FOOTBALL.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 678, 30 March 1909, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

MANAWATU RUGBY UNION.. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report ot the Manawatu Rugb3 Union, to be presented to the annual meeting to-night, congratulates delegates on a successful seaaou. After referring to tlio interest takeu in the oup matohes and the finanoial auocesß of the British match the report proceeds:— Considerable Motion was caused in the matter of securing grounds on satisfactory terras for this matoh, and a great deal of publioity ensued, As a result ol the efforts made by your committee a reduotion of the percentage oliargo for this matoh only was obtained, hat no alteration or-ooucession has yet been made with regard to the charges to the Union. Abont £l5O was paid to the A. and P. Association in rents last year, and a promise was made that £SO would

be expended on improving the Show grounds for football, but np to the present no improvement is discernible.

This btings you face to face with the question- of new grounds, and the committee notes with pleasure the abtivity of the present Borough Council in providing extra playing fields, It behoves the incoming committee to make every enquiry into the possibility of securing these before renewing the agreement with the A. and P. Association.'

Daring the past season the sum of £ll3 was expended in truring, and constitutes a great drain on the finances of the Union. Your committee thereforii urges upon delegates .-the necessity of curtailing home and

home matohea. A step in the right direction w«s taken in making Horowhenua a yearly fixtme, and a •• Boggeatiou lias been made to adopt the same coarse with regard to WangaQui. During the coming visits are expected from the representatives (if Wellington; Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, and; Wanganui; With tbe r exception •of a visit to H.Drowlienna no travelling need;, he undertaken by this Union. .Visits

to Unions in the South Island are certainly due, but as theso would involve an expenditure of about £2OO it would be advisable to defer the trip.

About the end ot the soasou your oommittee was under the painful ueceßsity of'suspeuding a player named Horace Hewitt for failng to attend a meeting to explain why he failed to take part in a representative match when selected and because of the terms in which a letter to the Management Oommittee was conolied. The N;Z; Union, however, refused to endorse the disqualification, and year oommittee placed the matter before'the Appeal Oommittee,

bnt that body hold "that refusing to give effect to a rule did not constitute disobedience" and dismissed

the appeal. Having given such a ruling it would be interesting to learn how far this Union has power

to enforce its rules, and yonr committeo consider!) that the whole of the Union's roles, should now bo placed bbfore the N.Z. Union for interpretation. :4' The accident fund was, the com* rait tee learns, weli,supported during the season,' ati'd' the'' balance sheet sh6ws a credit of £4312s lid and the Union has not been called upon for any contribution for the past three Beasons. ' From the' general balauceiheet it will be shown that the season started with/a oreditr■balance of £l6 Is id, and there is now a.debit balance, of £so 8s Bd.. In., view of the heavy expenditure last Season in travelling -the benefits of which will be derived this season in roturn roatohes—tnis.position must be considered v;ory ;i satiEfaotory. , .''.,'."". ." Tlio Oommltt'o3 notes with pleawi'Q the activitron the part of olnbs with reference to a gymnasium, and one ol.tliejiirsfc dutiesj.o.f the incoming committee should bo to institute some' soiie.uie whereby this much* needed institution could be founded; Last' a ; deputation from tliia Union waited upon ,the A. and P. Association with a view to. seenring one of the winter, show buildings for use as a gymnasium, but the terms asked were"prohibitive.. The Buildings are eminently suited for the purposo, and the committee has now reason to believe that the Association is prepared to offer more liberal terms for use of same. as in former years the Referees' Association lent invaluable assistance last season in controlling mutohes, and the' monitors of that body deserve the thanks of all, interested in football. The thanks of the Union are due to the Feilding Raoiug Cilub for the free use of their raoecour*o for matches. The generosity of this club cannot be too highly expressed and its aotiou has assisted greatly to popularise the game In Feilding. Thanks are again due to Drs. Peaoh (Pahnerston)and Willis (Feilding) for services rendered as honorary snrgeous, also to Messrs S. Watson and Fairbrother, as hou. auditors, etc., and the press of Palmerston and Feilding, * No cases of misconduct by players

wero brought under the notice of the Union. In oouolusiou the report draws attention to the possible danger of professionalism.

OTAQO RUGBY UNION,

GOVERNING BODY CRITICISED.

Dunedin, Yesterday.

In moving the adaption of the an* nual report at the ■meeting-of the Otago Rogby Union the president (Mr James Hutchison) referred to the recent visit of the Euglish team, All things considered, the team whioh visited New Zealand was hardly op to the average provincial team in the Dominion. Whatever were the chances, under favourable oircnmstances, which the team might have had of winning its engagements, it was absolutely impossible as things turned out that the British footballers could go on the Held with any reasonable expectation of suooess. The members of the

team had treated their responsibility very lightly, and had done little if any serious training. Great Britain would have to send out a much stronger team to New Zealand bofore they could take from New Zealand the football supremacy they could fairly lay olaim to. Mr Hutchison reviewed the steps taken to revise and improve the laws of the game, and complained that nothing had been done. The check which had now been given the movement for the improvement of the game was apparently doe to the faot that the committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union was unsympathetic, and had done nothing to facilitate the oarryiug into effect of those recommendations, and had by its apathy actually thrown obstructions in the way. This was not the only instance during the past twelve months that tlnre had been cause tor complaint against the New Zea» land Union. He would not refer to the dispute at the time .of die British match, but something was'neoesßary to oheck the power of the Union, whioh had, in the past, been despotically and tyrauioally exercised. Mr F. H. Campbell was elected president for the ensuing year.