"IN THE MUD."

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14854, 20 December 1913, Page 8

"IN THE MUD."

SWIMMERS AT LOGGERHEADS

. REPRESENTATION ON NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL. The rules of the New Zealand Swimming Association provide that no person may act on both Centre Committee and New Zealand Council at the same time. This rule led to a controversy at the last meeting, the annual, of tho New Zealand Swimming Association, tho chairman (Mr George Harris) refusing to accept two delegates, Mr GRich (South Canterbury) and Mr J. F. Atkins (Wellington), on the ground that they were members of the Canterbury and Wellington centrea.

U last night's meeting of the Council, -Mr Ricn handed in the Opawa L'luo s acceptance ot his resignation as the.r ae.egato on the Canterbury Swimming Centre. li.c Cnainnan stated that at tho last meeting, the annual meeting of the Council, it had fallen to his unfortunate lot, prior to the election of officers, to decide -** point of law in connexion with the appointment of Mr Rich as delegate for South Canterbury, which might have, he thought, affected him peisonally. He knew it had not as tar as Mr Rich was concerned. He knew Mr Rich would not do anything like that, but he had been informed, and might have been led to believe, that thero was a movement on foot to upset the constitution of the New Zealand Swimming Association. It did not worry him much, but he was very glad, after he had acted, as chairman of tho Association, against Mr Rich, that Mr Rich did exactly what he did do, and ho (Mr Harris) felt quite sure they would all agree with him when he considered Mr Rich had done tho right thing. "V*. hen I ruled that ho was to leave the room," declared Mr Harris, he went out, and said not a word afterwards. It is a very difficult position to bo in, not what ono would like to bo in, to have to give decisions opposed to individual members of the Council, but as lone as 1 am sitting in this chair 1 will them."

Mr J. F. Parsonson said it was ho who had raised the point because he could not see how. under the rule, Mr Rich could hold a seat on the Council and the Canterbury Swimming Association at the same time.

The Chairman: You did quite right. Mr H. S. Williams said ho was ono of the committee who drew up the nil., in question. The intention was to prevent a man holding a seat on tho Council and on a Centre. The same rule was in force in the New Zealaud Hockey and Athletic Associations.

Mr Williams moved that the appointment of Mr Rich as delegate for South Canterbury be approved. The Chairman said he was very glad the motion had been moved. At the last meeting of tho Council, though Mr Rich had not been eligible to sit as a member, he had been elected to several committees subject to his being appointed to the Council, and he felt sure Mr Rich would understand that there was a feeling of sympathy with him by tho members of the Council in his position. Mr Rich's appointment was approved. Considerable discussion then ensued on the appointment of Mr J. F. Atkins as the delegate to the Council of the Wellington Centre, but Mr Atkins pointed out that at tho time of his appointment he was not a member of the Wellington Centre. A motion:—"That no councillor occupy a seat on any Centre other than the Centre he represents on the Association," was lost by o votes to 4.

Subsequently Mr Atkins and Mt Rich raised the point that the annual meeting of the Council on December 2nd was null and void, and consequently should be held again.

The Chairman said if Mr Atkins contended this, ho should give way to tho' previous Wellington delegate. After some further discussion, tho chairman said they must be reasonable. Let them'stop all this haggling and silly nonsense. "Don't drag the Association into the mud," he implored them. Ho pointed ont that they were only providing newspaper copy. The matter then dropped.