FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 92, 14 May 1909, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

NEW ZEALAND 1!U(!BY UNION. ANNUAL MEETING. SOMK PLAIN SPEAKING. TUB IMlTlSllEliS' TOUR. Ity Telegraph.- Pre... Association. Wellington, Last Night. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union was held this evening. .Mr. G. F. ('. Campbell (president) being iu the chair. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, Mr. Campbell said that in this and last year there had been looses, and it appeared to him that the tendency was growing of throwing a greater responsibility upon the New Zealand Rugby Union. They had to consider whether the Union would be able to stand the strain in the future. It would be easy to overburden the finances of the New Zealand Union unless they were very careful. With regard to the alteration in the laws of the game, he thought in their action the Union had shown good sense. If they once admitted the right of any union to tamper with tin: laws of the game without the approval of other interested bodies ill the Empire, they would soon be running on their own basis. (Hear, hear). Thev should co-operate with other bodies. If they wished an alteration made there was a constitutional and legitimate way of effecting alterations, and this way

was suggested by the New Zealand Rugby Union by getting representation on the International Board, and seeing the representations were brought under its notice in a proper manner. If they did not get sufficient support at first they should wait until they did, as if a cause was good in the cours'e of time their causc_\vould prevail. (Applause). Mr. Coffey (Wellington) wished to know what was meant by the entry in the statement of account of the British team's tour of the item: "Lc»al expenses £342 as Gil."

The treasurer explained that £142 3s 6d was paid to P. Holling. solicitor Masterton, and £202 2s to Morrison and McLean, Wellington. The latter payment was in connection with the case brought by Mr. Wats'on for damages in respect to li'is contract for programmes. Replying to a question, Mr. Dixoij said a letter had been received from the New South Wales Union, in rcplv to a i suggestion that a conference be held with a view to concerted action respecting the laws of the game. This intimated that as a movement was now being made by the Rugby Football Union to consider the suggested amendments' to the laws of the game submitted bv Queensland, NW Zealand and New oouth U ales, it was inopportune to hold a conference such as had been suggested. I land teC " received from Queena-

Campbell (Otago) said the - ew Zealand Union had not carried out certain alterations to the rules which had been decided at the Otago special meetiug. He had then seen that certain alterations agreed on at tluit meetin"- as imperative for the good of the game : would be very slowly carried out if the I matter were left in the hands of the Management Committee of the Union, which was dearly antagonistic to the proposed amendments. These alterations had not been carried out as the delegates had wished. Whether there was any Northern Union game or not the rules nuist be altered in certain diiections. The chairman had said that New Zealand should get representation on the International Board. The speaker knew very well that they would never get such representation. Thev should form an Australian Union, and if they pfr ;, Africa well and good. Mi. Cofley said the visit of the British 2"m V h' "i w," crcdit t0 themselves 1101 to the land they came from. New Zealand leanit nothing from the team. . 0 far as the finances were concerned, ihn T 1 J gr< ' !,t; <lea ' of extravagance The V V . nt ' VCl ' I,aVe l)eeil 1 ,lnml U " io5 ' lla<l been unaK h Vard ? the propose(l alter ' tl Pm 1! W f-'-° • r desiri "S to g° to hi English L iiion, a fossilised body which was never in favor of progress. ■ '--allTaitli said he had had a letter a few davs ago which showed that the English Union was taking steps to call a conference to consider the amendments proposed, not only by the colonial unions but by its own clubs.

Mr. Pirani (Manawatu) said no doubt many of them would like to say much about the tour of the British team, but it was like thrashing a dead horse. The extravagance shown reminded ■ him of the Royal tour of the Duke anil Duchess of York when in New Zealand. The Management Committee did not Seem to possess' a man on it wlio knew anything of business matters. The tour should have proved that the rules needed alteration, not so much for New Zealand, as for the sakes of the poor deluded youths who were brought out here as champion footballers. The speaker then went 011 to the question of appeal, which, he said, was a farce. It caus'ed ridicule to be thrown 011 the Management Committee of every union. In one ease a player had committed a breach of the rules. He was disqualified by his union, and every -player in the district agreed with his sentence. The player appealed, and the appeal committee upheld his appeal without even reading the rules under which tile man w T as disqualified. Mr. R. Isaac denied that the New Zealand Referees' Association had even intimated that the Association would not need a donation from the Rugby Union. It had, however, been decided not'to ask for a grant this' year, as they thought thev would be able to do without it. Every individual of the Union's Management Committee would admit that they made mistakes, but thev w'ere made honestly. GENERAL INSURANCE SCHEME. The meeting then considered the report on a proposed insurance scheme by Messrs W. C. Cargill and A. Humphries I (Taranaki). 'Mr. Cargill explained the scheme at length. Speaking of the scheme 011 a motion to go into committee, Mr. Cargill said that 110 one could say how it would work nut. The Union was going into it blindly, and until the 1 system had been working for at least a year it would be quite impossible to say 1 whether it would be a success or not. In bringing forward his scheme lie and his colleagues had suggested a levy of 3s Od a head, every plavcr joining'the fund., the I iiinji would subsidise the scheme, and in older to do (his without causing too great a strain on the Union's fiii~nnee«, the grant of £2OO for school football might be done away with for 0:1 c year. Where the difficulty lav was with regard to the claim,' that'might be made on the fund. ft had been impossible to arrive at au average of accidents ami claims. For instance, the amount paid 111 guarantee by the Wellington Union averaged Is Gd per injured member. The Otago Union paid au average of 5s per man. How could they have arrived at a satisfactory average for the whole Dominion in the face of such figures as these? The speaker suggested that a start be made with the scheme. Then if the benefits were small anil it were found good, the benefits could be increased and the scheme made quite complete, and if it were no good, it could be thrown out.

Mr. Firnni tliouprlit It was wasting time going into details. If they did not decide that they were going to have a scheme it would lie better to promote individual schemes of each union. They had not arrived at the stage when they

-liould embark on a general scheme. In the Manawatu a contribution of 3s per player was ample, and there was also a surplus. If thev adopted a general scheme, it would kill local schemes, and then ruin itself by the great burden imposed on it. They should svriously consider the matter from all standpoints.

Mr. tl. Lusk. speaking from the aspect of the smaller unions, said they could not afford to pay for the scheme. It would enst t]ie Poyorty Bay £45 a year under the scheme. Other small unions would be in the same position, lie did not agree with doing away with the school grant, and devoting it'toThe insurance s'eheme. They conlil not afford to pay 3s 6d per liian per club as was proposed. Several delegates considered the matter of insurance was a local one. Each district should have a scheme of its own.

Mr. Cargill replied shortly to the opponents of (he scheme. He said it was obvious to him that the scheme would be thrown out, but .before that happened he wished to Suggest that at some future date the Union take into consideration some system of subsidising smaller unions in the formation of schvmes pf tl|eir own. IJc also tliougM that there ought to be reciprocal scheme by winch a player insured by one union j would bo still insured if he moved to another district. •' I The motion to go into committee was then put and defeated by a large majoiitv. This decision involved the rejection of the sfcheme, IftECTION OP OFFICERS. Hie following officers were elected:— Patron, his Excellency {lie Governor

Uovoiv lAucklaml), J. C'olvin, M.P. (Duller). M. Vance (liucli), Cj, ||. .Mason (C;iiiU'i-liury), (.!. Fleming (Ilawke's Hay), J. S. Fowler (Horowhemia), J. .Manning (Manawahi), K. McAllum (Marlborough). Dr. Andrews (Xelson). F. 11. Campbell (Otago), \V. B. .Miller (Poverty Bay), A. Shirteliflc (South Canterbury). H. (Jalkaitli (Southland), F. T. ISellnnger (Taraaaki), W. C. Buchanan (Wairarapa), (j. Spriggins (Wanganni). ti. F. ('. Campbell (Wellington), D. M. Kay (Ue.it Const); lion, treasurer, Mr. 11. Kelly; management committer, Messrs G. Dixon, J. Uughton, H. Isaacs, H. Uwk, W. Perry. V. Meredith, (J. N. Oalbraith; appeal committee, Messrs J. A. Nvil. A. Campbell, H. Frost; auditor, Mr. Oscar liember. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the retiring treasurer (Mr. N. Galbraitli). DEAXS .MEMORIAL. -Mr. CJ. il. Dixon said that lie was of the opinion that the Union should express its sorrow at the death of Robert Deans, one of the finest footballers that evvr lived. 'those -who had eome in contact with Deans' held his memory in the greatst respect. He proposed that the Union grant the sum of £3O towards the Deans Memorial Fund.— I The motion was carried.