FOOTBALL MATCH.

Grey River Argus, 22 June 1927, Page 6

FOOTBALL MATCH.

For the Unemployed. OFFER OF HELP. NOT ENTERTAINED. (Per Press Assn.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 21. The Canterbury Rugby Football League has been offended by the atti tudc of the Citizens’ Unemployment Committee in treating a proposal made by the league for a Rugby v. League match, in aid of the unemployment fund as a joke. Mr H. Worrall said that he under stood that the Rugby League had offered to put up a team to play a Rugby fifteen, the proceeds of the match to be given to the relief of unemployment. Nothing had been done in the matter. There was no mention of it in the minutes. He wanted to know why. “I believe the matter was given some attention/’ said the Mayor (the Rev. J. K. Archer), who presided, “but the opinion of the meeting, I took it, was that the proposal was impracticable. ’ ’ Mr Grant (secretary) stated that the proposal had been treated as a joke when it had first been made. It had not been taken seriously. Mr Worrall: It was quite a serious proposal. It was made with good intentions. There should be some mention of it in the minutes. Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., said that the committee’s attitude had given offence to the League authorities. They had made the suggestion with a view to helping the unemployed. Their proposal had been treated as a joke. That was most improper. They should not insult them. “I suggest that we reply to their letter, ” he said, stating ” The Mayor: There was no letter. One or two of the committee suggested at the last meeting when the matter came up that the proposal was impracticable. I took that as the attitude of the committee as a whole. Mr W. 11. Winsor: I don’t like the way the matter has come up—using this unemployment meeting as propaganda for League. Mr Worrall said that the League people did not, he understood, propose to go on with the original proposal, but they had made an offer to the Trades Hall Unemployment Committee to put on a match between Hornby and a team picked from the rest of Canterbury The whole of the proceeds would go to the unemployment fund with the exception of the cost of the tickets. He moved that the committee approve of the match. The Rev. F. Rule seconded the motion. The Mayor said that the committee wanted nothing to do with any feeling that might exist between the Rugby and League codes. They wanted to be absolutely impartial. He suggested that the secretary indicate to the League that the original proposal was impracticable.

Voices: They must have known it. The Rev. F. Rule: It was side-tracked as a joke. Canon Coursey said that it would be impossible for a League team to play a Rugby team without the League men going over to Rugy or the Rugby men going over to League. That would be demanded by the rules. So where was the practicability of the proposal? The motion was carried. LEAGUE’S DECISION.

At a meeting of the executive of the Rugby League, the. secretary, Mr Richardson, siad that the proposal that the leading League and Rugby representatives should meet, the proceeds of the match to go to the unemployed, had been received with ridicule. Mr McKeon said that the Mayor had brought the matter up before the Unemployment Committee. It was strange that such a suggestion for the alleviation of distress, where there was such a wonderful chance to get so great an amount, should be ridiculed. It was hot the place for the gentlemen who had done so to reject such a suggestion as impracticable The speaker said he did not wnow whether the executive were going to take such insults lying down.- The attitude of those individuals who had virtually deliberately insulted the executive unfitted them for the positions they held. The trades organisation had whole-heartedly endorsed the suggestion.

The chairman (Mr Winter Cole) said he could confidently state that 90 per cent, of those playing League had never played any other code since leaving school. He, for one, was not going to take the remarks “lying down.” The challenge of the League Executive should have been forwarded to the Rugby Union and not dealt with by one or two members of the Unemployment Committee. It was moved by a letter of strong protest be sent to the committee. The motion was seconded by Air Smith. The chairman said that the League code was democratic, but there was no truth in the charge of professionalism. The League code was above-board. The motion was carried. Referring to the permission given the Unemployment Committee to take up collections at matches, Air Sheahan moved that this permission be withdrawn and given to the Trades Council. This motion was carried.