THE AMATEUR SPLIT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 462, 22 March 1909, Page 6

THE AMATEUR SPLIT.

— » — RECONCILIATION.

NEW COUNCIL TO BE APPOINTED. (bi TiLiaiiirE—riisss association.) ; Dunedin, March 21. For the past few months the dispute in tho [ ranks of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic . Association has boon causing a good deal of [ intorest, and tho settlement of the matter ' has been awaited with considerable anxiety. s A conference was held last evening, at-which j delegates wero present from Auckland, Wcllington, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland. i Mr. R. G. Anderson (Otago) moved:— , "That this conference of centres pledges.it- ; self to abide by the decision of the Austra- • lasian'Union on tho appear submitted to it, ; and pending such decision to recognise tho . executive sot up by tho association at , Christchurch in November last as tho govern- ■ ing body of tho New Zealand Amateur Athi letic Association, and as having as such all tho powers of the council provided for in tho rules. ■• Tho mover said it was not necessary to refer to tho athletic split. All were well awaro of Canterbury's attitude. Otago was of opinion that the question was ono for re- ' fcrenco to !'• Yustralasian Union, which was an indent,..,ii body." , Mr. J. i. Hamann (Otago) seconded the motion. Ho said that until the Australasian Union had givbn a decision it was only right that should be a recognised body at the head of amateur athelitcs in Now Zea-lai-A I .'■■:-:■■ ~.:'., ■" ; '■ F. L. Murray (Canterbury) opposed '!•' Motion. Ho said it was unfair in his .n that the-appeal should bo considered - .;o Australasian Union without a word of u-.wico being heard from the Christchurch Council. Mr. R. Twyneham also opposed the motion, which, he said, practically forced delegates to recognise the Wellington Council. Mr. J. Green (Auckland) said that tho council in Christchurch might bo constitutional or it might not. Thcro was a difference of opinion. He went into tho question of nominations that liad been refused by the president of tho N.Z.A.A.A., who bad acted in a fair and common-sense way, and pressed on the meeting that they must overlook the past and do away with spite and animus for the good 'of : the sport. Canterbury and Auckland wore there' to hold out an olive branch, and he urged that their overtures be accepted. He was entirely opposed to the dispute being referred to Australia. There was great misunderstanding there regarding their, aims and desires, and he hoped that the motion would be altered to meet the views of Canterbury and Auckland. They all knew what lay at the root of tho trouble feeling against several members of tho council. Canterbury and Auckland wero prepared to meet the wishes of tho other centres - and throw over those members of the council, or ask the council to resign and bring, on, a fresh election. One point on wluoh they woud-stand firm was that the headquarters of the association must be tmnally removed by a recognised majority. M■ fW ¥1 (Wellington) asked what lur. Green's authority was for sivinn- tCI ii.SX''a" M ,,,tcrfe£ «, .„ a, ,„„„„„,„ Clnft «-i£-ffi Essays ;' '•'" , S»S;"i w *""* S ••■ t for certain members of the late council ov Mr. Green: I was prepared to throw them "that'' He'Thnn^f'«? W3S SUr P rised *<> hear. Mat. He thought there was only ono bodv ,tjhafc was competent to carry on the affairs of the association for the of tie L ea nM a " d th ? t , Was the executive which,had so ably carned.out the management of the chammonship meeting that day. He doubted wbetfier Mr. Green could find fault wl ha taken by the WeUington'k* Portunifv ee tl lP r fi >lied th,t had n ° oppprtunity; their very existence was flto tn' fi^l lOCk ' Sa i d that was no compliment to the threo centres, representing 37 clubs Which had. appointed thV executive He heartily supported the motion, which was in EfT* V, ' ltl tho wishes by C ° n - treS and which to leave the executive in power until a better mode •"ftt council migbt be 0 At this stage Mr. Green advanced' tho following amendment: "That if both the PhTf T °l Wol . lin Sto« and the council of Chrmtchurch resim, all claims to be the governing body of amateur athletics in New Zealand, this conferenco of centres pledgJs itself to give allegiance to tho council to be elected on atfresh election on the ba s that the constitution_ be altered to meet the vmws of the majority of the confeSc" fe Christchurch) seconded. Ja Mi u r T an Jr -, J - B - Call an, Otago)) said he had, assisted in drawing up the Z^ n y^ th ** tho P idea intended to be conveyed was that if both bodies who were competing for the position of government were out of the way their representatives would be prepared to council electeS on B con' stitutional basiß. , Mr, F..L. Murray (Canterbury) considered the,, amendment a step j n the right direcWW™ ll6 C ? UW a3SUre tbein that the Canterbury centre was not going to recognise the Welhngton Executive, wiich was not elected, const,tutonally. That day's meeting was splendrfly run, and ho gave The Otago centre every credit J l ';,? 0110 ! Silid that * th » bodies would not resign they were no further forward an d were helpless in fact. ""vara, The chairman understood that they would have power, m the event of those bodies refusing to resign. H6 ,f a . 3 .° f oi" ni011 that no power on earth could Kick out the council of which MS h6 ? d ' and th o same remark applied in some degree to the Wellincton frfyA,*?,! prepared to move a S t W 6 M^n, Council be called upon to resign. Mr. Green's amendment was worthless Were tho motion he favoured carried, they might elect one body and depose the other and be' in a firm position After consultation, 'Mr. Green altered his amendment as follows: "That both the executive in Welhngton and tho council Fn Christchurch be called upon to forthwith resign all. claim to .be the governing body' of amateur athletics in Now Zealand, and that this conference pledges itself to 2 ive allegiance to a council to bo elected on a fresh election on the basis of tho constitution being altered to'meet-the views of a majority of the conferenco." ■' Mr. Twyneham said he and other Cantorbury mem bars could assure the meeting that the;Chnstehurch.Council was quite prepared , to resign , ■ Mr. Robinson (Wellington) asked who was i to carry out tho election. - • The chairman, said tho centres in conference i would decide on- that. Mr,. Pollock., said the Wellington Council ' would resign without demur and give the new ' councu its support. Mr, Nash (Southland) said his centre would : fall in with others. After-further consultation the amondmont ' was carried by eleven votes to one. Mr C E. Bridge (Wellington) voted against it ' ' : M-r._ Hama-nn (Otago) moved: "That tho ' .committee, of each centre shall at its annual ' meeting, elect two delegates to the council who must.be amateurs under the-association's ' definition; that tho delegates so elected shall ' constitute tho Council of the Association,- • and .shall at their first meeting elect from among themselves a president and two vice- : presidents, and shall also elect a secretarytreasurer, who need not be a member of the i council, but if he shall not be a member of tho council he shall have no power to vote or tako any part in the meetings of the council; the committeo of each centre' may from timo to time elect a representative or j representatives in place of any representative ' of such centre on tho council who may have i died, resigned, or otherwise ceased to be a i member of the council j the secretary of each 1

centre shall immediately after the annual meeting of his centre forward to the secre-tary-treasurer of the outgoing council tho names of tho delegates to the council elected by his contro, together with their written consent to accept office." Mr. Pollock suggested that tho words "shall at is annual meeting" be altered to read "shall within thirty days." This was agreed to. Tho chairman suggested an addition to the motion as follows; —"That in the. re-drawing of tho. rules the mode of election bo in accordance with this rule." . Tho motion as altered was carried. _ Mr. Pollock then moved: —"That an executive consisting of tho secretary and the president of the, Otago Centre be appointed in connection with the election of the new council, to bo carried out in accordance with tho terms of tho motion just passed. Mr. Green seconded, and tho motion was carried unanimously. Mr. R. Anderson (Otago) moved: "That the headquarters of tho association shall always be at tho headquarters of a centre; that the centre in which tho headquarters shall for tho time being be located shall be determined at the expiration of every succeeding three ,years_ by a majority voto of tho centres for tho time being affiliated to the association." Mr. Hamann seconded. Mr. Green moved as an amendment: That the words "determined at the expiration of every succeoding three years" be deleted, and the words "Transferable at any time" bo substituted. This amendment was carried. Mr. Anderson moved: That the headquarters bo forthwith at Wellington. Mr. Hamann (Otago) seconded. Mr. Twyneham moved as an amendment: That tho headquarters be forthwith situated at Dunedin. Mr. F. L. Murray seconded. Tho amendment was put and lost, and tho motion was carried by eight votes to five. Mr. Pollock moved: "That the council's share of tho profits from 1909 bo left in the hands of tho president, the secretary, and the treasurer of the Otago Centre, and that they receivo and deal in trust with all moneys and assets' held at present by Messrs. Atac.k and Talbot, of the Christchurch and the Wellington Councils respectively, such moneys and assets to ho handed over to the secretary and treasurer of tho Now Zealand Council as soon as it is elected." Under the heading of general business, it was resolved: (1) That the next athletic championship meeting bo held at Auckland; (2) that a Selection Committee, consisting of fivo representatives (one from each centre) bo appointed to in future select Australasian championship teams; (3) that it be a recommendation to the incoming council that the New Zealand champion shield points be scored by first and- second only, two points being allotted to first and one to second; (4) that Wellington bo tho headquarters of the association ; (5) to secede from the New Zealand Sports Federation,