TARANAKI RUGBY UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 77, 30 March 1903, Page 2

TARANAKI RUGBY UNION.

The annual mealing of the Taranaki Rughy Union was hell in Strafford] on Friday nigh l ;. Present: Messrs F. iT. Bellringer (Star), Glenn (Opunake), [Slatttry and List (Waiuiate), Oaineroa |(Stratford), Hamplifies (S »i), Glasgow (Eltrnm), Pccc oi' (Tuk-.p..), G.ay { L'uk ipa), Buchanan (Uit'om ), Spurdie (Inglewood), VVils (Okaiawa), Mr F, '!'. Ballriugar occupied the chair. An application by the K<ponga Club for affiliation was discussed at come length and eventually declined. Tne annual report r.tated the year hid been fairly successful. The Union's representatives played five iuterpiovincial matches, wi-.ming two, drawi: -g o>.e, and losing two They had loured Auckland and Thtinefi, and were tnos", cordially acd kindly rncmve:!. The combination ittid play in bo.li the i«st mentioned elacvs proved to> strocg. Enquiry into tne con uc". <.f on* of the representatives resulted in the m-pen-sim of th*>; player for a ieim. The Senior find Junior Uup marches ufforded soma keen con Jess, fchn Tukapa du'i's team winning th'j Senior Oup after a stubborn contest with Waiuia'e. Tha Junior Oup v.-as won by re-pies-jntattves, Star biing the ruunetsup.

No fre-h annual having been printed cinee 1895, tho committee arranged for drawing up of a fresh one, with recommendations regarding tha alteration of rules. Tha work of arranging this has bien undertaken'by Mr T. Buchanan.

Thanks are dui to Mr 0, McMas'er and to Mr F. Mackay for donations to the Union.

Thanks WBie tendered to the press in the different ceutres for the support accorded by them,

The balance-sheet shi;Ts the receipts were £320 3s 9J, and expenditure £272 9s 3d, leaving a credit balatcj of £46 Us 6d. The chief itsms in the receipts were*: —Canterbury match £76 18< 3d, Wellington £6l 63 (both played at New Plymouth), Wanganui mitch (played at Hftwera) £39 6g, from Auckland and Thames TJoions £54 14s. The cbief items of expenditure were:—Steamer fare's to Auckland £34 ss, expenses over trial and rep matches £'ls, draft to manager of team to Auckland £26 ]s9d.

The report and balance-sheet were adopted. The headquarters of the Union will continue at Stratford.

Mr Alf. B<»y!y was re-elected president, subject to his consent being obtained; also vice-president to thu N.Z.R.F.TJ.

Mr Arndr/s re-election as aecre'.ary was greeted with applause. Mr Arndt was also elec ed treasurer, and a vote of tharjks was passod to the retiring treasurer, Mr Beckett. The other officers elected were: Auditors, Messra F. W. Webster (reelected) and W. B. Beckett; Management Committer, Messrs Slattery (rt'aimate), Glasgow (Eltharn), Ckrke (Opunakf), Buchanan (Olif on), Bellringer (Stir), and Spurdle (Ingjewood ; Salector of Rep. Team, Mr G. Syme, (re-elected); Selectors for North and Sou'h T-.'ams Messrs Syine, Wilson and Slattery (South), and Humphries I and Gray (North), The matter of appointing a delegate to the N.Z.R.F.U. was left to the Management Committee.

The ChairmaD ruled that any delegate reptesenting two junior teams should have two votes.

The secretary read a telrgram from the N.Z.R.U., statiug the English tour of a New Zaalaiad team had been postponed, and tha l ; the first match of the Australian tour had besn fixed for July 18th.

The Chairman referred briefly t-i ths able services of their secretary, and fo the vasi am mnt of work that fell to him. Ho moved that the eeoretary rrceive an honorarium of £lO. This would not in any way pay him for hia B.Tvice?, but would come in well for petty cash,

Mr Arndt disclaimed any right to the honorarium, and expressed his intention of refunding the money to the Union if granted. At the same time he thanked tie mee'ing heartily, but though" that the Union was not in a position to pay away such a sum. The money was voted amidst acclamation.

Mr Gray sud that for some years past he bid tried to run a schools competition. Would the Union authorise him to iuform a meeting of school teichers that any action of theirs in arranging school teams competitions would have the sjmpathv of the Union ?

The Chairman assured Mr Gray that the Union would ooperate in any movement that would encourage football among the rising generation. Mr Slattery stated his j'ntention of giving a cup for competition, the conditions to be used by the Management Committee.

A vote of thanks to Mr Slattery wai» carried unanimously. Mr A rods offeied a gold mednl for th<s best back player and a gold for tbe forward pliynr, the selection to ba made by the sole selector. Mr W. Glenn offered two gold medals for the two best front to* m n in Taranaki, selection to be made by Mr Kyme. The donors received votes of thanks. _ Pdrmiss'on was given to the champion fenior teams to wear hadg<-s, to be paid for by the Club themselv s.

Mr Lisb (Waiina»6) suggested that matchea be arranged so that Northern and Southern contests be brought to a close together.—To be kept in viow by the Management Committee, Clubs entered teams as under: - Star 5, Tukapa 3, Hawera 3, Eltharu 3, Okaiawa 3, Opunake 3, Oliftoo. 3, Stratford 3, Waimate 3, Inglewood 3. A new set of ru] s was brought down, and as revised was adopted, Pet mission was granted to H>wer* to play the Mslros) Ulub on Exster Monday.

Wes of tha-ks to the retiring officers, to Mr Buchanan for compiling rules, and to the chair terminated the p oceedinge

Mr A. j. O'Connell, one of the Management Committee of the New Zeahtd Rugby Union, and sonior referee in Wellin-tm, has settled at Rowan. Doubtless his advcht to this district will be ben. fichl to football circles. Probably S-ratford footballers will cive him a great reooption when he first visits the Jocal ground.