A RUGBY IMPASSE.

Shannon News, 27 September 1927, Page 4

A RUGBY IMPASSE.

MANAWATUJ)OMINATES. HOROWHENUA'S FUTILE EFFORT TO EQUALISE VOTING POWER. UNION PRESIDENT PLAYS A TRUMP CARD. Horowhenua's attempt to secure equal voting ipower with Manawatu on the Manawhenua Rugby Union was defeated last Friday, at a special general meeting in Levin of delegates to the management committees of the two District Councils forming the Union. Two motions were debated and the voting on each resulted in favour of the Manawatu section, who had 14 delegates present to Horowhenua's 12, three of the latter's representatives being absent. The first motion was moved by Mr Casey, Horowhenua secretary, in the direction of amending Rule 8 of the Combined Union so as to provide that instead of one vice-president being elected each year from the Manawatu district delegates and one from ,the Horowhenua delegates, one shall be elected from Manawatu and two from Horowhenua. This would have the effect of evening-up the representation, as there are six Manawatu delegates to five Horowhenua delegates on the management commit-, the odd vote being that of the treasurer. After a comparatively short discussion the motion was lost, the voting being on district lines. Mr Ongley, president of the Combined Union, then moved an addition to Rule 32 so as to provide that any alteration of the rules can only be adopted by a twothirds majority of the delegates voting at an annual or special meeting of the Union. This was carried, the voting being on the same lines as before.

The delegates present at last Friday's meeting, which was held in the Wistaria rooms, were as under: —

Manawatu Council—Messrs Ongley (President), Colquhoun (vice-president), Ely (vice-president), Collins (vice.president), Eglinton (Old Boys), Pagan (Feilding), Clevely (Bunnythorpe), Crawford (Kia Toa), Hatch (Western United)/ Skoglund (High School), Hands (Referees), Trevena (Primary Schools), Burlace (Woodville), Harvey (treasurer), and Fraser (secretary, without vote). Horowhenua —Messrs O'Connor (president), Anderson - (County), Procter (llui Mai), Robinson (Awahou), Richards (Shannon), Robson (Miranui), Joyce (Weraroa), Ryder (Wanderers), McDonald (Schools), Winiata (selector), Casey (secretary), and Rimmer (treasurer). The president of the combined Union (Mr A. At. Ongley) was in the chair.

DISTRICT REPRESENTATION. Air Casev moved as follows:

That Rule 8 be altered so that one vice-president shall be elected each year from the Manawatu district delegates and two from the Horowhenua district delegates.

In moving his motion Mr Casey said he did so in order that effect might be given to the wishes of this part of the combined district that it should have equal representation on the combined union. He traced the history of the amalgamation, as previously published, and said that the liability of Horowhenua in respect of rep. matches had been, wiped off and the Manawhenua Union was now in a sound financial position. The last two years had shown I hat this end of the district was capable of managing affairs in a proper way. No money had been spared in the fostering of football in the lower grades. The Council this year had contributed £25 in addition to the £ls granted by the combined union to encourage school football. The expenses of the seven-a side tournament for schools had been provided from this Council, which was not stinting anything to build up the game. He knew that if the request for equal representation was granted it would make for better feeling between the two bodies.

The motion was seconded by Mr M Rvder.

GRIEVANCE NOT ADMITTED

The chairman said he thought his own views we're those of the majority of the Manawhenua committee —that the rules were the outcome of deliberations extending over 18 months or two years and were understood to be the basis on which both Councils would work, being signed by representatives of the respective bodies. He felt that the parties to the agreement were bound to it, and he could not recall any occasion on whieh'the majority vote had been exercised detrimentally to the interests of football in the combined district. If Horowhenua could show that they were not being treated as they had ! a right to expect, he would admit that they had a grievance and that they were entitled to have it righted. In his opinion it would be a disaster to football in both districts were the amalgamation to come to an end, but if the feeling was that the union could not be carried on without friction, then it would lie better if the amalgamation should come to an end. The partnership must exist on the basis on which it was entered into, or else go out. He had yet to be convinced that delegates would go to a meeting of the combined Union with the feeling that movements in the interests of football would be over-ridden simply on the ground that Manawatu had a controlling vote on matters of policy. At every meeting of the Union somebody must have a majority. Ajt present' Manawatu had it; but if the rule was altered Horowhenua would have the majority next year—they would have the controlling vote. Was there any more right that Horowhenua should

have the majority than that Manawatu should have it? No argument had been put forward that the majority vote had so far been used detrimentally to football. The rules were in the nature of a signed agrement which was on a basis that was intended to act for all time. Many concessions had been given to this end of the district. Firstly there was a dispute about rep. colours, but the Manawatu delegates waived their claim in the matter. Further, there had been no attempt to stick to the proviso that all meetings should be held in Palmerston. The Horowehnua portion of the district was having some difficulty with Foxton. The,, Manawatu end could get an advantage if it was to interfere with the rules in this connection. There was nothing to prevent them from altering the rules in that direction; but Manawatu did not propose to alter one of the vital rules of the amalgamation to obtain any benefit. He was sorry any proposal for alteration had come forward so soon after the amalgamation had come into force. GLUT OF REP. GAMES. Air Rimmer said he could not endorse the chairman's statement that Alanawatu's advantage in voting strength was in the best interests of football. Did this end of the district multiply the rep. games this season! Were they not multiplied by the executive officers at the Manawatu end? The Chairman: No. Air Rimmer: I allude to the two Wairarapa games. The Chairman: When the first Wairarapa game was offered to us at Palmerston, I telephoned the chairman of the Horowhenua Council and he said, '' Go ahead- by all means.'' The second match was arranged at a Union meeting.

Continuing, Air Rimmer said he was pretty sure that the number of rep. games had not been an advantage to this end, but a very great disadvantage. The Chairman: I must ask you to confine yourself to the motion. The number of rep. matches does not come within the scope of it unless it is shown that we over-voted on them. The fact that the Union did something, unless with this controlling vote, is not in order at this debate, but is a matter to bring up at the annual meeting. Air Rimmer: The combined body have arranged those games, have they not?

The Chairman: That is not in order in the discussion of these rules unless you allege that they were arranged by the majority in opposition to the Horowhenua delegates.

Air Rimmer: I claim that those two games were in opposition to our Council or delegates. The Chairman: You are quite wrong. The minutes show that the challenge for the Ranfurly Shield was a unanimous resolution of the Council. Air Casey stated that he moved for the challenge for the Ranfurly Shield. He thought that Air Rimmer was referring to home-an-home matches.

The Chairman: One match was accepted after consultation with the tw r o presidents.

Mr Rimmer: Do I understand that if the combined body think fit to enter into a number of games, causing us to play only half our fixtures and consequently reducing our income to about half what it would otherwise be, we are justified in assisting the continuance of this combined body? The Chairman: The question before the meeting is not the continuance of the combined body, but the alteration of the rules. Mr Eimmer maintained that Mr Casey had not been answered; he opposed the ruling of the president in regard to home-and-home games with Wairarapa. Mr Eglinton: Was it "a home-and-home game? It was a special match for the Ranfurly Shield, was it not? The Chairman: They offered to come over and play us while they were still the holders of the Shield. There was no obligation on us to go back, but they suggested that we should go there and play them for the Shield. That proposal was put before a meeting of the Union, and Mr Casey moved that we go over and play them for the Shield. I still take a lot of convincing that those matches were not in the interests of football in the district.

Mr Colquhoun said the difficulty of arranging rep. matches was due to all the South Island teams travelling north this year—and they had arranged that this position should not arise again.

Mr Casey stated that the Wairarapa question started early in the season with a suggestion for home and home matches, which he opposed, but which was adopted in the end. When the Ranfurly Shield was in the hands of Wairarapa, it was thought that Manawhenua might not have another chance of playing for it, and he had moved that they challenge for it. What Mr Riminer was referring to was HorowhenHa's being put out on the question of home-and-home matches, and that they were not given a chance of making their presence felt.

The Chairman: No one was consulted except the two presidents. That was one match that did not interfere with your football, because it was played on a Wednesday afternoon. Mr Casey: It does interfere indirectly.

The motion was then put to the meeting, and was lost on the voices, the Manawatu delegates voting against it. TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY NOW REQUIRED TO ALTER RULES. .

The meeting next proceeded to the consideration of the motion by Mr Ongley to add the following provision to Rule 32, which gives power for an annual or special meeting of delegates to add to, amend or repeal the rules: "By a two-thirds majority of the delegates voting.' > The mover said his impression was that the rules, when they were signed, were to be the permanent basis of amalgamation. It was not in accordance with the constitution of any well, established body that the rules should be chopped and changed at the whim of any particular man. By providing that the voting should be by a two-

thirds majority they would safeguard the rules against any alteration that would not be in the best interests of football. If any reasonable proposition was put forward in regard to any alteration of the rules, he had no doubt that the delegates would agree to it. He felt sure that the signatories to the agreement were satisfied that they were signing rules that were to be a permanent basis of amalgamation.

Mr Collins seconded the motion and said he thought it would be disastrous to the interests of amalgamation if the rules were allowed to be altered at the instance of either of the councils. He believed that any trouble that was supposed to exist was only mythical, and the case seemed to be one of pinpricking. Mr Casey: Pin-pricking? What do you call the loss of £200? Mr Collins: I- don't know. Probably that is mythical, too.

DEATH-KNELL OF COMBINED UNION. .

Mr Rimmer said he knew that the motion would go through. Horowhenua's delegates were not all present; but the death-knell of the Combined Union was sounded now. The second round of the Horowhenua competition this season had not been worth a quarter of the first round, in spite of the fact that they had four teams that were almost on a level. The interest should have been so great that the gates in their ordinary club games should have been from £3O to £35, whereas in some eases they were round about £l. "I would not take the responsibility of bothering about the treasurership,'' Mr Rimmer added. "There are many supporters who will not have anything to do with football. You are not desirous of endeavouring to understand anything that is required at this end of the district."

The Chairman: You signed the agree ment, didn't you? Mr Rimmer: Yes, I did.

Mr Casey: On the Rugby Union, Manawatu have the controlling vote. At a meeting of delegates it was found that there was a way open for Horowhenua to put their house in order. Now you have closed that door. It is a very clever move on the part of Manawatu, who have got everything now.

There being no further discussion the chairman put the motion to the meeting and it was carried on the voices, the voting being again on the basis of district representation.