HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 496, 1 May 1909, Page 9

HOCKEY.

' , (Br Dwtek.) The Various hockey clubs have been putting in good practices during the past two or three Saturdays, and"all are anxious for next Saturday, when a start 'will be made with tho championship matches. Events havo been moving in the ladies' hockey world, and preparations are being made for tho coming season. Most of tho girls havo, been assiduously practising, and a date for opening tho season will bo fixed at tho annual meeting of the Wellington Association to-night. 'A surprising development took placo at tho annual meeting of tho Now Zealand Ladies' Hockey Association on Thursday night, when,' by a little manoeuvring and owing to tho non-representation of some of the principal associations affiliated to tho New Zealand Association, o proposal to remove tho headquarters from Wellington to Christchurch was carried. This move was entirely unexpected and took oveTyono by surprise, for had tlio associations interested been represented tho motion would have been lost by 3 or i to 1, as was the caso at the preliminary meeting in September last when the proposal to form a New Zealand Ladies' Association took shape. Tho delegates generally rcoognised that tho only possible: and suitable Ideation for tho headquarters of tho. maooi&tiqn wm in.

ton, and. to tho wards "Wellington or such placo as may bo fixed" 110 exception conld bo taken, as it was considered that the question was settled for all time, and no 0110 dreamed of its being brought up again. Tho intention of thoso assembled to regard Wellington as tho headquarters was, of. course, fully known to tho Canterbury delegates, and their action in bringing up tho matter at a sparsely-attended meeting is, .to say tho'very least, open to criticism. What happened was this: Mr. W. Johnson (Canterbury) was in tho chair, and ho said that as tho rules had to be confirmed at this meeting the question of headquarters was open for discussion. A motion was formally moved and tho voting was B—7 in favour, of Christ-' church. This, however, included tho chairman's deliberative votei and a voto on behalf of Auckland for which ho hold, a proxy. (Last year tho Auckland voto wont in favour of Wellington, and, in handing over a proxy, it: could scarcely be conceived that' they.'would wish a vote to bo given in favour of so distant a controls Christcluirch). The validity of this proxy, was questioned, and Mr. Johnson relinquished, it, thus leaving tho voting equal.' Ho then settled tho matter by adding his casting voto to his deliberative vote, and .by this moaijs tho motion was carried. Had Mr. Johnson not been, in tho chair, or had tho Auckland .represen-' tative attended, tho result'would havo been different, and would have remained in accordance with the expressed wish, of ;tho conference. Mr. Johnson himself' appears to havo some misgivings, as tho question of choosing tho 'Management Committee was left in the hands of tho Canterbury ,■ delegates; This was asking too much, and, moreover, the rules distinotly state that the. committee must bo elected] by' the annual meeting. Therefore a special meeting may ,bo necessitated to settle tho matter, and if this takes place tho question of headquarters will be reopened, and there can bo no doubt of the result. Even supposing a special meeting were not necessitated by tho point mentioned, the Wellington Association is so far from being' satisfied witli tlio method of securing the alteration'that it is intended to circularise the various associations with' a "view of callinc;' a special meeting to decide the matter. Therefore it is by. no means certain, that Christchurch will be the locus of the administrative body.