HOCKEY CONTROVERSY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17380, 31 January 1920, Page 6

HOCKEY CONTROVERSY

AUCKLAND AND CANTERBURY HOPES OF A SETTLEMENT. [BT TELEGRAPH.—PBESS ASSOCIATION.} CHRISTCHTJRCH, Friday. A lengthy discussion took place at today's meeting of the. executive of the New Zealand Hockey Association arising out of a letter from the Auckland Association concerning the trouble with Canterbury over &T. L. 0., Kent's refereeir.g in the recent /Shield match. The . chairman, Mr. H. S. Goodman, stated that he had arranged a. conference between Mr. L. H. Norton (Auckland) and Mr. Simpson (Canterbury), at which a great deal of misunderstanding had been cleared up. The position briefly put as a result of this conference- was that if the executive wrote to Auckland that Canterbury, having withdrawn v its resolution which had caused the friction, and the executive having rescinded its resolution direct-

ing, Auckland to withdraw its motion in the'matter of refi-sing to play Canterbury, the trouble would probably be settled. 'Mr. E. S. Cowper said thought this unsuitable,-, as it made . Canterbury look small. .It appeared ■ .'that: Canterbury would take directions from the executive while' Auckland refused to do so. The Chairman: If the treeting does not back roe up I will retire. I do not want to throw down the gauntlet, but that- is my attitude. Let us settle the matter now we have the opportunity. In reply to a question, the chairman stated that if Auckland refused to accept the proposal and to play Canterbury, the rule* provided that it must forfeit the shield. On the motion of Mr. R. Browning it wag decided to send a resolution directmg Canterbury to rescind the resolutions that that body had passed, it being presumed that Auckland would at the same time wipe out the resolutions standing in its books regarding the refusal to play Can. terbury, Mr. Cowper was the only dissentient.