RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 18 March 1927, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

travelling expenses or DISTANT TEAMS. SUBSIDY PRINCIPLE APPROVED BY DISTRICT COUNCIL. A long discussion took place fit the annual meeting of the Horowhenua Rugby District Council, on. Tuesdav pvenmg, on the recommendation Ly tee Finance Committee that subsidies be granted towards the travelling expenses of senior teams at the northern and southern ends of the district. The Chairman (Mr. J. J. 0 Connor) s/tated that the committee had put m a lot of work on the question and they had found it very difficult to apportion a credit dum. The centre of the district would not be be brought into the proposal, because its players could travel easily to other parts. , The secretary (Mr J. Casey) stated that the subsidy question had become rather involved, for the reason th it Southern United and Otaki were with- - out representation at this meeting. Both might fail to enter senior teams in the competitions. The CommitLe had to consider two tsenior teams from Shannon. The idea now was to grant a total subsidy of £25, to be divided among the clubs eligible. The Committee proposed tp subsidise Shannon ' for vring to Otaki and Paraparaumu, with° 50 per cent, of the return, railwav fare. This A'nuld account for £3 15s, the fares being 4s. and 6s. return. For the other centres, on the sam. basis of calculation, the subsidies would be: Otaki £5 os, Paraparaumu £7 l.s 6d, and Foxton £9 7s 6d. The Ccmmii toe considered that the funds of the Council would stand the expenditure proposed. The clubs would be required to fulfil all their engagements, and the allocation of the money would be leit to the incoming committee.. If a team defaulted to another team, it wound lose the whole of the subsidy. Mr. F. Robinson (Awahofl) said he thought that the junior and lower grade plavers required more assistance than the seniors, who were all working It looked as if the Council was asking the young players to carry the semois on their backs. ■ ~ Mr. W. Hanr.an (Wanderers) said the position now‘seemed to be that, unless Otald and Paraparaumu were nominating teams, the subsidy would be a “wash-out.” < . , , , Mr J. W. Rimmer (treasurer) stated that he had first considered the matter from the point of view of the gates. The Otaki and Foxton clubs had troquently forfeited their games. Lasi season the Council lost, m’< Foxton, as the -result of forfeitures or otherwise, a sum of £lB. If they could have a guarantee that games would be played in Foxton, Paraparaumu and elsewhere it seemed to him that the public would encouiage football tc a greater extent. This was not a question of the junior; carrying the seni/os. The juniors and lower grades had not the distance to travel that the seniors had. The travelling fare from Foxton,to Paraparaumu was 15s, .and f>m Foxton to Otala IDs. This constituted a hardship for the out lying clubs, and any advantage tlia existed was in favour of the clubs m the centre of the district. If they were going through the season as mat ters stood now, with certain entries in doubt, there would bo no subsidy. J t would be impossible for the Manage ment Committee to neglect any portion of the district whatsoever, and that wa. the reason for endeavouring to adop. some scheme which would prevent the loss of so much gate money, lhe Conn- ’ cil lost something like £4O in gate money last year through forfeiture oi matches. Mr Birchall (Shannon) said that, the Committee having initiated the propos al, the incoming Committee should comHannan considered that a special general meeting should be call ed to deal with the question, m view o. the possibility that the southern clubs might nominate teams. The secretary remarked that the Com mittee had promised this subsidy, and if it was turned down it might be saiu that the proposal was a snp to catch somebody. He would like lhe dele . gates to instruct the Committee om way or the other. ' Mr, Mottershead moved, that, m the event of the soutnem clubs nominating senior teams, the matter of affording them financial help be left to the Management Committee. Mr. W. N. Anderson asked if any special date had been fixed for nominations. , - , , The Chairman stated that no date had so far been set down for the closing of nominations. Mr. Mottershead: How do the southern clubs stand in regard to a voice in this meeting? Do they forfeit it? The Chairman: Yes; it is not our fault v .. .. A , Mr Joyce (Weraroa) said that by means of the proposed subsidy, the Centre wculd be spending £25 in order to make £ls. The chairman said he did, net see any reason why the seniors should not pass their "subsidy on to the juniors if -they wished to dc so. Mr Joyce moved, as an amendment, that the subsidy be extended to the lower grades as well as the seniors, m the case of certain clubs having no gerior teams. , Mr W. Hannan asked, rf the amendment was carried and Paraparaumu nominated a junic-r team, how would they stand? , , ■ , The secretary stated that where a division was constituted in the district, as was the case last year, there would be no subsidy. . . „ . . It was pointed out that if a junior team came in from Paraparaumu, there would almost certainly be a division in the junior competition. . Mr H. J, Jones (Wanderers) moved as a further amendment, that the meeting fix a date, beyond which nornina . lions cannot be received from Otalo. and Paraparaumu. The Chairman: We do appoint a date for nominations, and if they ar.e not in by that date, the clubs cannot play. Mr Jones: I will move that, they be ■ given till March 31st. ■ The Chairman: The matter will come up later. ... Mr Jones’s amendment was withdiflwiit Mr Wrigley said lie thought that the

southern end of the district was somewhat in the dark at present. He thought they fully expected a representative to be present. , I Mr Joyce’s amendment was lost, ana it was resolved that, in the! event of the southern teams nominating, the question of granting subsidies totMmg £25 be left in the hands of the Management Committee. UNIFORM SEASON TICKET. LADIES FREE TO CLUB MATCHES ' The secretary of the Horowhenua District Council* Mr J. Casey, informed the delegates on Tuesday night, that season tickets would again be issued this year, but, instead of coming from the separate District Councils, they would come from the central body—the Mana-watu-Horowhenua Rugby Union. There would be a uniform ticket throughout the Union, thus saving the gatekeepers the trouble of having to scrutinise half a dozen different kinds of passes. The Referees’ Association would have to submit to the local Councils the names of its active members, and when this was done tickets would be issued to them. v . Mr Birchall (Shannon) moved that it be a recommendation to the Management Committee that separate tickets be issued to ladies and gentlemen. The chairman (Mr J. J- 0 ? Connor) said this would mean that ladies’ tickets would have to be issued by the local Council, and it would upset the arrangements with Manawatu^ The secretary stated that ladies were admitted free to all club matches uraev this Council, and there would be little -more than club matches played in Levin this season. The motion was withdrawn. A NEW TROPHY. PRESENTATION OF CUP FROM LEVIN CLUB. The Mayor (Mr T. Hobson) and Mr R. W. Percy were welcomed to the ah-, mial meeting of the Horowhenua Rugby District Council on Tuesday evening by the chairman (Mr -J. J- O’Connor), who stated that they had a very pleasing mission to the members. His Worship then handed to the chairman the handsome silver cup which has been presented by the Levin Club for competition in the place of the Isherwood Shield, which was won outright by Wanderers last year. The trophy is a striking example of- the silversmith’s art, being beautifully mounted and bearing on top the figure of a footballer in playing costume. In making the presentation, His Worship stated that he was not present in his Mayoral capacity, but as president of the Levin Club. The membeis of that institution, when they knew that the Shield had been won outright, met together and as a result they now effered the district this silver cr.p foi competition among the senior -teams. I,t was the wish of the members that the cup should eventually- be won out-i-io-hc als'». but not in one year, so they suggested that it be won three times at mteivals or twice in succession by the same club before becoming it? pro perty. His committee had. agreed, and he now had very much pleasure in presenting the cup to the distiict and riustcd that the players would leceive it with the same pleasure that it had given the donors to present it to them. The Levin Club would have the trophy suitably inscribed). The handing of the cup to the cha-..-man by Mr Hobson was the signal for an enthusiastic outburst of applause. The chairman said he had the greatest pleasure in accenting this trophy on behalf of the District Council. The action of the Levin Club showed that ; he footballers of the district had many Friends, who were keen to see the good old game progress. He called for cheers for the Levin, plub’s generous »clion.. , The gathering responded first by acovding the donors musical honours and then by giving three rousing cheers. The Mayor, in acknowledgment, ?aid: “I thank you very much for the applause. We* have a good many -.poits in the Club. They always enjo v the games, and they will do so j gain this year. When there is a sen•or match on, I have no doubt there •viil be quite a number of our members prelent to 1 see it).”