REVISION OF BOUNDARIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1717, 7 January 1920, Page 5

REVISION OF BOUNDARIES.

CONFERENCE OP HOCKEY DELEGATES. COMMENCED IN PALMERSTON \ NORTH. A conference of delegates from the various hockey associations of the North Island of New Zealand was commenced this morning in Palmerston North with the object of revising boundaries between districts in which friction has occurred through irregularly defined lines of demarcation. Primarily the conference originated on account of a dispute that arose when Feilding seceded from the Manawatu Association last year and was granted affiliation as a separate entity.

Mr H. S. J. Goodman, president of the Now Zealand executive, occupied the chair. The following delegates were present: Messrs L. 11. Norton (Auckland), W. Lewis (Hawke’s Bay), G. Fitzpatrick (Feilding), L. Jackson (Manawatu), H. G. Kerslake (Horowhenua). Two sub-associations of Marton and Taihapo attached to Feilding were represented by Messrs N. M. McDougall and B. Hobday respectively. The Thames, Waikato, Poverty Bay, Taranaki, Wanganui, Wnirarupa and Wellington Associations were not represented. Mr P. N. Quartermain, a member of tho New Z< aland Association from Christchurch, was present, also tho secretary of tho New Zealand Association, Mr G. S. Cowper. On behalf of the Manotvatu Association Mr Jackson welcomed tho delegates and expressed the members’ wish to do anything that might help to make the visitors’ sojourn in Palmerston North an enjoyable one.

Tho chairman, Mr Goodman, in his open

ing remarks, referred to past Dominion conferences when the question of revision ot boundaries in tho North Island had been proposed. Anything that tho conference might decide would be brought up for confirmation at a meeting of tho Now Zealand executive to bo held in April of this year, Tho present boundaries had been laid clown some ten years ago broadly on the lines adopted by tho Rugby Unions. Tho representation was hardly complete, but ho was of opinion that it was sufficient to allow of full consideration. Mr Cowper traced tho formation of the associations in Now Zealand. At first the hockey players wore confined to tho largo towns and the boundaries were hardly considered. Later, as tho game obtained a firmer hold clubs sprang up in smaller districts, which became a sort of “no man’s land,” Horowhenua was an instance of such. When that district applied for affiliation r.s

!in association the game was played there by onlv one club, yet the .affiliation was granted on the condition that ' they shoui.i improve their conditions and the New Zealand Association reserved the right to cancel the connection at any time. Numerous other places applied similarly and complications resulted. Eventually the matter had boon fully dealt with by a sub committee sot up for that purpose, which had issued a report on tho matter which the secretary proceeded to read. The investigations of the sub-committeo were made in 1910, and showed that then the revision of boundaries was a matter o 1 urgency. Tho war, of course, had caused the game to fall to its lowest ebb, and tho matter was lost sight ot. However, with the wide revival of tho game everywhere tho matter assumed a more urgent importance than heretofore. Mr Norton, of Auckland, who is also the selector for tliat_ district, stressed the importance of having full representation of sub-associations on tho executive of their parent provincial associations. He moved: That it should bo carried as a recommendation to the New Zealand executive council. _ This was seconded by Mr Lewis and carried unanimously. In dealing exhaustively with the boundaries of sub-associations in tho Auckland province Mr Norton moved that it should bo a recommendation that tho Coromandel and Ohinomuri counties should be added to the Thames territory; also that Rotorua and Tauranga should remain combiued as one sub-association. t These pioposals were agreed to, Mr Norton added that it would, in his opinion, be advisable if adopted to not fix tho boundaries permanently, but to make them subject to a further revision after two years’ trial and according to what strides the game makes in tho country districts ana

:ho consequent 'exigencies dictate. The fundamental principle to be observed in allocating areas of control was in tho effect It would exert on cup matches. The life ot

the game was dependent on competition. Mr Jackson added his support to the last opinion expressed. The present Auckland district had over forty teams to select representative players from, which made the task of the smaller associations in competing

Herculean. ; Touching on the Waikato Association Mr Norton moved, and it was carried, after having been seconded by Mr Fitzpatrick, that it bo a recommendation to the Now Zealand executive that Waikato should bo urged to cater for players in the Waipa County. The conditions existing in the Hawke’s Bay area were touched upon by Mr Lewis, v/ho explained that at present the progress of the game was not hindered there in any way by the existing boundaries. “Football in Taranaki is an asset to Neif Zealand,” said Mr Lewis when referring to Taranaki, and ho urged that the Dominion executive should bo advised to take steps to resuscitate the game of hockey in that district. The proposal was given the assent of the conference. Some correspondence was received from the Otaki clubs urging that the headquarters of hockey in the Horowhenua district should be shifted from Levin to Otaki, tints reviving a controversy which was first given rise to at a meeting of the Now Zealand Executive in . October of last year. It was urged that hockey in Levin had become moribund. Mr Korslako refuted the allegations, and uro-ed that tho matter should bo left as it “stands. This course was agreed to, tho conference being of opinion tliat the matter was one that lay within the control of tho Association involved. Tho conference thon_ adjourned for luncheon, arid tho districts of Fending, Manawatu and Wanganui were being considered this afternoon.