PUBLIC SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17740, 17 April 1923, Page 10

PUBLIC SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL.

——- 1 • marist entries not accepted. a meeting of the Council of the Pubi- ci rtic* Association was held je.'^fcon^twonpplieutio,,.™,,, the linri.t Brothers' School to l>lty »' tho schools' football competition. One competition and the other of the lightweight competition. Mr P. Menzies 1)1 following letter from the Canterbury Rugby Union in conr-exioji with tb Jon with "the application by MaSsta School to enter tenind, in you Association's Rugby competitions, 1 1-avo boen directed by the executive! lesaoctfully to ask that your Association frv'ourably consider the admission ot the Warns for a further pen,d of a. year or two, in order to give the Umon »iifhcient time to organise a competition which would provide football for tliesas well as all other schoolboys. ihe Union is looking to your Association tor assistance in the manner indicated, otherwise we are going to experience considerable difficulty in arranging a competition this season at such a iate chairman said that, in. view of' the previous decision arrived at by the Association in respect of the master, he oould not see how the meeting could consider the applications. The Association had decided that such applications did not come under the* heading of publio schools. ' The question was raised as to whether the matter should be dealt with openly or in committee, a member at tliei back of the room stating that, as there was nothing to hide, the matter should! be discussed 1 in open, meeting. _ It was decided to d©al with "tho ftpplication in open meeting Mr W. M. West expres-ed the opinion that the request of the llugby Union should be acceded to. It would, he said, be a~ gracious act to allow the ILarists School to compete this year, especially as such a course would save a lot of trouble. It would not mean any loss of dignity to the Association. He moved that the Marista Brothers' School should be allowed to play in the, Public Schools' Competition for this year only. The chairman said that the whole matter touched on in the motion,had been dealt with before, and been decided against. Mr W. D. Kirkpatrick seconded the motion. *• The chairman: The' Council is here to carry out the wishes of the Association only. If they Bay the competition is to be confined to public schools, I cannot see how you can go back''on them now. Mr West wanted to know why the competitions had been allowed to proceed for so long without the exclusion of Ohurch schools. A member asked if the meeting was in order in going on with the discussion. Was it not a matter that Bhould be dealt with by the Association? The chairman: <r We cannot go against them. We are, here to carry out their wishes. If we don't, we should resign." All that the Council could do, he said, was to say that, according to the regulations, all the' competitions should only be open to public schools;therefore, the present applications, could not be accepted. • Mr West said the suggestion seemed too drastic. It would be a gracious act, he reiterated, to let Marists. in the competition this year. The chairman stated that the resolution arrived at at a general meeting could not be altered, v Otherwise what would be the use of a general' meeting passing resolutions? A member: But they.can make mistakes. .The chairman replied that two general meetings had been held in connexion with the matter. • ' The member: But these applications were not before them. The chairman: "That makes no difference." The motion passed at the first meeting had been reaffirmed at . a subsequent meeting. He was afiaid that the Council was unable to do anything further. Mr V. J. Gamble moved that a reply be sent Marists stating that, as the Association had resolved that, owing to its decision to the effect' that all competitions should be confined,-to public schools, the entries from Marists could not be accepted. _ ■ ■■■' This was seconded by Mr Kirkpatrick, and on being put to the meeting, was carried. ( ®. / < _ Mr H. North referred to certain 'statements that had been made ir connexion with the Association's atti- ' tude. It had been stated, he said, that 80 per cent, of the public were behind the Maristsj in their application. Ho felt sure, however, that if the full facts of the case were made 'known, 80 per cent, of the public would be behind the Association. It had been stated, too, that the Eugby Union had handed .over the -control of the Bch'ool competitions to the School Association;,but the fact was that the Union never had control. He moved that a full'report should be made-* of the whole matter. • ' •

Tho chairman: It has gone far enough. The public know all about it; Mr North said that the public did not know the whole facts. However, he would' not mind the motion lapsing.