ORDER OBEYED.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18604, 1 February 1926, Page 6

ORDER OBEYED.

Rugby league split. SECRETARY'S RESIGNATION ACCEPTED UNDER PROTEST. Reluctantly, and only after a discussion lasting over three hours, the Canterbury Rugby League, at a special meeting held on Saturday evening, decided to cariv out the instruction of the New Zealand Council to accept the resignation of the secretary, Mr "\V. S. E. Movie. "While obeying this order from the. supreme authority in the Dominion, it expressed full confidence in Mr Moyle's integrity and ability, and carried drastic resolutions with reference to the personnel of the Board of Control of Monica Park.

Mr E. Healey, a. past president ct the Canterbury League and vice-presi-dent of the Council, who endeavoured, at the special conference in Wellington on January 23rcl to state the - case lor Mr Movie, made an impassioned speecii in the latter's defence. If there is any support for the Council's action, it was not given expression to at the meeting. Speaker after speaker said that the. League's secretarv had been condemned without trial.

Those present were Messrs T. Kirton, E. Healey, A. Russell, R. Watt, J. Childs, (!. MoEwin, J. Pattison, J. Chick, F. Winter, C. B. Hardingliani, J. Lyness, F. Smyth, J. Kettle, W. Healev, C. Tilleysliort, T. Carpenter, and W. S. E. Moyle (secretary). All of the clubs were represented, and Mr T. Kirton occupied the chair. The split between the League and the Board of Control was early in evidence. The latter body has control of the iiuances. When several accounts were tabled Mr W. Healey said: "I move that these accounts "lie sent to the New Zealand Council for payment. The chairman: I cannot'accept that motion, Mr Healey. A resolution was then carried, passing the accounts. Letter from the Council. The chairman read the following letter .received irom the New Zealand Council:— "At a special meeting of the New Zealand llugby League, held at Wellington oil January 23rd, tho question of the present position of your League and the Board of Control iva.s t'uljy cussed, and tlio decision arrived at by a large majority of delegates present ivas that the action of the Council in legard to the resignation of your secretary be confirmed. The Council thereloie icquests you to obtain the Q On T J? 111 ' league's secretary, Mr*W |S. 111. Moyle, and to ensure that all books or documents pertaining to your League be handed to yon forthwith. Kindly see that this matter is attended to immediately.

Assassinated the League. Mr E. Healey said tlie New Zealand Council had assassinated tlie Canterbury League. It was accusing them of not acting straightforwardly. Statements had been made that the speaker had not < acted squarely, but he asked them tj judge of these after they had heard him. Mr Healey then reported on the special meeting of the Council, and the election of managers for the tour Dealing with the demand by the Council for the resignation of Mr Moyle, he stated that after other business had been dealt with, the president, Mr J. Carlaw, said they had a disagreeable duty to perform in dealing with the secretary of the Canterbury League. Mr Healey said he asked for the evidence upon which the Council had taken its action. Mr C&rlaw said Jie had submitted a verbal report, on returning to Auckland, on the differences between the Canterbury League and the Board of Control. The speaker had asked for a special sitting of the conforenco to file Mr Moyle's defence, but this was refused. He had then asked that Mr Moylo be allowed to- attend the next meeting of the Council at Auckland, but this also was denied him. With one dissentient, the conference had then carried a Resolution confirming the Council's action. The secretary had beeu tried, not on written facts, but on hearsay and a good deal of heresy. Canterbury's delegate at Auckland, Mr Rhodes, had come to the same conclusion as the others that the Board of"Control was of more value to League football than was their secretary. Mr Kliodes had done what he thought best. After the conference had carried the resolution, Mr E. L. McKeon had endeavoured to get a resolution through, appointing Mr Carpenter secretary of the Canterbury League pro tem. Mr Carpenter said he had had nothing to do with Mr McKeon's action. A Threat to leave. Mr Healey said the delegates - had refused to swallow Mr McKeon's resolution. The speaker had picked up his bag and told the chairman that if the resolution was put he would leave the meeting. He then proceeded to review the relationship of the .Board to the League. Before the conference had concluded, Mr McKeon had made reference to the sectarian influences which had been introduced into the Canterbury League, and the set that had been made against the Marist Club, which had done so much for the game. Mr McKeon had made a good point. The speaker had found his ground, when Mr McKeon'had said at a Marist dinner that the Canterbury League should be grateful to the Marists for coming over, not only in their numbers, but with their finance. The chairman said that he felt it very hard to be in the position of having to ask Mr Moyle to hand over the books and documents. He had been in the game since its inception, but he now felt that all his work for the code had gone. In the last two years people had come forward and attacked the roots of the tree. The Board had forced the Council to take the action it did. Members of the Board had had Mr Moyle "set" from the time they came into the game. Threats had been made that their secretary would be arrested, and they would be liable as accessories. Stuff which was absolutely rotten had been served up to them. He did not want the executive to go out, as others who were waiting would step into their places. One of the members of the Board had said that Messrs Healey and Moyle had to go. No man had done more for the eode in Canterbury than Mr Moyle. He had come out when supporters of the game were treated worso than negroes in America. jfr Chick said they should still refuse to accept Mr Moyle's resignation. "Been Kicked Out." Mr W". Healey said that the men who had caused the"trouble were those who had been in tlie game, but had been kicked out. before they accepted Mr Moyle's resignation" they should aslc tlie Board of Control to get rid of Messrs llcKeon and Hooper. These men baa misled the other members. Tlie chairman said that the League had always acted above-board. Messrs Hicks and Ainger, public auditors, had certified that the League's books were in order. Mr Moyle had been accused of submitting a "crook" balance-sheet, to which a forged signature was attached, but he could assure them that everything was in order. The speaker had been accused of shuffling, and of ■ being weak-kneed over the ccorrespondence from the Council. Dr.: Thacker

had wanted to bring in the matter of the secretary's resignation at the conference between the League and the Board, when persons without, any authority to vote, might- have settled the question. The chairman said that he told Mr Movie that lie could not go out until lie could go out clean. Mr Moyle's Letter. He then read the letter from Mr Movie resigning the position' of secretary. The letter read as follows: ''ln compliance with the request of the New Zealand Rugby League Council. I herewith forward my resignation to you as the secretary of the local Centre. In this action 1 have no hesitation in stating that the ultimatum from the New Zealand League is probably without precedent in the sporting pastimes of this Dominion, and their decision is the outcome of the spiteful and untruthful opinions, and the extremist actions taken by the Monica Park Board of Control, and principally the methods adopted by E. L. McKeon. E. A. Hooper, F. Smyth, and C. Hardingham, and others who. under the protection of the meetings of the executive allowing one or the other to be present, have worked in the interests of a cer-' tain section to obtain control of the management of the code in Christchurch. 'lbis is borne out by reason of the fact that there are other members of the committee whose absence from the executive would be welcomed by the section alluded to. who gave Mr J. Carlaw their views with the cue intention. I trust that you will all carry on the good work of the code which I claim to have assisted in building tip from its inception, and J. shall be willing to give assistance to you on certain conditions, viz.: that E. L. McKeon and E. A. Hooper are dealt with as per the resolution passed by the Sydenham Club iu October Inst, and endorsed at the meeting of the executive on October 14th, and that Messrs F. Smyth and C. Hardingliani are not members of any future management committee. I am quite prepared to substantiate what 1 have stated, and for the future of the code and the hundreds of line players, and the youths supporting the game, my opinions are that you should all carry on the administration for the henefit of the players. The New Zealand Council should furnish you with a reply to the correspondence asking for their reason for demanding the resignation of the local secretary. I wish the code, players, clubs, and officials the success that the game so deserves when fieed from extremists, and thank the executive, and the majority of the officials, and players, for the wonderful support that they have given to me for the past fourteen years." "Resign as a Body." Mr W. Healey moved that the resignation of Mr Moyle bo not accepted, and that the executive resign as a body as a protest against the action of the Council in being influenced by an irresponsible organisation. He said that League, enthusiasts throughout New Zealand had been systematically poisoned against Mr Moyle. "Let tho Board of Control have Monica Park," ho said, "and wo shall come up stniling. We can do without Monica Park, and the game will prosper just tho same. Tho clubs own Monica Park, through tho work they had put into the raising of funds." Mr Healey's motion was not seconded. ■

Other speakers considered that the Council should reopen the matter. Mr W. Healey said that he lia<J a telegram in his pocket, advising that this was impossible. Messrs Kettle and Childs then moved that Mr Moyle's resignation be not accepted. Mr Moyle advised them to accept his resignation, in the interests of the younger players. He wanted to see the game go on. They had had traitors in the- camp "all last season, and the. League's affairs needed cleaning up. After hearing the secretary. Mr Kettle withdrew his motion. ,

Messrs Chick and Tilleyshort said they should not dismiss an officer with whom they could find no fault. The former moved and the latter seconded a resolution that no action be taken, and the letter lie. on the table. This motion was apparently not accepted by the chairman. " Mr E. Healey moved: That' this meeting of the delegates of the clubs affiliated to the Canterbury Rugby League, regret that the secretary has resigned owing to the action of the New Zealand Council, through the defamatory reports of persons in Christchurch who desire the secretary's removal for their own purposes. 1 The executive has full confidence in_ the secretary, does not desire his resignation, and is quite satisfied of his abilities, and that the whole of the books are in order, as disclosed by the report of the public auditors. Mr Russell seconded the resolution, which was? carried unanimously, although all the delegates did not vote. Mr S. Richardson, of the Aldington Club, was then elected secretary. On the motion of Messrs W. Healey and Kettle, it was decided to record in the minutes appreciation of Mr Moyle's services to the code. Board Members Disqualified. With' one dissentient it was decided to endorse the action- of the executive in support of the letter from the Sydenham Club on October 13th, regarding Messrs E. L. McKeon and E. A. Hooper, and that they he disqualified for ever, and their names removed from all records of the local Centre. In reply to Mr Carpenter, the chairman said that the disqualification must be endorsed by the Council. Voices: They won't do that. It was decided to nsk Mr McKeon to resign the position of treasurer of the Board of Control, and it was also decided to hand back to the donor the McKeon Cup.