FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4406, 12 July 1901, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

WELLINGTON RUGRT UNION.

A special general meeting of delegates to the Wellington Rugby Union was held last night at tho Trocadero, to consider two notices of motion made by Mr j jN. Galbraith and seconded by Mr. J. T. King. The first motion dealt with the -matter of the union’s representative unitorm, and proposed to substitute white knickerbockers for the black ones specified in the original by-law. The second motion proposed to confer upon officials of the union the power to report any player whom they might see playing the game in a rough manner.

Twenty-six delegates attended, and Mr N. Galbraith was appointed to the chair in the absence of the president and vicepresident. .

The first business discussed was that 'of amalgamation. Replies from Wairarapa, Horowhenua, Bush and Wanganui Unions were received. The only reply against the proposal was that from thp Wairarapa Union, which could see nothing to be gained by it. Wanganui asked for the terms "of union, and Horowhenua and the Bush Unions expressed themselves •s favourable to it. Mr Bourke moved that no further action be taken-for amalgamation. He had prophesied that Wairarapa would not come in—and they all knew that the only reason for the agitation was to get Wairarapa to join with Wellington. Mr Wylie seconded the "motion, saying that ho was of opinion that amalgamation would not be to the interests of Wellington football. • Mr Facho spoke to the motion, and said it would be a great mistake if amalgamation took place; -Wellington and Wairarapa once sailed under the one banner, but the northern players seceded from Wellington; and therefore it should be left for Wairarapa to approach the older union before amalgamation was seriously considered. The history of other places showed that splitting np was an advantage. He instanced Southland, -which vears ago seceded from; Otago. He believed neither union_ had had anv cause to regret the separation. ’ There was no further discussion on the matter, and the motion was put and agreed to without division. * Mr Fache then took the chair, so that Mr Galbraith might move his motion. Mr Galbraith’s motio- in favour of substituting white knickerbockers for black evoked a spirited discussion. Some dele, gates objected to the alteration on sentimental- grounds. Tt was pointed out that the Wellington public for twenty vears had seen its "all black” team uniformly successful, and it was byfinference «aid that the change would; be unlucky. The majority of the sneakers were against the change, -but a silent vote of 19 to 8 decided that the change should be made.. The motion for vesting the union’s offi. oials with the same powers .as "referees as to reporting rough play was next considered.

Mr Kellow’aaid he iyas against the innovation. It would mean that the accuser would be often in the position of trying the accused. * * Mr Campbell did .not think Wellington football had come to that state at which it was necessary'for “ten or twelve members to go round . looking for ■ .rough play. What was now called rough plav was nothing like what used to -be in the old days of Wellington football. He did -not think anything would be gained by the innovation proposed. 4 Mr Ramsay considered the proposition a wise step. - He was sure no member of the Management Committee- would re. port J a player .unless his play was really had-. . Mr Brodie thought the motion desirable. Speaking of the recent McAnally case, he said that it seemed to him—although he admitted he did not know the ins-and-outs of the case—that either the refgree failed in his duty or the Management Committee did.

Mr W. King asked what would be done if a committeeman reported a player for rough play and the referee said the play reported on was' not rough play? Mr Grant complained that the Manage, ment Committee had a better scope for keeping down rough play by looking after the "barrackers’’ on the line, whoso advice to players to "deal it out” often led to rough play. Mr Crombie said he had only last week seen two instances of rough play, which had not been seen by the referee. He would support the motion. Mr Murray thought the real way out of the difficulty would be to adopt the expedient of the Northern Rugby Union of England, and play with two referees instead of one.

Mr Bourke said he agreed with Mr Fellow’s remarks. There was a doubt as ro whether rough play or bad language was the worst. The speaker thought rough play was far the worst. (Hear, hear.) Some players were only using their natural language when they offended in the way of words which were objectionable.

Mr Galbraith, in replying, said he count see no strength in tlie arguments brougat to.ward. In a great many cases which he had seen tuere had teen as many as ten miringemenis. The rule was meant to miet tu-i case of players who to-t occasion to piay roughly a. Hr they had ascertained tnat the referee was not near enough to detect them. There might be something in Mr Mu.ray’s suggestion, but the speaxer tn.ught his woufii better meet the case. As to Mr Kellow’s objection, it would hardly be likely that u committeeman would vote on a question which had arisen through a report made by himself. Mr Fache, before putting the motion, said that care would have to be taken that the ivues of the game were not contravened. He might be wrong, but he cud not think that the English Rugby Union would recognise a disqualification made by icason of a committeeman's report. Tlie motion was declared carried by 14 votes to 13. Mr Grant called for a fur. ther division, because all the members had not voted. The motion was then declared carried by 15 to 13. Mr Crombie raised a point whether Wellington's second senior representative teams —which were picked while the best team was away touring—should be entitled to representive caps. He thought caps were becoming “too cheap’’ now. It was pointed out that very often some of the best players who were unable to gj with the travelling team were included in the second senior team which played at home.

Mr Grant instanced a case in which he, as referee, had reported a man for kicking a player lying on the ground, in which the player had only been suspended for a week. He compared the case with that of Jack Spencer, who was "sent up’’ for the rest of the season for “punching a man.’’ He had no objection to make to Spencer’s sentence, but he thought the other man had been treated too leniently ll judged by Spencer’s case. Mr Galbraith said the evidence given in each case had been fully and carefully considered, and what was considered an equitable decision in each case was given. On the weight of the evidence it was decided that no punishment could justly be inflicted on the man who kicked another. The referee’s evidence bad a lot to do with the decision being arrived at. Messrs Belhune and Murray pointed out the urgent need for having a second turn, stile erected at the Athletic Park. It v-as decided to recommend the Park authorities to take the necessary steps tc give better egress to the grounds. The question of old representative players who had not been supplied with caps was mentioned by some players so situated who were present as delegates. - It was decided that the. Management Committee of the union would consider each case on its merits if applications were made to it by players. -

The Melrose Football Club has defaulted to Wellington in the senior championship match c et down for next Saturday, so the Wellington Club has now established its right to he regarded ag the champion team of Wellington. The club is to be congratulated on its position, for it has for _ several successive seasons battled against def'ats with great heart and unvarying persistence. The second team in the competition—Poneke —has also greatly improved upon its position of past years. I r has to its credit the record of two drawn games and no losses against the champion team.

(By Telegraph.—Own, Correspondent.) WANGANUI, July 10. At a meeting of the Rugby. Union the Pirates Football Club was dealt with for walking off the field on Saturday last \yhen two of their players were ordered off for bad language. The president of the club apologised on behalf of the club. The vice-captain was suspended till the end of the present season for taking the men off the field, and a vote of censure was passed on the team for leaving' the field. The committee found that the accusations of the Pirates against" the referee were unfair and unfounded, and decided that the members of the club be suspended till a written apology, signed by all the members of the team, b e received by the union. Three members of the Kaierau team were suspended till the end of the season for rough play, and a Pirate was suspended till July 10th, .1902, for the same offence. Two spectators were warned,.off all grounds for hooting the referee.