OTAGO RUGBY UNION.

Evening Star, Issue 9387, 8 May 1894, Page 2

OTAGO RUGBY UNION.

A meeting of the Committee was held, yesterday afternoon, and attended by Messrs Chisholm (who retired immediately after the confirmation of the minutes), Montgomery, Chalmers, Monkman, Cran, Mathe--Bon, Beadle, Torrance, and Hutchison. The following letter was read :

Dunedin, May 7. Gentlemen,—l beg respectfully to tender my resignation as president of the O.lt.l'Ml. In accepting the position for a second term I did so believing that it was the desire of a majority of the delegates representing the various clubs under the Union to affiliate with the New Zealand Union (as was clearly evidenced at the annual meeting at which I was elected), and was willing to do what little I could in- assisting them to attain that object. As I was the only officer elected at that meeting, I very naturally concluded that the delegates, knowing i»y views on the question of affiliation, would at the adjourned meeting have returned a committee prepared to carry out their wishes. And I think I am safe in saying that they would have done so but for the block vote against them of the retiring Committee, whose consistency in declining to accept office, as they felt that they were not in touch with the desire of the delegates, I admired, but who, at the same meeting and at the same time —for reasons best kuown to themselvcs-rvoted for those holding precisely the same opinion on the question of affiliation—in order, I presume,, that they might do for them what they could not consistently do for themselves. The result of Saturday night's meeting shows conclusively that the delegates desire affiliation, the voting being: For affiliation, 22; against, 17; while the votiugof the Committee shows just as conclusively that they are, with one or two exceptions, determinedly opposed to attilhtion, the voting in their ease being:' For affiliation, 1; against, 7. As it is utterly impossible, under such circumstances, to carry out the desire of the majority of the clubs under the Union, as expressed on two separate occasions through their delegates, there is no course left forme but to at once tender my resignation, thus affording you an opportunity of electing a president in full accord with your opinion on tins vital question, and who will be able consistently to assist you in carrying out you own wishes, instead of the expressed desire of the delegates.—l am, yours respectfully, R. Chisholm. The Committee of O.R.F.U.

The resignation was accepted with regret. It was resolved, in accordance with the recommedation of the annual meeting, to seek a continuance of Mr S. E. Sleigh's services as delegate to the English Rugby Union.