PEACE RESTORED

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 2, 2 July 1926, Page 5

PEACE RESTORED

THE AUCKLAND SQUABBLE.

(By Telegraph.—Prcsa Association.)

AUCKLAND, Ist July.

Peace was re-established in Auckland hockey circles to-night, when a special general meeting of delegates to the association and of . hockey players heard the pros and cons of the situation which led to the executive demanding a public apology from the provincial selector (Sir. L. C. Kent) or his resignation, a demand which was followed by Mr. Kent resigning the presidency of the association and later Tsy three of the vice-presidents (Messrs. H. B. Speight, H. B. Burnett, and A. S. Player) resigning. A majority of the members of the executive became aggrieved when' they saw the footnote to a notice issued by Mr. Kent calling prospective representative players together for training, to the effect that the executive had refused to give him a trial match in which to choose the representative team.

Mr. Kent stated to-night, as he said he had stated previously, that he had had: no intention whatever of casting any reflection on the executive, and that if he had thought the committee would have regarded the footnote as a reflection on its decisions he would not have published it. After a somewhat acrimonious discussion, in the course of which the executive was accused of condemning without trial and of being too hasty in its actions, the meeting authorised the executive to withdraw to hold a special meeting. Upon resuming, the chairman of the executive (Mr. A. Payle) announced that the following resolution had been passed: "That after hearing the explanation of Mr. Kent, as expressed at the meeting,, that he would not , have published the explanation re A and B trial match had he thought this would-have-been regarded as a reflection on the executive, the executive regrets its action, and rescinds its motions requesting him, firstly, to resign the position, of selector, and, secondly, to apologise through the Press, and now requests Mr. Kent and the'three vice-presidents to reconsider their resignations as officers of the association." The decision met with the approval of the meeting, and in accordance with the desire expressed in the motion the resignations were withdrawn. The chairman (Mr. L. H. Norton) said that by coming to such a decision the executive had shown it was deserving of renewed confidence.