PARTED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 6

PARTED.

~ CONTROL OF AMATEUR ATHLETICS. UNHAPPY POSITION OF'THE COUNCIC, % EXACTLY WHY OTAGO'-SECEDEd! ' ■ Why did the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association transfer its allegiance.from the "council" at Chrietchurch to the "executive" at 'Wellington?., This important ques tionrecently formed'the subject of interesting correspondence between Mr. W. G. Atack,- president of the "council,".'arid Mr. J. B. Callan, president of ihe,Otago Centre. . ' '. ', Plea,'for Reconciliation. '■- '•; •Writing to Mir. Callan,,under,, date January 15; Mr. Atack, said that, at the/conference held in Christchurch it was announced that-no personal feeling.against the ."■'council" , had produced the complication. Taking that as a definite expression. of opinion, -.ihen , .there must have been some otherreason for. the'nomination of 'a council consisting 'entirely , : ! of Wellington residents. His action \jn regard'to" those nominations, d(d 'not come, into' the question!-.as' it was subsequent to: the, nominations having been forwarded. -The question'then' arose,as'.to .why it .was:thought necessaTj'to nominate-Welling-ton- residents: for-positions- on- the council. The only conclusion that could beaccepted as holding., good was that 'they• were made ! owirig to a feeling that, through some- action- of theirs '■ the members of the council', had lost the confidence of some sections of -the'association..-He had ;been able to' show • Mr.. Sanderson, a- vicepresident of the Dunediri, Centre,.': that the opinions held-m'Dunediri on" the matters he nao ventilated r were .entirely..erroneous. ~.■-, ■~ , '^Distorted: Out All, Recognition. "'] ,-; .Propeeding,^Mr.. ; . Atack mistakes.have been mad6.l.am;.fnUy, prepared;to admit,'but that .the council. at fault in the. .specific-cases -brought i-fbrward will not member of'the-Otago Centre, and. held- the views that.werei eftid'-to be generally accepted, inDunedin, I haye;.no hesitation t n S ?P¥ % at : I, should iave 'strenuously fought for-.the -removal,of,:,the 'Headquarters ,aj the. proper .means, of .showing'my distrust of the council.; There could'.be no-otLr S fe^^o^l^^ mg desirous. : of forcing itself.,upon .thecentre :Mr...Sanderson expressed, himself..as" beinT ? coni vmced. that .the .councilV- actions, -had £ .misunderstood, andagreed; toplace Ithe posS .before .tte..cen^re;on N " ; { .y_, Council v : Was; Condemnedi'Unheard. ■: -V^

that the .present-position was .most deplbraW to,injure the.iamateu/Sde * sport, as .well; as; weaken -the prestiee of the." ; firm;. corivscti^.,fa^ : ttoi settjement ..was- capabk;.of.,.accomplishinent it, .those est.admission; of- and^.aot-accordingly;: Mr. |fefp^a^:^fsia^ :

i> ■¥ VThe Sum' fotaf:of, the Disputed■ '■ ; ' :: ■ffl-s:s%aisis!g'£a^. mmm jcouncil,'; we owe you no alle-

';': % Quite a Proposition; ,: ■'' the;yiew of the matter taken bv Mr. Atack and been offered-of the nomination''of /Wellinir&m residents for positions' on the: council, S that the gentlemen/that recently composed ithe tpld. why their re-election was.not desired b£certain- of their, constituents, and ; be given an WPPrtumtv.of.vmdioating themselves and exKaming.&eir past., actions:., -ffis-.-ireply was (1) .that the Otagp Centre/considered: It qnite unnecessary,, unusual ,-. and--inadvisable to eipiainrto .representatives'.whose , 'terms of office was; coming -to an,' end * re-election carefully-abstained from .making any. charge's whatever .either against .the ■oTd.;Sunc" g o? II : djr r th ,f- at -: Present, claimed to bem.office. .Mr. Callanprflceeded;to say that' the principle, which' Had'"guided the centre in coming,to;the'conclusion., to 'ao't as it was now. doing .was. so clear that he almost hesitated, to pointit out.'- That;the members ofva representative.: body: should continue to eleoted'-unless; and until they- had • to reply satisfactorily .to. any .matter ■. that might' be ,urged.;against;it,was-.as7nbyel as.it would be inconvenient. ■■ '?ts application," . said Mr Callan, would; tend :to . discredit. ; the. whole body in.; the eyes of the public' by eihibitinit it m ,a perpetnal state, of.-intestine dispute, and would.;seriously, diminish the, periodical infusion .jit. fresh blood that was eb necessarv to-progress."•"■•".;. ■ ::• vV' -~; j; ,a. ; ;. -~,■, .° ■? '■; ■;.■•■■• Ojd Council; Too- Long, liifOffice.; / ' M^,.Callan,".resuming,-Baid; : he''iwonid venture to suggest that against the majority of-elective oflicers who,-, .unsuccessfully ■ sought -.re-election no voter could -'make any • charge nor attempt to ■make-,;any. charge :other than that they hadi been , in 'office long,-: enough,,.-and. , : that was time that-fresh^irieh' , shouldJiave a turn both' for their .own' sakes' and 'fof'<the", sake.-:of the body-to be Such a prindiple should, he;,thoußhti-apply-equally' to ;all-:organisations governed,.: whether its - object- 'was 'business- or sport. ;.■ Suroly.'if the^seven''candidates'whose inominatibils vwere'.rejeoted;had;been residents of- Christchurch it'would never'have occurred to m'embers-,bf -.tnat'-'they- were entitled jo.'have their.administration- of affairs publicly,.considered; and..defended ; before theyi were. displaced. ■, If; Mr./.CAtack.: were not' : pre- ,: pared'to.admit that he-was afraid,;no,amount; of .discussion would; ever; lead to; an amicable' settlement, , and if were'.-prepired' to-admit-it,what, difference,;Could;it be .suggested was made '■■ by the• ; f act; that the 'new! "candidates were not residents of fChristchurchi but of Wellington?"", ;,.: •'•-. _; '\\"~:~" r ;:.-"x'.:.y -'■„.:■' ■ i , Only ■ppssibie^BasiS:Of ; ; Settlement. ''.•■'. In conclusion,-Mr. ,Callan'.said;he.presmned that- the' 'answer .which' Mr;;.Atnok would give-j to his , last question was thatTTe.s'idents of Wel-l Ijngton were not i eligible'.for : seat? on the council; "'His , centre .held that-v were eligible;~and so both were.baok' at the real. ;point ,'of. difference—whether the), nominations were -.'wrongly 'rejected.•■;;• The idea'that the' nominations ;were\< made in -order, ,to procure) iin ;.an.. uhconstitutional ■?■ manner ithe'.' removal of, they headquarters;-was erronepris.... -It 'was' obvious that .the nomination'/of .seven Wellington' residents was an entirely ..different matter ' from'the. election of .a qouncil consisting- solelv of Wellington' residents.: Whether the latter result would .have followed a contested election would: depend ;..entirely ;:on. ;: " the Vproportiohate strength.,among, the,.athletes of ;■;those, who thought,, the',old council should .continue in office, nnd.'-lhose who . thought that it should not" I'l-shall.be-h'appy to co-operate with v-iu fortheterminatien of thetrouble,""added Mr Callan,- ;"but.>the '■ I■ can possibly work for.aysettlenient-is.the tion' of, yourself; : and iassociates of the positions', •which .you..'claim .■,to,.ho!d,.,and- afresh election on.'; the. , basis of buri views as to eligibility.!*, ,} ;<■-. ;.'y- ; ; ; V.V : S:v :',;..:■...■ ;.