BOWLS RUMPUS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 193, 30 July 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

BOWLS RUMPUS

TASMANIANS QUARREL OVER REPRESENTATION. A first-class rumpus is developing in connection with the control of bowls in Tasmania. The present T.B.A. has its headquarters at Launceston, and consists of three delegates from the Southern Association, three from the north, and two from the north-west, with a president and secretary (who have to live in Launceston) and a Hobart vice-presi-dent. The trouble has arisen over the request of the N.W. Coast Bowling Association for equal representation, which has the support of the southern body. The trouble lias been causing friction for several years, and the matter came to a head at a meeting at Launceston recently, when the three bodies were represented, but after considerable discussion the northern delegates made it clear that they could not be moved in their peculiar attitude towards the N.W. Coast body, which now controls six clubs with a membership of 181. North has five clubs and a membership of 230 members, while south has five clubs and a membership of 290. The Launceston delegates made it quite clear that they would support no move which might have as its ultimate result the removal of the headquarters of the T.B.A. from Launceston and, despite the assurance of N.W. Coast and South Tasmanian delegates that there was no desire to remove the headquarters from the north, a motion to give north-west equal representation was defeated.

Subsequently a southern delegate moved that , a special committee, consisting of the three bodies, be set up to compile and present a case to the Australian Bowling Council, but the president (Mr F. Boatwright) refused to accept the motion. It was then decided by the delegates of tho south and north-west to prepare their cases and forward them direct to the A.8.C., together with a copy of all correspondence, in an endeavour to secure equal representation for all bodies. Failing which, it is understood that north-west and south (whose total membership is 470 against north’s 230) are likely to form a breakaway body.