LANCASTER PARK.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18095, 10 June 1924, Page 7

LANCASTER PARK.

JUGBY HAGUE'S APPLICATION CONSIDERED. REFUSED. between the Canterbury la .... Canterbury W» reague over the use of LanB park on June 18th for the f" game between Canterbury and ?'flaabined Australian Universities d on August 16th for the game the English team was brought be-1 1 Lancaster .Park Board of Confor ® J meeting held last night, i , deputation representing League waited on the Board. The comprised Dr. H. T. J. Jtr and Messrs H. T. Armstrong, T? A-Williams, W. S. E. Moyle, l/'v I JlcKeon. prior to the deputation's arrival, the «ndence between the League and ""Srf ,»d tie Car.terb.rj- Hr. e by *■: a" of "hid. l.as *!! the letter from ti.e Rugby '"l;1'il- * • „ the Board that it had degrant the Le» s ue the r.se of the ground. Other Bodies Invited. a- airman, Mr A. Dey, stated X understood that the C'antertliat ! League had written to bar }' f i oca l bodies requesting them to . T ;nt representatives to accompany ' "TOrne deputation, "'hen it waited Board. The question was, upon tb© i> tJie repre sentatives oi outside bodies should be allowed Simpson: Don't put any limit deputation at all. ' Vf»V D. Ward: Its scope should be as'possible. It wont do any b fr C. S. McCully: What if there are 25 members of the deputation? Will Zviil he allowed to speak? n ,ya 6 decided to allow the representees of the various bodies who accompanied the deputation to address %£ rd the deputation arrived Mr TW explained that the position of the EfS regulated by the Victory 5k Act of 1919- -In Clause 3 of this -IS it was set down that the grounds to be available for all time for the following purposes:—<a.) Cricket plaved miftet tne control or with the sanction of'the-committee for the time being of ttifl Canterbury Cricket Association; fbvkugby football played under the joatM or with the sanction of the committee for the time being of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union; and fcVSnch other sports, - exhibitions, tsnmwments and entertainments as the Board of Trustees constituted as hereinafter set forth may from time to time deem expedient." Continuing, Mr Dey said that when th® League's application for the ground Jiitl been received by it, such applicafca had, of necessity, been forward- ; orf to the Canterbury Rugby Union, . which according to Clause B. had power S tf4enl with it. The Rugby Union had wplfcd stating that the application hau declined. the Act tn© i Board had no other course available than the onp which it had adopted. It fared to him that the deputation pome to the wrong body with their Jfcst. t. H. T. J. Thaclcer: Does not the ptate that the Park is vyler the of the Board of control? Dey:. Yes, with the provisions jfecntioned in Clauses a, b, c. The League's Case. ® Mr A. Williams, on behalf of the deputation, stated that it was desired to 'jatae the facts before the Board. The *Fkk was not engaged on Wednesday, June 18th, and as a ijiatcli was contemplated with the Combined Australia Universities' team for that date, th& deputation wished to see if it were Swsible if the use of the Park could If Secured for th£ evasion. They were to advance the intersport, he said, and did not wish to Bee any estrangements between the in the city. With thai point in view it had ben decided , to-approach the 80.11x1 and see if it. Tould be possible to have the decision lading tho use of the Park altered. Mt sure th,at when all the facts of :tlMh case were considered, the Boaru Wflld favourably regard the application; It was not so much from the point of view that the tMUesi; had been made, but more from Jj&fact that (visitors were coming to Cwistchurch from the Commonwealth, and out of courtesy to these visitors froflf another British Dominion and in the. ; -intelroßts of sport itself, he felt that the use of the Park should w granted—especially seeing that the Canterbury Rugby tnion were not rafiag it on'that occasion. .mnH, T. J. XfiacKer, president of '"'♦Jj 8 Canterbury Rugby League, stated '' he bad been instrumental in hav;.Jsß ;the Victory Park Act passed JjwtnigJi Parliament, and it had gone though a& impressed by those who interested in the matter. 'Hie debatable point in the whole quesj!on, was Clause b, of Section ILL. of tie Act. The League, knew, he said, wwt-the Park was fully occupied, but *uhed to appeal for its use on these wU? 81 occafi ' ons > and liad approach's the Board as the supreme authority 00 the matter. He pointed out the Popularity of the Northern Union in England, and stated that B numerous occasions in the United ™ogttom tho Northern Union authon- •*» tad given the Rugby code tho full , ffcH' r B ro,Ul,( is. The same j occurred in Sydney, and in Auckleague and Rugby games pi&yed on the Domain on alter|?«6 onUirdays. The League wished to ] 'inendly, and he thought that as , an d gallops liad been recon- ] under the one term, "racing," so and League should be reconciled £?« tho heading of "football." If game were played on the j* on Wednesday week it would not ,® 8 1,0 und, because League mS' l n P la y ed there before, and it ■"SiL®^ 0 played on the Show 4.1. . no k wish them to afe, Marist crisis btoauso that now closed. The League the use of the Park. It had Sat a l ) l >aicn t that League must tbWli °f its own in Christ'ftiiTwr nDar and when there would bo no ra ¥r 111 ,g rantln B its use to %e y i' it were required. fctoL did not aim. to wiixs the new"? tho map. It oould ' There would probablv f an t °, t,her appeal by the League ® i? r use of the Park. Ho fctiiff c °nsider the appli- ' 111 the light of reason. Far-Reaching Effects. .(ItoufeK" E> Moyle stated that the leftist th W T tlle . l{u K ,j y Union ' I Jj ea S u , e tho I!Se of the ]. .i3ia -RoarS f ?. thought that they, as 'lttst .. .°f Control, would have the % if-;'" t! ' e matter. The Austramen wer e good OT \ an y ground, 'and ' " , lts use lle bought ' ivWrfune S? r h .a ve a very farV cfc, „ hen the Home team 'Mf h&rt i, U " a j and and found that en refused the use of the

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Park they would report the matter when they returned to the United Kingdom. This would be about the time when the All Black te-iizn arrived there, and it would be a pity if they were refused the use of the best grounds there on account of the happening in the Dominion. He thought that if the Board recommended to the Rugby Union that they should reconsider the application it would havo the desired effect. If they did this the' deputation would have secured the favoar which it desired. "I feel sure," he said, !'that if a recommendation from this Board were made to the llugby Union it would havo a good efEect, and if you do, we shall feel grateful." Mr H., To Armstrong, MP., stated that the Canterbury M.'P.'s Association, which he represented, had adopted a strictly non-partisan attitude. lie read a letter from Mr J>. G. Sullivan, „YL. L l ., secretary of the Association, iti which it was stated that it was hoped the Canterbury llugby Union would see their tfay clear to let the League gamo be played on the Park It was also hoped, the letter stated, "that the day would not be far distant when the old and new codes would be joined in the holy bonds of matrimony." (Laughter.) He knew that ail those win) played football could not play on Lancaster Park, continued Mr Armstrong, but he hoped that on this occasion the Board would see its way clear to grant the use of the area. Mr A. E. McPhail: Would it not be more to the point if the deputation waited on the llugby Union? Mr Moylo: It was our place to approach the Board. The Canterbury llugby Union are only the lessees for the time being. However, if tiicy hold a meeting to-morrow ni&ht and give us an opportunity to appear betorc them, wo shall be only too pleased to give them our views. « The deputation then retired. The Matter Discussed. The chairman stated that the whole position hinged on Section F of Clause Hof the Act. The application had been referred to the Canterbury llugby Union and had been declined. Mr McPhail: The deputation did not demand anything. It only suggested that we should again refer the matter to the Union for further consideration. If we do that it will not coerce the Union in any way. Mr W. 11. Patrick: What would happen if we granted the League the use of the ground over the Union's head? The chairman: Wo couldn't do it. Mr Patrick: Then we are only wasting time discussing the matter. Mr C. S. McCully: We could ask the Union to reconsider it. Mr Patrick: We haven't the right to do that. It was finally decided, on the motion of Mr 11 B. Ward, seconded by Mr iatrick, that: "In the opinion of this Board, it has no power under the Act to let the ground for Rugby football without the consent of the Canterbury Hug oy lootball Union, and therefore co "' d . not make any recommendation." mously motloa waa carried unani-