DISSOLUTION OF MANAWHENUA RUGBY UNION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 May 1933, Page 2

DISSOLUTION OF MANAWHENUA RUGBY UNION.

LETTER FROM LATE PRESIDENT EXPRESSES OPPOSITION. > . REASONS FOR ATTITUDE EXPLAINED. The recently effected separation of the Horowhenua and Manawatu Rugby Unions was the subject of some references -at the meeting of the management committee of the former body last evening.

In acknowledging the committee’s appreciation of the assistance which he had rendered to bring before' the N.Z.E.U. the proposal resulting in the dissolution of the Manawhenua Union into its component Manawatu and Horowhenua bodies, Mr G. 11. Pownall, of Wanganui, wrote: “I have to thank you for your letter of the 17th inst., and can assure you that any little assistance I may have been to Mr Haninan and your Union was a pleasure. It is always good to be able to do any-, thing one can to help Rugby along, and when a body of men, such as yours, puts in a great deal of time and energy, the least one can do is to do what one can to assist.”

It was resolved, on the motion of Mr S. Hooper, that the secretary ask the Manawatu delegates to arrange to have the wash-up” meeting held at an early date. The Chairman (Mr W. Hannan) said that, on his visit to the annual meeting of the N.Z. Union, he was surprised to know that a letter had come in, signed by the Manawhenua ex-Pre-sident (Mr'A. Richards), opposing the dissolution of the Combined Union. The speaker had stated to officials of the N.Z.R.U. that he thought that such a course was unconstitutional and that JHr Richards had not given the matter 'full thought or he would not have done it. The incident had been brought, before him by Mr Pownall and Mr Dean, of the N.Z. Union, and he had pointed out that any such correspondence- must go to the parent body through a constituted union. Mr Pownall supported that view. Mr Hannan now invited Mr Richards to make an explanation with a view to closing the sa w “' , t

Mr Richards referred to his attitude and that of his club (Shannon) as having been in favour of the ■Combined Union right from the start. Being in the position of Chairman of the late Union, he had had to be fairly neutral with regard to its disbandment. He had written to Mr Dean and sent him- a balance sheet. He had not written the letter to the management comVnittee, but at the same time he had .not marked it private. In the letter Sie had- stated a few facts regarding the Horowhenua Council and had pointed out ways and 1 means by which the Manawhenua Union could carry on successfully—how expenses could be cut down and the Union run at a profit. He had suggested that all the rep. players coifed assemble at Palmerston North at their own expense, saving the Union £4O or £SO; that the delegates could attend meetings at their own expense, effecting a saving of £2O or £25; that the secretary’s salary could be cut down by £2O; and had mentioned one or two other things. The N.Z. Union having granted provincial unions 33 per cent, of the gateand stand, that would be another big item to the Combined Union in matches in the next year or two. Further, he had submitted that the new arrangement would be detrimental to Maori football in this area, owing to the restricted prospects of rep, honours.

The Chairman 1 remarked that, in the past, players had reached higher degrees under the separate Horowhenua control than when this body was amalgamated with Manawatu. The same remark applied to the Manawatu district.

Mr B. M. Ryder said he was in favour of putting a motion through that the matter be brought up at the Manawhenua “wash-up’ y meeting. That was where it should be discussed. The Chairman said he had made his report to this meeting because the -Horowhenua body was now a union. Manawatu was also a union, and there was no longer any Manawhehua Union.