FOOTBALL INQUIRIES

Northern Advocate, 12 June 1929, Page 4

FOOTBALL INQUIRIES

The Management Committee of the Whanga.roi Rugby Union, at a meeting held last evening, had before it two players who were ordered off the field on Saturday afternoon last. The facts of the cases were discussed “in committee. ” The advisability of discussing privately matters which are of public interest is open to question. We are decidedly of the opinion that the Management Committee would be acting in the interests of impeached players, the cause of football and the public generally, if the whole of the facts of any disciplinary or other matters were diseussedi openly. Incidents which give rise to investigation by the committee take place in full view of the public, who have a right to know exactly what treatment is meted out to those charged with the commission of offences. If inquiries held by the Management Committee were made open to the press, common, justice would be done to referees, players and public, and the Management Committee would free itself from criticism which, because it is founded to some extent on hearsay, is frequently unfair. Whatever may be said for investigations “in committee,’ ’ there can be no question as to the right of the public to be informed of decisions made in camera by the. tribunal. These decisions should most certainly be made available to the press. The Management Committee last evening decided to withhold its decisions in respect of the two men whose suspensions by referees were under discussion. Such a. line of conduct is regrettable, because it can only have the effeet of aggravating, the vo’ry thing which the committee evidently desires to avoid.