FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 65, 13 April 1909, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

N.Z. REFEREES' ASSOCIATION. The annual conference of New /.caland Referees was resumed on Saturday morning when the annual meeting oi the As- | soeiation was held. Mr. C. \\. Oram was in the chair. The report presented was as follows : —" There are now twenty-one local associations affiliated, and others will be proposed at the annual meeting. This must be considered as very satisfactory. Owing to Jlr I'. C. Jlaciac's removal from Wellington, he was compelled to resign his position on the executive, ami your executive resolved to record on the minutes'is nigh appreciation ui Jlr Jlaekie's serv..'!.s to the association. The resolution -, of the last annual general meeting- Ui " That Uie executive consider the question of classifying referjes in leiol associations, wlti a view' of obtaining s >.o t uniform standard of proficiency ; (2) ' tiiat it be a recommendation to the incoming executive that the annual subscription of local associations to the N.Z.R.U. be based upon a sum estimated on so much per senior team registered under the ivugby Union of each local Association' —have been considered, and your executive recommends as follows :—(1) Owing to the expense that would be incurred by any committee travelling over tli© whole of the Dominion so that uniform standard of classilication cuuid be adopted, your executive would suggest that metropolitan associations ue asked to provide that members' of country associations desirous of qualifying as senior referees should be encourageu to be examined and classified Becoming to the standard of such metropolitan association. (2) That the basis of subscription and representation be as 10l lows;— Associations numbering mirij active members or over be entitled to two votes, and pay an annual subscription of £1 ; ami associations numbering less than thirty active members be entitled to one vote, and pay an annual subscription of lUs. iour executive is of opinion that the present condition of aliairs under wliieh the Appointment Board carries out its duties rapines revision, as the position is most unsatisfactory. At present unions failing to agree upon the appointment ol a itierec postpone approaclimg the Hoard for a referee uutit the last possible moment., with the result that mis short notice often militates against suitable men from a distance being readily obtained in time. Your executive would, therefore, suggest that the New Zealand Union be asked to consider this matter at an early date, with the view of improving the position. At the last annual meeting a resolution was carried that referees receive 10s per day out-of-poc-ket expenses when acting in matches awav from home. This was brought under the notice of the New Zealand Union, and that "body suggested Mat referees be allowed necessary train, coach, and steamer transit and 15s pelday for all days necessarily absent irom home. This matter was laid belore the | local associations, with the result that only one association expressed itself as not" being in favour of the suggestion being adopted. One of the local Rugby Unions has declined to pay the allowance agreed upon, and your executive would strongly urge upon uie association the importance of considering tnis matte" at the forthcoming animal meeting. As resolved at the last annual meeting, tile handbook was again published, and received excellent support, close on WJ copies being disposed of. The minutes of the Australian conference as adopted at the last conference, were, with some minor alterations, approved of and adop ted by the New Zealand Rugby Union. The thanks of the association are again i due to the New Zealand Rugby Union lor a donation towards the funds of the I association. As will Ue seen from the balance-sheet, there is a credit balance of just over £33. This discloses a satisfactory state of affairs. In conclusion, your executive trusts that this year's conference will be of material benefit to affiliated associations, but would point out that direct representation at the conference is absolutely essential to bring about that uniformity of ruling and "interpretation that is so much desired." The report as read was adopted. The recommendations of the Executive contained therein cannot, however, come into force until next yu«r, as no notice of motion had been given regarding these matters. It was decided that the Jletropohtaii Association mentioned in the report should lie Wellington, Auckland, Otago, Canterbury Southland, Taranaki, VVanganui, ami llawkes Ray districts, tnese districts being the ones in which, what might be recognised as first"class- football, was played at present. It was decided that the New Zealand

Appointment Board lie recommended to give «t li'iist one: week's notice to referees appointed for representative matches. A resolution was.passed that affiliated associations he recommended to instruct their members not to referee in foreign matches, unless tin; unions concerned have agreed, or agree to pay, expenses, computed upon the scale as adopted by the New Zealand Union (mentioned in the annual report), and that all payment* sliouhl be made through the New Zealand Referees' Association. All affiliated associations will be asked to notify I heir unions of the resolution.

The publication of the handbook was left in the hands of the executive. The election of ollicers for the ensuing year resulted as follows :—Pal roil, Mis Excellency the Governor; President, Mr 1!. M'lsaacs ; vice-Presidents, Messrs A. Campbell (Auckland), G. Griffiths (Taranaki), \V. Powdrell (South Taranaki). (I. K. Simpson (Wanganui), A. N. Gill bons, (Mamiwntu), James' Mclntyre (llorowhenua), F. A. Laws (Wellington). K. Mclvenzie (Wairarnpa), W. Snell (J)anuevirke), R. llenufrson (Hastings) G Proctor (Hawkes Bay), H. Naldc(Nelson), J. O'Learv (South Canterbury), H. McFarlane (Olago) ; lion, secretary and treasurer, Mr J. M. R»bb : Management Committee, Messrs F. A. llemplemau, J. 11. A. Laughtnn, H. Card. G. li. Link, and L. Sievcrs ; lion, auditor. Mr C. H. Manson.

The executive was instructed to revise the bye-laws and report. The Auckland Association moved that in future the annual conference should be held in Wellington. The motion was defeated, bill it was decided to hold the next conference in Vv eilvngton. An honorarium of C2O was voted the secretary. He was also accorded a vote of thanks.

\ hearty I'otc of Ihanks with acclamation was carried to the president, Mr R. M. Isaacs. Several members spoke in eulogistic terms of the valuable services he had rendered the Association.

Votes or thanks lo ti ther ollicers of the Associations, (.lie Taranaki Referees' Association, Mr Geo. Griffiths (for lite assistance he had given the conference!, to the chairman and the Press concluded the business.

THE DELEGATES ENTERTAINED. The dinner tendered to the visiting delegates of the New Zealand Referees' Association by the Taranaki Referees' Association was a most enjoyable function, and well managed. It was held in the Imperial Hotel, and Mr. Smith provided in first-class style, Mr. P. Skoglund. secretary of the Taranaki Rugby Union, presided. After disposing of the excellent menu.. Tin; chairman pi'o|K>sed "Tlic King." and in doing so said that in the present state of national feeding the toast was no formal one. but one which New Zealamlers would all drink with brimming loyalty. He was proud, he said, to belong in the country which had set an o'iiinple lo the overseas British dominions bv the gift of a Dreadnought to the iiiipire. The toast was heartily I ored.

MY. A. Humphries proposed the toast (if "Tin- Visitors,'' mid in tendering ii Icarty welcome 1" tli" visiting referees, expressed Ms opinion tliat the conference just coni'ltnli'il. anil similar rnnfeii'iiiTs, must confer n lasting bvneli'. on football ill Hie Dominion, more thuii :lie i:\erap' public seemed to realise. He supposed lie could claim to liav. liml some experience of football and referees, and he maintained now. as lie had always maintained. Unit referees were not appreciated as they should lie. Tllcy had to put up with more abuse, perliaps, tlian anyone else in connection with football; yet. without them, the public would not have football, of the present hijrh. standard. The eombina-

tion of referees -was making the gam* cleaner, for one thing, and that was not all. In .welcoming the visitors, he regretted that the weather seemed likely to (interfere, with the further entertainment arranged for the luiorrow, hut trusted that the delegates would have pleasant memories of their stay in New Plymouth. ' Mr. 11. McFarlane (Otago), in responding to the toast, stated that a lot of good cainc out of referees' conferences. He considered that New Plymouth had outclassed even (Hugo's reception of th;> delegates. To him it had been a pleasure to meet such a fine class of men as he had met here. In reference to Mr. Humphries' remarks, he believed no referee went on the field except for the purpose of acting honorably. Players might, he thought, with advantage study the rules of football, so that referees' decisions would not be so often questioned as the outcome of players' ignorance. Mr. Batchelor also responded, and returned thanks On behalf of his centre for the hospitality extended by the local Association.

Mr. J. M. Robb proposed "The New Zealand Rugby Union," « body, he said, which held a high and honorable position in" the football world. He had heard remarks about the Union that were derogatory, but when they came to look closely into its affairs it must be agreed that the present N.Z.R.U. was a credit to New Zealand. They did what they could to foster the sport, and had proved a whole-hearted interest in it. Of courscv no body of men could please everybody, but the N.Z.R.U. had done great work for football, and deserved the commendation:) of every football player in the Dominion. The Union had given the Referees' Association good support, and recognised the Association as a power. It behoved all district unions to support the New Zealand Rugby Union, which, after a long period of "hard times," was now affluent, and was being rushed on all sides for its funds.

Jlr. A. Humphries replied to the toast. He was not a member of the N.Z.R.U., but was one of those whom the proposer spoke of as going to Wellington "for what he could get." He endorsed all that Jlr. Itobb had said in praise of the Xew Zealand governing body. Xot many men would .have undertaken the Ail lllacks' lour to England in Hie then state nf the funds. But they did it, and as a result New Zealanders were now the leading exponents of football in the whole world. That tour had done harm, though, for seeing the thousands of pounds' profit of the amateurs' tour, it suggested itself to others that there was money to be made and divided amongst the players. Hence the .professional movement in New Zealand. But if the various unions and associations would co-operate, there was not much to fear from professionalism here. He trusted the. New Zealand Rugby Union would still further assist the Referees' Association. It was not so long ago that teams went on the football field and began to query, "Who's going to be the referee';" Then they had to hunt round for one, and got a man who could blow the whistle, whether he knew the rules or not. Now all that was changed, and good referees were allotted for the matches. Of course, they made mistakes, but they would make fewer if players 'would assist instead of trying to "beat" them. He prophesied great changes in Rugby footliall in the course of a few years, whether for better or for worse remained to be seen.

Mr. Skbglund proposed the "New Zealand Referees' Association." In doing so he traced the history of the Association's formation A few years ago there were provincial associations, and some associations had a knack of interpreting rules differently from others. Then in interprovincial matches players were at a loss to understand the referees' decisions. In I'JOl a conference of referees was held in Wellington, and as a result, some three or four years later, this Association .was formed. It had done good work in securing on uniform interpretation of the rules of football right throughout New Zealand. Whilst not speaking egotistically, he believed that aiiy man who took up the whistle deserved a gold medal for every match. For he was not appreciated, either by the players or the public. He mentioned with pleasure the round of players and public applause 'which had greeted Jlr. Jack Williams, of Dunedin, when he went on the field as referee in the Tara-liaki-Aucklaud match at Auckland last year, and he trusted that such expressions of goodwill would not be rare in the future.

Mr. Oram (Auckland) responded. He regretted the absence of the president of the Association for many years. Referring to Mr. Skoglund's remarks, he said that the Association was inaugurated just before tho Alt Macks went Home, a'ad it had never looked back. If the. Association had done good its members were pleased to know it, but they would vndeavor to go further yet towards the goal of perfection. Never in the history of New Zealand football had football unions had such a large scope for the selection of their referees as now.

Mr. llohb (Wellington) also replied. He also dealt with the history of the Association. The largest conference was held in 1005, the finest representative meeting of football workers held in the Dominion. That dm Association had justified its existence was shown liy Hie fact that not one meeting of t'iie Appeal Council of the N.Z.R.U. had been held since the Association was formed. Previous to that there had often been meetings to appeal against referees' decision. That proved that refcrecing was attaining a higher standard. One Union had «sked for a Council meeting, but the Council was found not to exist! There had been opposition to the Referees' Association from (vrtam quarters, but it was now recognised that the Association had come lo stay. Whilst agreeing that these conferences, if hold in various centres, did mucli to assist the local referees, he though they should be held in a more central town.

Mr. Oram proposed the ''Tanvnaki Referees' Association." It was not one of the largest associations, but what it lacked in numbers was made up in the ability of its members, so that there was no reason why it should not be one of the strongest, lie referred to Mr. G. Grilliths, who had been secretary of the Taranaki Association from its inception until this year, and said that that gentleman had' done much to make Hie visitors' stay a pleasant one. The delegates had wished to put their appreciation of his kindness in more concrete form than was conveyed in the Association's veto of thanks, so they had decided to present him with a souvenir, lie I hen asked Mr. Griffiths to accept friuii the delegates a fine silver sovereign case. Mr. (irilliths' health was drunk with ii'iiiging cheers. In replying to the toast, he said that if the delegates had enjoyed their stay the local executive was'fully satisfied. This present had lakon him completely by surprise, and lie was very grateful for it, but much of the success of the arrangements must be credited to his colleagues. Other toasts proposed were: ''The Press," "The Host and Hostess." and '■The Chairman."

During the welling a capital programme was given. Messrs Holding anil West, coniribulotl pianoforte selections, and the former ]ilayed the accompaniments for songs {.'iven by Messrs W. IVrrv. -I. Sunnier, 0. Ciriflilhs, and A. Humphries. Messrs Sunnier, Lovcgrove, and Card recited.