FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 107, 13 August 1910, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

TARANAKI AND THE MANAWATU UNION. WHAT (HAPPENED AT HAWERA. (Manawatu Times). Some of the Taranaki papers are continuing to publish comments upon the treatment of the Manawatu team at Hawera purporting to represent that there is no real reason for the protest raised by the Manawatu Rugby Union, and that this protest had not the sympathy of that 'Union. There have also been statements published on the authority of Taranaki officials both in the reports of the Taranaki Union meeting and otherwise, to the effect that the statements made were greatly exaggerated. The local Union had been unanimous in resenting the treatment of its team, a resentment which had nothing to do, as some of the Taranaki scribes ungallantly suggested, with the team feeing beaten. It has been further stated by the secretary of the Taranaki Union that the team was not specially invited by the Dominion Show officials, that they knew nothing of it or would have been glad to have shown courtesy to the visitors and wondered at the Taranaki Union doing nothing. And the Taranaki Union has stated that it had nothing before it regarding the complaint made. To dispose of all these objections the Manawatu Rugby Union appointed the president (Mr. floben), the secretary (Mr. McKenzie), and the manager of the team (Mr. Pawson) to draw up a state-1 ment of the facts as the team saw them, and this was forwarded to the Taranaki Union. The statement is as follows: —I

Dear Sir,—ln consequence of statements which we have seen allegedly made on the authority of the officers of the Taranaki 'Rugiby Union as to the treatment of our team on its recent visit to Hawera, we desire to place the following facts before the Taranaki Rugby Union, iby request of the Manawatu Rugby Union, .whose committee has been unanimous in condemnation of the neglect shown the team. At the beginning of this season the Manawatu Union decided not to travel this year for various reasons. It received, however, the following letter:— "The Hon. Secretary, "Manawatu Rugby Union, i "Palmerston. !

"Dear Sir,—l have been requested by my committee to ask you if your Union will send its representative team to meet.our team on.the 14th July, at Hawera. The Hawera people are holding a winter show during that week, and have approached my Union with the object of having a representative football match played on one of the show days. Kindly let me know as soon as possible and oblige.—l am, etc., "Philip Skoglund, "Hon Secretary." •

In order to meet the wishes of your Union and pay a compliment from the home of the National Dairy Show, whose grounds are the headquarters of our Union, to the Dominion Show, the Union decided that it would alter its previous decision as far as Taranaki was concerned and re-cast its arrangements. It accordingly accepted the invitation of the Dominion Show committee thus conveyed by the Taranaki Rugby Union, and that of the latter Union. But lor these things it would not have gone to Taranaki this year at all. As the team was to return by Wanganui, it arranged to play Wanganui on the way back. Mr. Pavvson, of our committee, was appointed to manage the team, and he at once telegraphed to Mr. Skoglund, as secretary of the Taranaki Union, asking him to secure suitable accommodation for a team of about twenty. Mr. Skoglund replied that he had already secured accommodation.

The matter of accommodation came up at the next meeting of the Manawatu Union, when Mr. Pawson said that it was quite unnecessary to do anything further in face of 'Mr. Skoglund's telegram, and the president remarked that the reputation of the Taranaki Union was such that in many years oi dealing with them in the past he had always found that if the word of that Union.were given them there was nothing further to .worry about. Some of the committee, however, still considered that if there were any doubt, that accommodation should be secured for the team at Patea or iNormanby, but the president's assurances as to the rem■bility of Taranaki were accepted. The team duly went to Hawera and found no one to meet them at the si»tion. A small boy told them that there was a-drag outside and they went to it themselves, and after starting, Mr. Anderson, secretary of the Hawera Club, joined the drag and told the manager that he represented the Taranaki Union. They were driven into the hotel yard and to a sample room. There they found five wire mattresses laid on boxes to accommodate eight men, in another room three single bedsteads pat together to form one for four men, and two more wire mattresses laid down for iour more, i The night was cold and wet and there were not proper blankets ard very lew travelling rugs, so that most of the men could not sleep. There were no conveniences in the rooms. .Subsequently the manager was asked to pay £l4 for the "accommodation thus provided. He demurred to this account both in detail and in amount to an employee of the botelkeeper and said that Mr. Anderson had made arrangements with the hotelkeeper. The maimer accordingly waited for Mr Anderion, and on his arrival the latter said not to mind about the cheque, as in view of what had happened the Taiaiuto Union would be responsible for the amount and treat the team as its guests As the visit was a special visit and ■the team had received no attention or entertainment of any kind Mr. Pawson accepted this as a graceful amende, and so reported to the Manawatu Urnon on his return. There were some remarks made at the management committee meeting as to the neglect shown Ita team, but it was recognised that the la ranaki Union had done its best through. Mr. Anderson's offer to make amends,; and consequently it was decided to saj nothing more about it and pass a rc»o-| lution of thanks to Taranaki for its hos-j no sooner been passed and' forwarded than Mr. Pawson received a; message from Mr. Anderson to the effect | that tie Taranaki Union had repudiated his action and a cheque must be sent The position, therefore, was, m regard to this, that— . ~ , ■ (I) The Taranaki Union claimed that it authorised Mr. Anderson to represent it in the welcoming of the team. (-2) That when it came to his subse'quent actions he did not represent the Union. , ~ , ~ It has also been stated that the secretary of the Taranaki Union came down to welcome the team.

On the evening of their arrival Mr. IPawson and the captain of the team met Mr. Skoglund in- the passage of the hotel and had two or three minutes' conversation with him, from which it appeared ihnt lie had comf* tofHnwera for a coursing meeting an .! would not he down next day for the match. That was all they saw or heard of him.

Though the team had come up on the understanding from tiie invitation sent us that they were to play in conjunction with the Dairy Show they received no invitation to the show or show concert, and no attention of any kind from the show committee. Some of them visited the show, paying as ordinary visitors, hut the team as a whole would much ihave appreciated an invitation whfcb, had the position been reversed and ■» had been a Taranaki team come here during the National Dairy Show, the Manawatu A. and P. Association would most certainly have made them its guests as well as the 'Manawatu Rugby Union.

Niextday the team played their match and neither at the station nor on the ground nor anywhere else did any officer of the Taranaki Union say one word of welcome to them. That night Mr. Mynott, Mr. Milne, Mr. McLeod (of the team), and Mr. Stohr (a non player), seeing the neglect of the Union, called and expressed their regret. The team left next day with the same lack of attention which had been consistently shown throughout. We wish to make it perfectly clear that we did not expect anything out of the way in the shape of entertainment, for the team, or anything' beyond the ordinary courtesies of host to guest. We did not expect a dinner or a special smoke concert, recognising that these things are a source of expense to the home Union, although we have given ithem to visiting teams here, and when the'Taranaki. Union was here last year gave them a special dinner, met them on arrival and speeded them on their departure, and paid any • little ; attention we could. On their way back, Mr. Pawson," of our committee, took the visitors to-afternoon tea as they went through home. We merely mention these things to show the difference between the treatment accorded Taranaki here and that shown our team an Taranaki. We regret it the more keenly in the face of the fact that we are endeavoring to do what we can for the advancement of football on this coast and if a country Union of the type of Taranaki cast such pronounced slights upon another country Union that is endeavoring to belittle its way along the course which Taranaki had once to tread it must necessarily have a disheartening effect upon our i men. j (Signed toy the three officers named above). , \ The Manawatu Union is riding its little hobby horse to death. It is estimated at £l4! A cheque for that amount would have settled the business. It is also evident that the Union reckons it has a grievance against the hotelkeeper. Perhaps it has. But the hotelkeeper's side of the matter is just coming out He was waiting for the pay- | ment of his account before reporting to the Manawatu Union upon the o*i».««ct 1 of the gentlemen who were so dissatisfied with their accommodation. His report is not savoury. He has now forwarded his complaints, and Manawatu promises an enquiry. Should his charges be substantiated the Palmerston people will wish they had allowed a little for the congestion of Hawera and the disarrangement of plans by the holding of the first Winter Show. The whole mat; ter was reviewed by the Taranaki Rugby Union Management Committee on Thursday night in camera. There's something to be said about the old proverb touching on people who live in glass houses, and the dangerous practice! of throwing stones. j

Someone in South Taranaki has suggested that the Waimate-Okaiawa match was not a straight-out "go." It can't very well be alleged tivat Waiwate was "stiff," and no one who saw the match will have the effrontery to say that. Okaiawa could have prevailed. The writer, who witnessed this most remarkable gamej never saw a more even contest in the opening stages, nor a team more hopelessly beaten in the second spell. The victory of the Waimate team may safely be attributed to superior combination. Wanganui and Taranaki representative teams will meet at Hawera this afternoon. The team* will make the Central Hotel their headquarters. "I told you so!" That's the bur.den of the remarks of several players in reference to the Pini incident. It has to be remembered' that the referee coul* not say that Pini kicked a player, but only played rough. That would have heen his report, no doubt, had the offender been the most insignificant player on the field, although the opposite is suggested. Pini has an excellent record as a player here and elsewhere, and tt is hard to believe that he wilfully used brute force. As several of the New Plymouth.players are unable to travel to-day, the match Banks and Law against Stratford has been postponed until next.Saturday.