FOOTBALL.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 May 1919, Page 5

FOOTBALL.

OPENING OF THE SEASON. PIRATES v. ROVERS.

On the Recreation ground to-morrow (Saturday) the season will virtually he opened by a meeting of the Pirates and the Rovers, at 3 o'clock, in the afternoon. As both teams are confident, there should be a more than ordinarily interesting game for spectators.

On King's birthday (3rd June) enthusiasts in the game will have a field day, as no less than three matches are mentioned. At 1.30 the local Rovers will play Raetahi, and at 3 p.m. the Pirates will face a team from Taumarunui. It is understood that the Pirate Juniors will play Ohingaiti, but the time is not gven. All the matches arc- to be played on the Taihape Recreation Reserve.

The Pirates and Rovers are asked to meet, on the grounds at 2.45 so as to be able to start at 3 o'clock precisely.

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION

ANNUAL MEETING

WELLINGTON, this day

The annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union began at midnight, owing to the evening heing taken up by discussing the rules. Officers were elected as follows:—Patron, the Gover-nor-General; president, F. T. Evans (Christchurch); management committee, Dr. Crawford, B. W. Morris, C. A. Mabieson, E. 0. Hales, J. W. Blade, K Akersrappeal council F. Cowlishaw, W. G. Garrard, and G. H. Mason; auditor. Mr Kember; representative on English 1-iugby Union, Mr Wray Palliser: lion, treasurer, Mr T. TI. Jones. It was decided that for the coining year the appeal committee should be elected by the management committee and located in Dunedin, and that the appeal council should sit in Christchurch for the next three years. It was unanimously resolved that the Ranfurly Shield regulations be amended as follows: That regulation No. 3 be deleted and the following substituted: (3) All special challenge matches shall be played on the ground of the holder of the Shield for the time being, but any affiliated Union meeting the holder of the Shield in the ordinary course of iu'fer-Tnion matches, whether o.i the holders' ground or not, may give notice to the N.Z.R.F.U. and to the holder, of not less that, fourteen days before the day appointed for the match, declaring such match to be a Rnnfurly Shield Challenge Match. To encourage school football, it was decided to recommend the management committee io make a grant of £2OO to ■the Public Schools Union?.

MAYOR OR MINISTER

WHO POMES FIRST IN MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS.

LEGAL OPINION TAKEN.

WELLINGTON, this day

Mr. Luke, Mayor of Wellington, has obtained a legal opinion as to the relative positions of the Prime Minister and the Mayor in respect to the meeting of citizens arising out of the dispute witb Sir Jas_ Allen in connection with the welcome at Wellington or General Russell. The opinion states, inter alia, "By long established custom the Mayor is chief citizen, and in all social matters in which the citizens

are concerned as a community, it is the Mayor who is head. The Prime Minister does not represent the Dominion unless specially appointed by the King io do so. and to the GovernorGeneral alone should the Mayor give way in his own city. If the Prime Minister should promote a function in a city the only place he can act as a host is in his own house (official or private. ) If the Governor wished to call a meeting of citizens of any particular city he would ask the Mayor to call the meeting, and the Mayor would take Ihe chair.i"

THE LICENSING POLL

TWO TRANSPORT RETURNS

CONTINUANCE LEAD 10.529

The Minister of Justice on Wednesday evening announced the result of the vote among the soldiers on the transport Paparoa. Out of 560 valid votes 457 were cast for Continuance and 103 for prohibition, the majority in favour of Continuance being 354. Yesterday Mr WilfOrd announced the result of the poll on *the transport Rimutaka as follows: — Continuance 563. Prohibition 120. This briugs the total soldiers voting to date to 39.754 of which 31,874 were polled for Continuance and 7680 for Prohibition, giving a majority of 24,194 for Continuance on the aggregate military vote. The state rt of the poll with the addition of the Paparoa and Rimutaka votes is: For Continuance 263,919 For Prohibition 253,390 Majority for Continuance 10,529