FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 195, 12 May 1908, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

REFEREES' ASSOCIATION. The weekly meeting of tho Referees' Association was held last night, Mr. F. Laws presiding. _It was agreed to remind tho Rugby Union that several grounds -jvero not pro-, pcrl.v marked out last Saturday. Several CI libs, intimated their acceptance' of the Association's offer to send representatives to their gymnasiums to answer questions on the laws of the game.' ' ' The referee in the recent match between Artillery and Bakers wrote stating that thero was not tho slightest foundation for tlio report that..bad language was' used cither by players or spectators. It was do-, cidcd that the communication bo received. Tho complaints of the Rugby .- Union. in connection with tho non-attendance 'of referees at a' third and a fifth-class match' recently were considered. In one instance it was' explained that the member who -'hadbeen appointed-to officiate: had been, required by his employers to work at .the, last moment, and could not make tlio arrangements for thp;scrvi9es of a substitute being obtained, and'in tlio' other, instance that tho. member selected to take tho match had been ' under the impression ..that, in consequence of his intimation that ho might' not bo able .to officiate, the, vacancy had been filled. It' was rosolved that the secretary write an; explanatory letter to the Itugby Union, and express regret that, occasion for complaint had arisen. : Tlio ltugby Union wrote stating that it: had decided not to supply a copy of tlio evidence taken at the inquiry in convection' with tho ordering off of a Wellington and a -St. James player on April 25. Mr. Lusk said' that tlio object of tho Association in making tho application was chiefly to enter a protest against the penalty imposed. No previous instance liacl' occurred where' both' the referee and tho players, who gavo"-dif-~ forent versions of what happened, had been supported. Ho moved that a deputation, '■ consisting of three members, bo, appointed to wait on the' Union with a view of obtaining a definition of a referee's position should a similar incident arise in a future match, llr. T. H. Jones seconded the motion. Mr. Quinn was of opinion that tho referee in the match .had been treated .with',contempt. Tho Association should.not. permit its members to attend meetings of the Union. After tho roforee in : question, had been callcd, tho players were allowed to give evidence. Mr. E. 'C!. Atkinson thought that tlio question as to what punishment should be inflicted in airefecs wliero offences were alleged should ■ be "!def-ermin«l by tlio . Appointment'''Eoar'd.'Mr. Burn's (who is also ii member of tho UnionV--'said that it was far from the.Uiiion's intention to slight tho refereo in question, llr.. F..-Laws .was of opinion that soma oftlio members of tlio 'Management Cqmroitt'eo' of tho Union were, .very capable;' .others' should not be thero at,all.' In tho nresent instance, tho referee had no doubt, whatever but that an offence had been committed: Ono member of tho Management Committee of the Union had stated that tlir> Association always liked to see exemplary sentences imposed. In reply, lie might state that all tho members desired was that tho punishment in each caso should be: adequate. The motion was carried, and Messrs. Laws; Siovors, and Lusk wero , appointed membersof tho deputation.