FOOTBALL.

NZ Truth, Issue 71, 27 October 1906, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

(By "Pakeha.") The Poneke Club wound up' a satisfactory season from its viewpoint, with a social gathering at Godber's rooms on Wednesday night week. The popular president (Dr. Newman) was m .the chair, and supporting him were such sterling followers of the sport and the fortunes of the red and blacks as . Andy Wiren, Bill Hood, Billy Brown, Harry Mclntyre and "Brassy" White. Other clubs Were well represented, and the Wellington Rugby Union had for its spokesman Jim Avery, whose expert manipulation of the secretarial reins of the local governing body has been praised m all quarters. The evening was pleasantly whiled away with song, speech and story, and the admirable arrangements of the committee- , which took m hand the function were a credit to themselves and the Club. In this connection the writer notes the good work done by secretary Dan Too'hill, and treasurer Charlie Mitchell, „ "Brassy" White's witty speech m proposing , the health of the' Press brought down the house. It was en..tertainjuog. .{d, a. jdegreej. and. nobody 6ii joyed' the saliie? •' madV^a't ''lJh^ir ekpiense itibre '%h&Tt 1 -ifo&: repTCsentatativeis 'of the- fourth' estate jftesesnt: In reply, Billy Coffef got' a. iew^K&ck at "Brassy," or- thought he 'did; whioh amounts : tier pretty I ' well '-the same thing: •■• •• -' ■>:.;•.■ ■'■■ .-.:. .-5..-:. Df ;; Newman' ; ; intimated,; r airidsi hearty hartd-cTapping, thai' next year he wquld.ask the Club members to: be his guests m that same room. l! The doctor is a firm Believer 'm promoting social ihtercburse, -which; he maintains, is conducive to good results m the playing arena- " ••■ ' '-. ■ • For _ .about the": 'first time- ifi the history, of the ■Wellington" Rugby Union the Executive, at the "last special meeting ' of ''delegates- 1 held last week, was praised ' for the adrhlnistratiive" work performed by it. during the season just closed. ' The-circuin- ■ stance .was; so novel that it is scarcer ly surprising to'- hear that chairman Brown and 'his colleagues were ktnockf ed .all of a heap:;' 1 ' Whiie; who, with all his countryman's love of -opposition has been agili v every mana/geme-tit (.oavnuttee for years. ; and years past, staggered everybody "by ■praising -the committee and, its' seo■retary up hill and down dale. ''JBjra.Sr sy" elaborately and effectively"ppinted out exactly where past committees' had failed m its duty and.. the .one now m office had succeeded. .'Wl(en Stan Brown recovered from the shock brought about by "Brassy's" unexpected compliments, he returned thanks on . behalf .of the : com'mdttee and seoretary Avery had a few Words to say m reply to the good things said of him. : : In recognition of . the (japable way m which Mr D. Avery has carried- out his secretarial duties during the past ' season, delegates at the. next r annual meeting of the Rugby. Union will probably .be asked to vote him an ad- ; dition 0f.£25 to hjs present screw of £50; And he has well earaed it. • 1 Accordin'p; to report, Harry Mclntyre, Tommy Hunter and Bjily Hales ; are not 'coming forward for re^lec--tion\ as committee.men : at the meeting of \ the Rugby Union., next l year.. The second, named, w/hd i-s.now; on his way to America,, does, not ex-, pect to return before April. Each has done good work on , the Union, and m Mac's case the loss oi 'his counsels will be a severe, one. 1 The proposal brought forward by Davie Weir to vote a sum of not more than ten guineas from the Rugby Union's funds to be expended m the purchase of souvenirs for Wallace and . Roberts .respectively, to - remind < them of the famous '.'All^B lack "tour, met with hearty endorsement s. by', delegates at last week's meeting; of • the Uniqn. Weir pointed out • thrat I other Unions had extended the same compliment to their representatives,; and it was only m accordance with the fitness of things that, the local Union should drop into line. In answer to, a question on the subjects the ; chairman stated that the .reception' eiven to Wallace and Roberts m the' Town Hall had resulted m a deficit : of £7 and the suspension of an ex-^ official of the . Uni on: How "tKg loss : came about has not' vet been 1 satis-' factorily explained, and- probably never -will. ■•-■■; .;. : . : ..t'; -f th'e satisfactary • of -the Wellington;-^u^y'- : .Ubidnv;at ; t*ie . present ' time is a" hifitter "for-' ''con- : : gratulatioh on tlie'^.rt of'ih^e guiding its' affairs as - c well as tfibse who are" bound; up i-n the" game m this , city. - ■ It ms to be Hoped: tliat : ther Union : will; ca^fully-'rairse the nest-; epsr .at. 'its command and not ''lndulge I •'in any wild?eat 'speoulations; -as our; friend Dani 1 Weir^eems to have; up! his sleeve,, I* is -all yery^ %ell' forDani -to cabotit' spending" ■ this : money, m .the. interests '^pf, the ffaiiie, ■but--.tlie.'pbsition v lofv : the''^'lpcttl>Utiion' i with its -paltry ■ £600 or . £7Oo"surplus ■■> and the N,Z\R:U; .with- ■• its ' £12,000 jn hand is' vastly different. Having touched' bottbm v >4he Union should not be: forced ■-into;-. undergoing . the ; s-ame torture; .- \-c:^H.-/.-:v^^ )■