FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1919, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

NEW SOUTH WALES v. QUEENSLAND. By Telegraph.—Press Assn—Copyright. Sydney, August 4. In tho first inter-State Rugby Union match since the war New South Wales .scored 32 points and Queensland 14. REFEREES AND RUGBY UNION. CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. A WARM MEETING. Tor three and a half hours on Monday evening the Tarnnakl Rugby Referees' Association (Northern Division) discussed, at their meeting room in Now Plymouth, what steps should be taken to compel the Taranaki Rugby Union to secure redress for grievances which the referees consider they are suffering. Tho decision finally arrived at was that unless a conference is held between the executive of the union and members of the association on or before Monday, August 11, no more referees will bo appointed to take matches this seaBon. A proposal not to nppolnt any more referees until a conference had been held was not proceeded with for the sake of the clubs; which would have found It very difficult to arrange for referees for the matches this week. Mr. G. Hopkins presided, and the following members were present: Messrs. T. Petty, .T. H. Thompson, H. A. Nuttali, L. Humphries, F. Roberts, I>. George, F. Hooker, W. Roch, D. Johnson; B. Fetty and V. O. West (secretary). COMPLAINT ABOUT A LETTER. The socretary reported having written to the secretary of the Stratford Club, drawing attention to the fact that he had not paid the expenses of two referees who had taken three matches at Stratford, whereas tho rules provided that a referee should bo paid on tie ground. In a reply dated August 1, the secretary of the Stratford Club said he had misunderstood the position and expected to receive a memorandum of the amount due. Tho letter continued: "In the third case, I was so disgusted with the impartial ("partial?") and Incompetent manner in which, both In the spectators' and my opinion, the referee gave his decisions,. that I walked off the field in anything but tho best of humours, and certainly had no room for thought of the man's expenses. No doubt you have experienced the same trials In your time and will understand my feelings for those moments." Mr. Nuttali said he was tho referee spoken of, and the letter contained a deliberate falsehood. Before the match commenced lie asked the writer of the letter for his expenses, Mr Thompson being with liim at the time. The miter was disgusted, no .doubt, because the speaker had cautioned him and threatened to put him off the field. The chairman said ho did not question Mr Nuttall's impartiality, but if tKe writer of the letter had had any such cdsjplalnt to mako ho should havo referred the flatter to the association and not mixed it up with the matter of expenses. Continuing, yr. Hopkins said that after examining books on football dating from 1888 to the present time ho could not find any placo where a referee had any means of getting redress from a club or any individual frequenting a football ground. INEQUALITY OF SENTENCE. The chairman instanced a grievance the referees had In connection with a recent decision of the executive of the Rugby Union A senior player—a man old enough to know better—had been reported to the Union by an accredited referee for using obscene language to that referee at Stratford, and ho was ordered to stand down for one month. A Maori boy, not old enough to fully realise what it meant if he mode a slip, was put down for the remainder of the season for using obscene languago to one of his mates at Waltara. Then take, for Instance, the mattor of Mr. Thompson at Eltham; tho association had no redress. (The association took up the Stand that Bunn, the player who struck Mr. Thompson, should be disqualified for life, whereas it did not appear the Rugby Union had adopted this course, though their decision had not yet been officially announced.) Mr. Nuttali: You can stand on your "dig " can't you? The choirman: And throw the sponge overboard? Yes; that's tho only thing. Mr. Nuttali: Well; It has got to come sooner or later. Either go on and be insulted or throw the matter overboard. Mr. George suggested arranging a meeting with the Rugby Union and talking the matter over with them. • The chairman said that for years the referees had endeavoured to get direct representation on the Rugby Union. They had not succeeded yet, but he believed that If they went'to work in the right manner they would have it next season. REFEREE AND UNION. Mr. Nuttali said that he received a letter asking him to meet the Rugby Union at 2 o clock at Eltham last Thursday (July 311 in connection with his reporting of C. Klveli and a spectator (whom he thought was E. Klveli), for using obscene language. He rapped at the door of the meeting room at 2 0 clock and told Mr. Harkneas, who opened it that ho would he outside the door when required. After he had waited for an hour and twenty minutes, Mr. McLeod came out and the speaker learned that the meeting had been dealing with the matter and had adjourned. Mr Nuttali produced a report of the proceedings which appeared In the Eltham Argus, and read it aloud. Ho pointed out that one member of the executive had remarked that to disqualify C. ICivell for a month would not debar him from faking part in any playoff that might eventuate. Mr. Harkness had remarked that it was not E. Klveli who used the bad language on the line, but he (Mr. Harkness) did not see any reason to tell Mr. Iwittall who was the spectator who used the language. "Wasn't that a fine tiling for a member, of the Rugby Union to, say?" Mr. Nuttali asked. He drew attention to another part of the report which stated that Mr Masters expressed the opinion that the whole trouble was due to the incompetency of the referee. Was Mr. Masters able to say whether a referee feta capable or not? He reminded those present that a referee was first proposod to the association and then put through a severe cross examination, and if he proved sotisfactoTy in that his name was forwarded to the Rugby Union, who approved of him as a referee before he was appointed to any matches. Continuing, Mr. Nuttali asked If the meeting would not be astounded if he told them that within five minutes of the commencement of the game at Stratford Mr Harkness, a member of tho Rugby Union, walked up to the Eltham secretary and said: "What sort of a referee have you brought down with you?" This was said within the hearing of other spectators, who took up tho attitude that If a member of the Union could say such things they could also do so Mr Nuttali complained that the Rugbv Union was run by four men- who were not out for the I benefit of football generally, but for tbe interests of the Stratford Club. "You are going to kill football and introduce Northern League inttf Taranaki next season if something is not done," Mr. Nuttali averred. RESOLUTIONS PROPOSED. After some discussion, Mr. Nuttali, who said his Idea was to bring the Rugby Union up to the snatch Immediately, moved: "That this association refuse to - appoint any more referees as a protest against the action of tho Union In various matters." Mr. Humphries seconded. Mr. Thompson, who did not want the duns to suffer, moved, as an amendment: "That the Union be asked to have a conference with the association on or before August 13, failing which the association refuses to' take Any more matches this season." The amendment was seconded, and during Discussion, Mr. Thompson complained of the way in which lie was treated by the Rugby Union at tho meeting last Thursday. He was Invited to be present, but was asked for no statement, and Bunn was allowed to make all sorts of statements before he (the speaker) liad said a word about the matter, Then without any report from him, tbe Union proceeded to make their decision regarding Bunn The amendment was lost by five votes to four, and Mr. Nuttall's motion was carried on the casting vote of the chairman, the voting being four each way. The chairman of the Rugby Union (Mr J McLeod) was then communicated with and came to the meeting. The action taken was explained to him. Afler an informal talk la which Mr. McLeod urged the referees not to penalise tho players Instead of the union Sir. McLeod undertook to call a conference for Thursday evening next at Stratford, if It were possible for the members of the Union to attend on that evening. With this understanding the resolution previously carried was rescinded. Mr. Thompson then moved his provlous amendment as a resolution, and it was carried, with the alteration of the date to August 11, Instead of August 33th. GRIEVANCES OF REFEREES. The referees then drew up a list of tho grievances which required to be ventilated at the conference. The headings were:— The treatment of the Stratford and Waltara offenders j The letter from the Stratford secretary 1 Tho conduct of Mi, w

The reception of Messrs. Thompson and Nuttall at Eltham on July 31. - r failure u pay expenses of referee at North v. Central test match at Stratford.

Failure of local committees to keep sidelines clear. The statement of Mr, Matters of the referee being incompetent, as reported in the Argus. That all Rugby Union executive meetings should be open to the press. THURSDAY MATCHES. In the match against TuKapa to-morrow, Stratford will be represented by Masters, Carlson, Rich, Butcher, Carlson, McCuliough. Thompson, Fryday, Berg, Kiveii (2), Rogers, Coutts, Cameron, and Fenwick. The following team has been picked to represent Stratford against Eltham in the second Junior match :~8. Collins, D. Anderson, W. Forrest, H. Aualad, L. Berg (captain), A. Therkleson, M. Henry, W. Berg, W. Clifton, V. Grant, R. Mundy, Chard, J. Terry, G. Dtiddlng, J. Henry. Emergencies, McDonald, Clemow. Arrangements have been made for conveyance to leave Post Office at 2.15 p.m. The following will represent Star First Juniors in their match against Hlch School on the Racecourse, to-morrow, at 3 p.m.: Petch, Falwassor, Casey, Ruru, George, Har- | vey, ClilT, Sims, Deane, Kettlewell, Adams, Johnston, Lowry, Owens, and Courtney. Emergencies, Roberts, Tito,'and Tunbridge. The Taranakl Rugby Union disqualified for the rest of the season the Maori (Kepa) for using obscene language. The pakeha (C. Kiveii) for the same ofTence, was disqualified for a month, and it was pointed out that he "would not be debarred from participating in any play-offs that would probably occur." This fish of one, and flesh of another policy is not creditable to the Union. It Is satisfactory to note that the President of the Union had a higher sense of justice and fair pity, and would have treated Maori and pakeha alike, says the Eltham Argus.