yourself to a lot , o.f trouble to ring up and put off the ‘meeting alter arrangements had_ been made about the Bush match. Why could you not have rang up and let know about (has in time? Why could you not have let us know when the letter came Ironii Taihape, ‘sq that we could have made arrangements earlier. The Chairman: i'did not know that it was to come off. Mr Hardie; You had the correspondence in your hands. The Chairman: I beg your pardon, Mr Hardie, I did not. Will you withdraw those words. Mr Hardie: I have nothing to withdraw.

r ijhe Chairman; Then the best thing I can do is to vacate the chair. The Chairman then left the room. On his refusal to resume the chair without an apology from Mr Hardie, Which was not forthcoming, Mr Austin was voted to the chair, pro tem, on the motion of Mr Dimock, seconded by Mr Robinson. Business was then resumed, it being arranged -that the game should be played at Shannon on August 27th, if suitable to the Taihape Union. ABSOLUTELY MISLEADING. DR. THACKER’S STATEMENT ABOUT LEAGUE IN MANAWATiU. The Manawatu Rugby Union last night was up in arms in connection With the broadcasted statement of Dr. Thacker and Mr Jack of Christchurch and FOxtony respectively, that all the Rugby teams in the Mapawatu are going over to League next season. Mr T. Collins (Feilding) said that the statement was absolutely incorrect. Rugby in the Manawatu was in a better position now than it ever had been and there was every likelihood of it being able to carry on next season.

Mr Hardie .was emphatic that the statement was absolutely misleading and should be contradicted. Eventually the following motion was passed‘Thai the Manawatu Rugby Union is so satisfied "with the progress of Rugby in the district that it can ignore the misleading statements made by promoters of the League code.” FOXTON GOING LEAGUE, The Foxton correspondent of the Palmerston Times says:— Last year Foxton withdrew from the •competitions on account, of the treatment meted out to the club by the Horowhenua Union, but later decided to “give it another go,” and put in a team, lor the Nash Knock-out Cup, which Foxton won without suffering a defeat. At the beginning of this season, it was suggested that Foxton should join in with the Te Kawau Union, but- older players, who did not wish to break away from the parent Union were able to influence the Club still to stick to Horowhenua. But at the same time, there are players, and those too who have worn representative jerseys, wlio considered it was impossible to receive satisfactory treatment, and in • consequence would not. play, and have been spectators ever since. The treatment m'eteout to Mr Neyille, who reported a well-known player for rough play, has also helped to make people, both, players and spectators of the game, absolutely dissatisfied with the administration of the. game by the Horowhenua Union, with the result that negotiations have been in progress to start the League code in this district, and already sufficient, teams have notified their willingness to play as will make a good competition.

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

THE FOX'KON* invitation. Speaking at the civic reception to the English League team at Christchurch last night, Dr. Thacker, who was one of the speakers, said he had a letter l'rom the Manawatu, which stated that the whole of the Rugby teams in the Manawatu were going to go over to League,next season. The writer of the letter to him was Mr p. J. Jack, of Foxton. The Manawatu Herald says that on July 6th Mr Jack wrote as follows to Dr. Thacker:— ‘‘Dear Sir,—Would you get. me all information and rules re forming a League Centre here. The whole lour teams of Rugby here will come over to us, one from Bulls, three front Shannon, two from Palmerston North and one from 1 Te Ivawau*, and 1 have not hied Levin and lour other places. Everyone here is fed up with the Onion and when I saw how the feeling was J pushed League and now everything is ready for a meeting as regards formation, rules, etc. I have approached about twenty of the most influential business men and everyone of them will come on the committee if wanted. We can get four grounds here, one in the centre on the Main Street, so you see the difficulty re ground unlike other centres, is overcome. As soon as we . get information and forms I intend calling a meeting and would deem it a great favour if you could come up and address the meeting, I know the interest you take in the game, I myself having played for Linwood when I lived in Christchurch. I don’t think any rrame .has such a chance open to it as we have at present and I want to get a meeting going while the feeling is high against th Union. We are happily situated, half-way between Wellington and Wanganui and I feel sure it will give the Wellington Centre a great, lift to have another Centre so close (86 miles) to play games with. We join in wishing the League code every success in winning the two tests and hope next time we will have the visitors playing against Ihe Manawatu Rugby League.” In reply Dr. Thacker stated, inter aliat, that he would put the League, organiser in touch with Mr Jack ana

suggested that a game might, be arlauged against a* Wellington or local , itijhi at r dxton tins season. ' RUGBY WILL REMAIN MOST POPULAR. ANOTHER FOXTON OPINION. “Rugbyite,’:’ writing-to the Foxton iieruiu, contests the statements made uy the League pi-oniiotens. He says: 1 don't tliink Mr P. J. Jack had any idea when he wrote his letter to Dr. rhacker tnat it would be used lor publication and bring him and .Foxton such notoriety. Some oi the statements contained in tnat letter are, in j ny opinion, more imaginary man real. What authority had P. J. JacK lor ills wild and woolly assertion that tine wnoie lour teams oi Rugby here j would go over to me League game/ May i ask P. J. Jack wneu the clubs met and decided upon such action/ Re may g have jumped to that conclusion because some dissatisiaction has been found with the administration oi the Horowhenua Rugby Union, but that is not to say that Rugby players are going to lorsake the good old game for 'League. 1 don’t tinink\ sir, mat League wifi ever supplant Rugby in New Zealand and to cui adrift from the game and its national ramifications because of a little mismanagement would be suicidal to Foxton. p. J. Jack lhas taken advantage of a little upset between the Horowhenua Union and local club tP attempt to push out Rugby, I ask you sir, or any of your readers, to say' whether that Is a sportsmanlike action? Personally I don’t think it is playing file game. P. J. Jack has as much rigiit to get the League game going in F.oxton as soccer, hockey, or baseball ‘enthusiasts,. but he should start fair and on the League game’s merits. Will he tell your readers who “twenty most influential business men” are who are prepared to go on the committee, presumably to oust Rugby? When did P. J. Jack get permission from the Borough Council lor the use of Easton Park. I flunk he is a little premature as that ground, is at present granted to the Horowhenua Rugby Union. Still, it would have been just as well for P. J. Jack to have made sure about the ground before jumping to a conclusion. Certainly the League ganiq, if started, would add variety to our out-door games, but in my opinion Rugby will remain as the most popular winter game in Foxton even if League football* is introduced. NASH KNOCK-OUT CUP. FOXTON, DECIDES TO RELINQUISH TROPHY.' At a meeting on Thursday night of flie Foxton Senior Rugby football team, the holders of the Nash Knockout Cup, the following resolution was carried unanimously: “As a protest against the arbitrary methods adopted by the Horowhenua Rugby Union when drawing fixtures in connection With the Nash Cup competition the Club will not take any part whatever in the competition; and it resolves that flie trophy be forwarded to the headquarters of flie Union.” The reason for the Club’s action is that the Union, in drawing up the fixtures, so arranged them that the Foxton Club, although the holder of the Cup, would be required to travel to meet its opponents. To this procedure the Club strongly objected. REFEREES FOR SATURDAY. NASH CUP. Hui Mai v. Foxton, at Manakau, H. Burrows. * Weraroa v. Shannon, at Shannon, F. Seymour. The Wanderers-Otaki game has been postponed until next Saturday. FINAL JUNIOR. Hui Mai v. Shannon, at Levin R Sloan, . ‘ FINAL THIRDS. Hui Mai v. Weraroa, at Levin, J. Smith. Game commences at 1.30 p.m.