OFFICIAL SUSPENDED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19486, 16 November 1926, Page 16

OFFICIAL SUSPENDED.

ATHLETIC COUNCIL MEMBER, OBJECTION TO CRITICISM. WITHDRAWAL INSISTED ON. CHALLENGE TO THE CHAIRMAN. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Monday. Spirited exchanges between the chairman, Mr. R. W. McVilly, and the Wanga-©ni-West Coast delegate, Mr. F. Wilton, a meeting of the council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association this evening. The meeting was a special one called to consider the position of Mr. Wilton, who refused to withdraw a remark ho was alleged to have made "that the council was like a body of showmen." After a heated anc lengthy discussion a resolution x y Mr. Wilton should be suspended from sitting as a member of the council until he withdraws his remarks was carried. Mr. McVilly, after explaining the circumstances that led up to the incident remarked that if during the course ot a debate any lember made use of an expression which the chairman thought ought not to have been used and asked for a withdrawal of ihoso remarks, then the right and proper thing was to obey the ruling of the chairman. e 1C gretted that Mr. Wilton did not avail himself of the opportunities he had had to adopt that course. iio moved that Mr. Wilton, having disregarded the ruling of th' 3 chair, should bo suspended. Auckland Intervenes. The secretary, Sr. A. Tracy, who seconded the motion, read a letter from the Wanganui-West Coast Centre stating that their executive viewed with surprise the motion Mr. McVilly proposed to move and asked thai the matter should be postponed until it was placed before all the centres. The secretary also read a letter from the Auckland Centre stating that they had been asked by the WanganuiWest Coast Centre to intervene in- the dispute. Mr. Guy: I rise to a point of order, Mr. Chairman. What right has Auckland to intervene in this matter? Mr. Wilton said he wanted no favouritism, but he had come to the meeting expecting justice and he felt sure he was not going to be disappointed. He added: "While debating the proposal to bring athletes /" The Chairman: Please confine your remarks to the question under discussion. Mr. Wilton: If you are going to attempt to prevent me from stating my case it makes the matter very difficult. The Chairman : Once again you are imputing wrong motives. You must be particular to confine your remarks to the question under discussion. Mr. Wilton went on to say that during discussion at a meeting at which the trouble first - occurred he had given his opinion that, instead of festering athletics in the smaller centres, the council was acting like an "enterprising showThe Chairman; Nothing of the sort. A Spirited Exchange. Mr. Wilton reiterated that the herm he l}ad used was "enterprising showman." * "Who," he asked, "is likely to remember ' She exact words; I who used them, or vou, sir? In the heat of the moment you refuse to listen to a couple of delegate apd take up that dogmatic attitude which is quite unworthy of the office yon hold* 1 will allow no , man to call me 3 liar and go unchallenged. The Chairman f I must request you to take back that torm. You must with draw it. Mr. Wilton : I will but I will not be told that I am guilty of untruthfulness by any man. lam . quite at a loss, Mr. Chairman, to understand jour persistency. Mr. R. Connor said he failed to see any grave reason to warrant 'so drastic a , resolution. It was only a trivial thing and the incidont could be overlooked. The Chairman.: What .sort of "bear garden" would the council be if every member disobeyed the ruling whenever he shougbt fit? ' The motion that Mr. Wilton should be suspended from sitting as a member of the council until he withdrew his remarks was carried by seven votes to tihree. At the evening session Mr. Wilton did lot take his place as a delegate. *