MANY DIFFICULTIES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 52, 3 March 1927, Page 15

MANY DIFFICULTIES

INCIDENTS ON THE VOYAGE

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") • ■ AUCKLAND, 2nd March. A statement giving a version of the trouble in the ranks of the New Zealand League football team- which returned from England by the Marama was made by Mr. J. O'Shaughnessy. the official Press agent with. the, team. Almost immediately after leaving Auckland on the Aorangi the players discovered that they ' had to pay their own laundry bills," said Mr. O'Shaughnessy. "Most of them thought that laundry bills would be paid for' them, and they, got a nasty, jar when they found they had to pay their own bills, which on board ship are rather high. On top of that orders were issued by both managers (Mr. Mair and Mr. Ponder) that collars and ties, must be worn at meals in the saloon. On the night prior to the arrival of the ship at Suva a meeting of the team and managers was held in the saloon. Mr. Ponder had ordered Avery, Carroll, and others to wear collars and ties when at meals in the sabon; the steward had ordered this to be done. Mr. Ponder told Carroll that he would take drastic action if he were not obeyed. Many of the team objected to wearing collars and ties owing to the great heat; they also oblected on the score of the expense of the laundry, bill.

'An incident at Vancouver concerning two players who refused to perform the haka at the station prior to the departure of the train at 10.15 was mentioned by Mr. O'Shaughnessy. The players concerned, he said, were Mouat and Singe. There were on the platform three negro guards and five officials of the. Canadian National Railways. Mouat defended himself, saying he had refused because _ he thought they -were cheapening the.haka and the team was not a theatrical troupe. He said he would do the hnka in the proper place and at the nroper time. i

After leaving Montreal," continued Mr. n Shaughnessy, "training was commenced, brom this training;,; on, several occasions, several lilayerg were missing, but nothing Avas said to them. On the fourth morning

out three players—Singe, Wright, and Mouat—were absent from training, and at 2 p.m. that day they were arraigned before a full meeting of the team and charged by the managers 'with wilfully absenting themselves from training.' Instead of the managers approaching the three men concerned for an explanation of their absence they took the very drastic step of taking the three men before a full meeting of the team immediately, it the meeting the three men were asked for an explanation, and they said they had slept in. This explanation was not accepted, and they were fined 10s each. The men objected to this penalty, in view of the fact that others on previous occasions had not beer so penalised. At the meeting the three players asked for their tickets back to New Zealand; three others —Peterson, Carroll, and Heury—objecting to the alleged unjust treatment to the three men charged at the meeting, also asked for their tickets back, but prior to arriving a*- Southampton the matter was amicably settled, the fines being lifted and the men concerned agreeing to carry on in England." MR. MAIR RELINQUISHES CONTROL. According to Air. O'Shaughnessy, trouble occurred .in England shortly after the first match at Dewsbury on 11th September, aud later on two players were ordered home. Following'this, several other players expressed a desire to return home, and the managers, at the instigation of the English Rugby League, withdrew the order for these men to return. A meeting, at which members of the team and the members of the New Zealand sub-commit-tee of the English Rugby League were present, was held, at which Mr. Managreed to relinquish the coaching, this passing into the hands of Avery and Mouat, the captain and vice-captain respectively. "Further troubles occurred in the team," continued Mr. O'Shaughnessey Seven players expressed their intention of not playing unless Mr. Mair relinquished control. As a result, on Bih November, Mr. Osborne, chairman of the English League,, and Mr. J. Wilson, the secretary, journeyed to Harrogate and met the whole team, when the difficulties were fully discussed. Messrs. Mair and Pondei and the English officials then left the room, and on their return Avery (the captain), speaking on behalf of the playera, put the" following motion to the meeting: 'That Mr. Mair be asked to relin quish control of the team for one month, and the matter be reviewed at the end of that period.' There was not a dissentin" voice among the 26 players against the ■notion, which Mr. Mair agreed to accept On this point I am emphatic," declared Mr. O'Shaughnessey. "The position was to be reviewed at the end of a month. During the- month the seven players ■ resumed playing and trained wholeheartedly. However, at the end of the period named, without any review on the matter having been made, Mr. Mair automatically resumed control Upon Mr. Man- taking this step six playersMouat, and one of the original seven bein<then in hospital—notified the managers" tnat unless the matter was reviewed in tne terms of the previous agreement they would . once again refuse to piay The New Zealand mb-committee of the English league thereupon held a meeting and decided tp suspend Mr. Mair for a further period of one month. A later meeting of .the English League Council confirmed^ tins suspension. ■ ALLOWANCES STOPPED. "Thereupon Mr. Ponder, financial and co-manager with Mr. Mair, suspended tinseven players who, at the time Mr. Ponder suspended them," said Mr O'Bhau K h nesaey, "were perfectly ready to play again as Mr. Mair had, relinquished control of the team. Mr. Ponder aso stopped their allowances, this, taking effect aoproximat* ly three weeks before Christmas. Thu* for eight weeks in England, and six week* on the boat coming home the malcontents have had no allowance paid to them b-r toe New Zealand managers. Rather than see these men return penniless on the ' voyage to New Zealand the English Lea gue, which, it should be noted, had al-