FOOTBALL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3829, 9 August 1928, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

CANTERBURY TEAM TO MEET MANAWHENUA. The Canterbury team to play Manawhenua on Saturday is: — Pull-back: Mekrtens; three-quar-ters: Hart, Oliver, Chesley; fiveeighths: Grant and Hay; half: Page; wing-forward: Fookes; forwards: Clerk, Cottrell, Jackson, Lawson, Toby, Robinson, Tom Robinson, Montgomery. Emergencies: Galbraith, Mullan, Dorreen, Loveridge, Manihcra, Baird, Manchester and Anderson. At the school yesterday afternoon Primary School defeated High School by 14 points to 8. Mr. C. Procter refereed. ALL BLACKS DEFEAT BORDER, IN SECOND GAME—3S—3. At Kingwilliamstown yesterday, the All Blacks played their second match against Border whom they defeated by 35 points to 3. The scores in the first half were All l Blacks 14—Border 3. The All Blacks piled on a further 21 points in the second spell. HOROWHENUA DISTRICT COUNCIL. The management committee of the Horowhenua Rugby Distinct Council met in Levin on Tuesday evening. GAME REQUIRED FOR THIRD GRADE REPS. Advice was received from the R-angitrkei Sub-Union that it could not see_ its way clear to return the third grade rep. match this season, as the Union were very short of funds. It was decided to communicate with the Bush Sub-Union, and alternatively with the Dannevirke Sub-Union, to endeavour to arrange a game for the Horowhenua thirds. TRAVELLING ARRANGEMENTS FOR REPS. FROM FOXTON. Consideration was given, to a letter, held over from a previous meeting, in which .the Foxton Club stated that, at a meeting of its committee, it had been decided to ask the Council “to make any future arrangements for players of tlxe Club) or matters connected with the Club, through some official of the body in preference to an outsider.”

This referred to arrangements for players travelling. In the Foxton “Herald’s” report of the committee meeting it was stated that on one occasion two Foxton members of a team which played in Levin were left there stranded and had to walk home. On other occasions arrangements had been made without the knowledge of the Foxton committee by the Union for local players to attend at Levin for practice purposes, and they had been left to get over as best they could. Two players selected for the Manawhenua team were left stranded in Foxton, and when a Union official had been communicated with on the matter he said that a promise had been made by a member of another -Club that the Foxton players would be attended to. In explanation, Mr. Hutchins said that there had been a good deal of dissatisfaction among the Foxton committee and supporters in regard to players’ travelling arrangements. The club felt that it had been ignored in this connection, and that it seemed to be “right out of it” when its men were travelling. Mr. Robinson had taken charge of them when they were going to Shannon, and the speaker was asked why he was not in charge. The Club, in its communication to the Council, did not intend any reflection on Mr. S. Austin, who had conveyed.Foxton rep. players in his car during the season.

The chairman stated that, as the Council had decided this season not to assemble the reps, at its own expense, Mr. Winiata, the senior selector, was allowed to make the arrangements, provided that he could get volunteers to convey the players. If anybody was at _£ault for the two Foxton players having had to walk home on one occasion, it was the players themselves. Mr. Austin had brought them over for the selector. If the Club had been willing to offering them on the same conditions as Mr. Austin had done —a ! t no cost to the Council—he thought the Council would not object. Mr. Winiata stated that it had only been possible to bring the Foxton players to Levin to practice through his approaching certain gentlemen. With regard to the Maori-Pakeha match, he had asked Mr. Austin if it was possible to bring any Foxton rep. players over, and Mr. Austin said that he would be only too pleased to bring such players any time they were wanted for practices. It happened one night that Mr. Austin had to go to a Racing Club meeting when there was a practice in Levin, and the Foxton players could not come. It appeared that no one else would bring them, and their Club would not stand for the trip. In such a case it seemed very wrong if the Club refused to send their reps, to Levin to practice. If a player did not receive the support of his own town, how was he going to be trained as a representative? The speaker was in Foxton the other day and pointed out that apart from Mr. Austin, the place was not supporting the interests of the game as it should. Mr. Hutchins said that the Foxton Club had never been approached and did not know that the men had to be brought over, on the oc-

casion when Mr. Austin was unable to convey them. One night the Club sent the players over by the service car. Mr.- Hutchins said he was sorry that Mr. Robinson was not present, because he (the speaker) had a lot to say which he would not say in Mr. Robinson’s absence. The Club did not cast any reflection on Mr. Austin or the Council.

Mr. Casey explained that the walk home to Foxton took place after the Maori-Pakeha match. The Foxton Club now realised that they had been misinformed. There was a conveyance at Levin for the men in question, but they apparently found something better. Arrangements were also made later for Mr. Rout’s service car to carry them, but they apparently preferred to walk home at midnight after their evening’s enjoyment. Mr. Procter stated that Mr. Austin had been up and down the road looking for these players. Mr. Wftniata said that the boys were quite satisfied and walked home with a good will. There was no complaint from them; the matter was only taken up by outsiders. Mr. Hutchins said he could bring witnesses to state that the boys had made a complaint.

The chairman asked Mr. Hutchins to convey the Council’s explanation to the Foxton Club. FOXTON DELEGATE’S ATTENDANCE. The next matter was one affecting Mr. Hutchins’ attendance. The chairman stated that the Foxton delegate had missed three meetings in succession. The rules provided that any member of the management committee, having absenced himself from three consecutive meetings without reasonable excuse, should be deemed to have vacated his position. The chairman asked Mr. Hutchins if he had a reasonable excuse. Mr. Hutchins stated that, with regard to the first meeting from which he was absent, the Club secretary (Mr. R. Hornblow) had rung Mr. Casey and asked if any important business was forthcoming. As there was not, Mr. Hutchins had not thought it necessary to come over. He had understood that an arrangement was made at the beginning of the season whereby it would not be necessary for Foxton to send a delegate to a meeting if there was no important business to be dealt with. Last 1 season it cost the Club £l9 for delegates’ expenses. With reference to the second meeting that he did not attend, Mr. Hutchins said that he was in the middle of shifting and he had asked the Club secretary to ring up Mr. -Casey. On the occasion of the third meeting, he had received word that his brother had died, and he had thought that he would have to go to Taranaki. Mr Hutchins added that he had served on the Council and the Union a good many times, and one year he had a record for attendance, not missing a meeting. The chairman stated that he had spoken to Mr. O’Connor, the past president of the Council, who informed him that the proposal was made that Foxton should not send a delegate to any meeting where there was no important business to be dealt with, but that it was only a recommendation and did not give the delegate power to stay away. The management committee, therefore, could not take that as an excuse in the future.

Mr. Hutchins stated that the delegate’s expenses were costing the Club 25/- for each meeting. The Club, which was financially strong at the beginning of the season, had spent all its money in trying to put the game on a good footing again in Foxton. Mr. Casey said that, in most cases where the delegate was unable to attend, the Club secretary had rung up and apologised for the delegate’s absence. The chairman stated that such an apology did not make any difference unless there was a reasonable excuse. Mr. Casey said lie had been under the impression that an agreement was made, at the beginning of the year, that unless there was important business the delegate need not come across. The chairman: We have no power to contract out of the by-laws, but that excuse will hold this year. No reasonable man would have asked Mr. Hutchins to come when lie had his furniture on the road, nor when he had a bereavement. It was unanimously resolved that Mr. Hutchins’ explanation be accepted as a reasonable excuse. COMING EVENTS. The final match in the junior competition, North v. South, was fixed for Saturday next, on the Park Domain, Levin. There will probably be a secondary schools game as a curtain-raiser. It was decided that a junior knockout competition be played, for the Licensed Victuallers’ Cup. Entries are to be accompanied by £l. each, which will be returned if the engagement is fulfilled. Nominations close on Monday next.