FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18514, 27 March 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL

OTAGO KUGBY UNION. ANNUAL MEETING. Tim annual meeting of the Otago Rugby Union was held in the Trades Hall on Saturday evening. Mr H. Harris (president) occupied the chair, and there was a largo attendance of delegates from the various clubs affiliated to the union. In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet the chairman said that ho would like to oongartulate them on the large number of delegates presentevery senior club was represented by its full number, which, he thought, was a record. He was very pleased to see Dr Fitzgerald there as a representative of the University Club. All old Otago players were very welcome at their meetings. Continuing, the chairman said that he congratulated delegates on the success which had attended their operations during the past year. The outstanding feature of the season had been the visit of the South Africans. He did not think that ever in the history of football in New Zealand had so much interest been aroused by a visiting team. Ever since the South Africans had visited England—following the visit of the All Blacks—they had looked forward to the time when New Zealand and South Africa would meet on the football field. That anticipation had now eventuated, and perhaps they had been a bit disappointed at the result. The attendances had been very great. The team itself had proved a very powerful side—probably the hardest side to beat that had ever toured New Zealand. At the same time he thought that it would be admitted by all good judges of the game that the standard of Kugby attained in the tests was not as high as it should have been in such contests. There was a tendency to sacrifice the brilliancy of the game in the desire to win. He might put it that both sides were frightened of each other, and they therefore did not get the standard of play they had hoped for. tho weather in the last test had been very unpropitious. The match ended in a draw, and it was hard to say which was the better side. They had powerful forwards —probably the heaviest ever seen in New Zealand, and they to a certain extent dominated the game and prevented back play. They looked forward with interest to the visit of a New Zealand team to South Africa - they would see by the cablegrams received that day that an invitation was to bo exi tended to them for next year —and if they j were going to retain the ashes it would | be necessary that they should send away j their strongest side.—(Hear, hear.) As they i were aware, they were going to have a • visit from a French team for this year, i He was sure the visitors would have a i great reception from players and public alike. It was to be hoped that the Manage- | ment Committee of the New Zealand Rugby 1 Union would learn from the blunders ic i had mode during the tour of the South Africans. —(Hear, hear.) A lot of errors had been made, which would not have occurred iiad the tour been properly managed, and it was to be hoped that the Management Committee of the New Zealand Union would see to it that these errors were not repeated with the French team. —(Hear, hear.) 'lne speaker went on to detail the steps which had been taken to secure more playing areas, and said that the City Council was impressed with the necessity of providing extra areas as soon as possible. They were going to get an additional ground at Opoho. It would not, however, be available this year, but he understood that the council was going to make a start on the work immediately. The cost would bo about £250. 'ihe Citv Council would contribute £SO, the Garden Fete Fund £l5O, and the union and the Alhambra Club £SO. The Alhambra Club had been very good in helping to improve their grounds—it realised that it required two grounds, and it spoke a great deal for its energy that it had been able to do so well in raising money with that object in view.—(Hear, hear.) Their primary school football continued to grow, and 48 teems had played in the A and B sections last season—about three times tho number they had had. in these competitions a few years ago. It was proposed, he understood, to have a C Grade, and this would bring the smaller boys into the competition. Owing to tho extent to which the various games had increased a State Primary Schools Association had been formed to control them, and under tho new scheme the school football would be controlled by the association, under the jurisdiction of the Management Committee of the union. It would now be necessary for the Management Committee to arrange another committee for the secondary schools. Under the old arrangement the Schools Association ran both competitions Under one committee. Reference "as made by tho speaker to the very up-to-date -grandstand at Carisbrook and the ready manner in which the public last year had subscribed the £2500 of debentures required to pay the cost of extending the stand. The public. l it would be seen, had confidence in their committee—(hey could, in fact, have easily obtained double the amount they required.— (Applause.) As regarded tho accident fund, the scheme was not a complete scheme or a scheme that perhaps reached as far as it, should. It had cost the union a considerable amount of money, and he understood that in addition to the amount received from the benefit match their committee would have to pay about £l5O into tho fund. The thanks of the delegates were particularly due to Dr Evans —without his advice and assistance it would have been impossible to carry on the scheme as successfully as it had been carred on—(Applause.) Dr Evans had gone to endless trouble in connection with the scheme, and his work had been of very great service to the committee.—(Applause.) The balance sheet would show how their financial transactions were growing. The , amount which the treasurer pui _ through his hands last year on the expenditure side on behalf of the union came to £7700. Their assets now totalled £5703. The liabilities were fairly heavy, but the balance of assets over liabilities was £2355. —(Applause.) That was a very satisfactory position for the union to be in, and as this year there would be a number of touring teams coming south, no doubt they would improve their position very considerably. Their treasurer (Mr Dunne) had had a very arduous year. Last year the Finance Committee had recommended that the treasurer bo given a bonus for his extra work during the previous year, but ho had refused to take anything—he said that he felt that ho had to do Tiis share as well as other members of the committee.—(Applause.) That might be Ids last opportunity of addressing an annual meeting from the presidential chair, concluded the speaker, and, in relinquishing his office, he would like to thank delegates and the members of centre for their very hearty support during his term of office. Any success that might have attended the operations of the union during his term of office could not have been attained without the whole-hearted support of delegates and members of committee. He was quite sure that while delegates appointed as sound men to act on the committee as had sat on it in the past they need have no fear as to the future of Rugby in Otago—(Loud applause.) Mr T. O'Shea seconded the motion. He complimented the committee on tho excellent report which had been presented. The motion was carried unanimously. ALTERATION OF RULES, Mr W. J. Strong moved that an alteration be made to Rule 6, to enable the immediate past-president of the union to be ox officio a member of the committee. Mr .1. Davidson seconded the motion. Mr C. Young supported the motion. Ho said that Mr Harris had proved himself such an excellent president during the past 10 years that they would find it difficult tor get on without him. Tho motion was carried unanimously. SENIOR CLUBS. Mr D. MacFarlane moved that tho Taieri Rovers Club be allowed to play as seniors. He 1 minted out that tho Taieri Club had had to drop down to the junior ranks during the war, but that at tho present time there wore a number of very promising players in Mosgiel. Mr C. Young seconded the motion. Mr W. Allan said that it would be in the host, interests of Rugby in the Taieri if the Taieri Rovers Club was put back into the senior ranks. Mr G. M'Laron supported the motion. He said that it had been argued that there were already too many senior Hubs in the Dunedin competition, but they should strive to bring out the young players and give them an incentive to gain the highest honours on the football field. Messrs O. W. C, Macdonald, W. J. Wilson, and J. Mitchell, also supported the motion. Mr Mitchell suggested that' if there were too many senior teams they might split them up into two .-vet ions. Mr K. EidrUiiru contended that too many senior tea ins was not in the best interests of Ihe game. The fact, that nine nr ten players might, leave the present senior clubs in Dunedin to play for Ihe Taieri team did not influence him in any way in his opposition to Ihe motion. In answer In a question 'regarding the likelihood of a bye in the competition, Mr W J Strong said that the University Club v bail unanimously decided to play an A and

B team this season. Both teams would be very strong. The University Club had about, 400 students to pick from. The B team would, to the best of their ability, meet their engagements during the vacation. After further discussion, the motion was put and carried by 24 votes to 7. (As matters stand now, there will bo 11 teams in the senior competition.) It was decided to refer an application from the physical department of the Y.M.C.A. for permission to enter a team to play competitive Rugby to the committee of management for favourable consideration. The team will probably be in the third or fourth grade. OFFICE-BEARERS. The Chair'man .said that he had great pleasure in nominating Mr V. G. Cavanagh, one of their vice-presidents, for the position of president. They all knew Mr Cavanagh—his capabilities and the very valuable work he had done for Rugby football. Mr Cavanagh had thoroughly earned the honour of being their president. Messrs Dunne and D. M. Stuart were nominated for the position, but declined. Mr Harris was nominated for re-election, but he, too, declined. Mr Cavanagh was then unanimously elected, and took the chair amidst loud applause. Mr Strong pointed put that Mr Harris, as immediate past president, automatically took a position, ex officio, on the Committee of Management. Dr Evans, and Messrs D. M. Stuart, W. J. Wilson. H. H. S. White, W. Allan, and G. A. Nelson were nominated for the position of vice-presidents (four). A ballot was taken, and resulted in the election of Dr Evans, and Messrs Stuart, Wilson, and Nelson. Mr J. J. Dunne was re-elected treasurer, amidst applause. Messrs Monkman and Chalmers were re-elected auditors. The following were elected a Committee of Management (10): —Messrs H. H. S. White, W. J. Strong, P. J. Priest, W. Brown, R. C. Procter, S. G. Styohe, H. A. Cook, A. M‘Donald, G. M‘Laren, J. D. King. Eighteen nominations were received. DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS. Mr Dunne said that last year the Christian Brothers had been invited to compete in the schools’ competition, but during the year he had learnt that the Schools’ Association was not going to allow their primary team to plav in the competition this year. He considered that a great hardship was going to be inflicted on these boys, and they were going to drive them out of the game. The boys played under an age and weight limit. He thought that the association might reconsider its decision. He did not see why the boys of the Christian Brothers’ School and the M'Glashan College should not be allowed to play in the primary schools’ competition. This was the only place where this position had crept in. He would move: “TJiat, in the opinion of the committee, the Christian Brothers’ School and the M'Glashan College should again be invited to play in the primary competitions.” Mr O’Shea seconded the motion. Mr Harris explained that a State Primary Schools’ Association had been formed to control all the sports of the primary schools. They could not say to the association that it had got to admit schools which were not State primary schools. The Christian Brothers was also a secondary school, and its secondary team was admitted by the union for this particular grade. It seemed to him that the Primary State Schools’ Association had a perfect right to say that it was going to conduct its primary school football. The meeting might pass the resolution, but he was afraid that that would not end the matter. Was it fair to expect the State Primary Schools’ Association to run a competition for schools which wore not State schools ? Mr Dunne: They have the same syllabus as the primary schools. Mr Harris said it seemed a perfectly logical attitude that, the State primary school teachers had taken up. Mr Macdonald said that the position had changed during the last year or two. The teachers in the primary State schools had had put upon them the contrdi of all sports, and an association had been formed to control these sports—Rugby and Association football, hockey, swimming, tennis, cricket, and so on. They had something like 12,000 children to rater for. They took these during their school hours, and he must say that they were not prepared to go outside their primary schools. Since the teachers had taken up the work they knew how the schools had gone ahead. They would have over 40 teams competing this year, and they were unanimous in making the association only a . primary school association. Tiio allegation had been brought before them that they were making it. a, question of religion. He could assure delegates that in the primary schools the question of religion had never beeh brought up. They had almost every religion represented in their schools, and amongst their teachers, and the teachers were unanimous that they would conduct all their own sports. He was perfectly certain that the*arrangement would be carried out as he had said. They had only formed an organisation for their own schools —they did not interfere with anybody else at all. He thought it was a perfectly logical and sound arrangement to make. The others coa.d make their own arrangements—they, did not come to our schools. They hud got no good word for our schools. Mr Dunne; How do you know? Mr Macdonald: I know it. They have all sorts of things to say about our schools. If the children did not come to their schools he did not see why they should want to exploit the sports of these schools. They had more than they could do with at the present time and they were not prepared to take outsiders. Mr White said that the Rugby Union was formed to foster Rugby football, and not for the benefit of one section. He would very much like to see the competition go on as before. He thought it was a groat mistake that’boys who were attending outside schools through no fault of their own were to be debarred from playing, yet immediately they .eft school they could play football with these boys whom they could not play football with before. They were creating a spirit in the child when it was young and when it became older it was inclined to be bitter. Mr Youne said that he did not like the idea of cutting out anybody from football, lie was not a Catholic, and was never likely to be one At the same time he had got the interests of Rugby at heart and if the schools committee took uri this attitude it devolved on the Rugby Union tp see that some scheme was evolved to allow those boys to play. Mr H. Cook said ho did not see why one section of boys should bo cut out of playing in the primary schools’ competition. The Chairman (Mr Cavanagh) said the point was not being fairly put. The boys were not being cut out of playing Rugby football—they were being cut out of playing in the State primary schools’ competition because they did not go to the schools. The union, however, would have to provide the boys with games. They could not. however, tell the Schools’ Association that it had to work and give its time in arranging games for boys who did not come to the State schools. Mr Harris said that the Committee of the Union had not yet discussed the matter. Ho thought that the committee would have to take into consideration the question of forming a competition for boys outside the primary schools. He was personally very sorry to see any school cut out of the competition, but he must confess that the State primary school teachers had logic on their side Mr Dnnne, in reply, said that he could not see any sportsmanlike action in the attitude taken up by the Schools’ Association. He felt that the move would be the means of introducing the Northern Union gome Ho was sure that the delegates wore not in favour of the action the masters wore taking. lie was not looking at it as a religious question at all. If ho did not misjudge footballers and the football-loving public (hey would not endorse the action of the Teachers’ Association. He hoped that, the schools would be guided by the feeling of the meeting. Mr Dunne then agreed to alter his motion to read; “That. it. be a recommendation to the incoming committee to urge the Schools’ Committee to allow the Christian Brothers and M’Glashan Schools to compete in the primary schools competition.’’ The motion was carried by a substantial majority . COUNTRY FOOTBALL. The question of what lines to adopt to further foster the relations between town" and country football was left to tljo incoming committee. PRESENTATION-TO MR HARRIS. The Chairman said Unit he had a very pleasing duty to perform, and that was to present their retiring president, Mr Harris, with a slight token of their esteem and recognition of the highly valuable services lie had rendered to football during his term of 26 years on the executive and 10 years as president. Contributions to the present had been received right throughout Otago, and the spontaneous manner in which they were made spoke well for the esteem iti which Mr Harris was. held. Mr Harris had a splendid record, and owe of wliich any man would bo proud. Ho was

fair, saw both sides of a question, and in fact was the most unbiassed man he had ever hud the pleasure of sitting with on a committee. Mr Harris had attained success in ail branches of their great game. He had represented Otago on the tield, he had been a sole selector for Otago, and was one of the three selectors who had picked the famous All Black team which hod gone to England. They wore proud of him. Mr Cavanagh then presented Mr Harris with a. beautiful gold watch, suitably inscribed, and a Nellie Stewart bangle for Mrs. Harris. Delegates then heartily sang “For they are jolly good fellows,” and three cheers were given for Mrs Harris. Messrs G. M Laron, W. J. Wilson, and Macdonald also highly eulogised the work Mr Harris had done for the game, and referred to his genera) popularity. The presents were but a slight recognition of the splehdid services Mr Harris had rendered ’ to one and all connected with this grand old game of Rugby football.—(Loud applause.) Ho could not have done what he had without the support of Mrs Harris— Mrs Harris, indeed, must, have been as keen a supporter of the game as their retiring president himself. Mr Harris, who was obviously taken by surprise, said that ho did not expect such handsome presents, and ho did not deserve them. It was, however, very, very nice to come there and know that somebody did appreciate one’s services. During his term of office he had always endeavoured to do what he considered right and fair. The years that he had spent on the Rugby Union Committee—about a quarter of a century—he did not think had been wasted. For one thing he had made lifelong friends —friends whom any man would be proud to know. Any successes that might have attended his efforts during his term of office had been to a very great extent made possible by the fact that he had tried to follow the very able example set by otheHYneh who had occupied the presidential chair. Ho was very pleased that they had recognised Mrs Harris as they hart done. There wa a no getting away from it—those Who put in time in_ the interests of sports and other Organisations must to a certain extent neglect their homes, but Mrs Harris was just as keen a follower of the game as he was.—(Applause.) He thanked them once again. He could assure them that he would treasure their gifts as long as he lived.—(Loud applause.) SELECTORS. Mr Nelson said that he considered that, the delegates who attended the ahnual meeting should have provision made to enable them to elect the Selection Committee.—(Hear, hear.) To that end he proposed to move that they meet again in four weeks’ time at a special meeting and appoint the Selection Committee, His reason for calling the meeting later was to enable delegates to discuss amongst themselves the proper method of. electing the committee. The question was raised whether the motion was in order, and Mr Nelson said ho would withdraw it and bring the matter up at a later date. WELLINGTON RUGBY UNION. (Per United Press A'sbooiation.l WELLINGTON, March 25. The local Rugby Union, in its annual report, states that £1932 was received for gate money from local matches, which, with receipts from big matches, such as New South Wales v. Wellington £725, Africans v. Wellington £453, and Africans v. Now Zealand £655, made the total receipts £6544. Improvements to Athletic Park cost £2717, and others still in hand will cost a further £2639. ALL BLACKS AND SPRINGBOKS. (Per United Press Association.) CAPETOWN, March 24. The onnual meeting of the Rugby Board decided to form a. committee with a view to procuring guarantees from the various unions, so as to invite a New Zealand Rugby team to visit South Africa in 1923. Reuter.

THE THRESHING MILL HANDS AWARD. TO the editor. Sir,—Mr J. E. MacManus has things # a little mixed in quoting Mr Bunn in his letter in the Daily Times of the 18th inst. He says “ that the Canterbury mill owners claimed in their evidence that 60 bushels an acre were an average for good teams,”'as if the teams were aole to control the yield, and also that tlie men* are paid piece-work there. Not at all. Unless the crop goes over 80 or 90 bushels per hour they will not work piece-work, and I may tell him that there are very few Canterbury farms that can thresh 80, or even 50, bushels to the acre, either of oats or wheat. If Mr MacManus will take my farm, where there are over 1100 acres of urst-class land, with 109 acres of wheat, half of which is a good crop, and 107 acres of oats, and show a profit off the crops after allowing for seed wheat at 8s per bushel, 2owt of manure at the rate of £7 10s per ton, ploughing, working, up, sowing, reaping, twine, stocking and stacking, threshing, carting to the railway, bags, and selling, and, mind you, farm wages as low as they aro at present, he is welcome to the farm. He quotes page 155 of the report of the Cost of Living Commission of 1912, not 1921. It was a different matter to grow at a profit in 1912 from what is the case now. Mr MacManus must bear in mind that sacks in 1912 were 4d each, as against Is 3d now, that labour was plentiful, and good labour at that—not union labour, whic h means “get as much as you can and do as little work as you can. ’ Bread was then 6jd per loaf, and labour was 10jd per hour and found, and in those davs we got a day’s work” from a man. Implements have gone up 300 per cent., and repairs accordingly. Can you wonder that the farmers combine to work their own farms, though some of the union representatives say we cannot do this according to law. Why will not the union bring a test case to stop us co-operating? Mr MacManus goes on then to warn Mr Bunn —warn him, mind you—and to tell him that low wage® mean a low-purchasing power and unemployment and a low price for primary products. If the workers could see a fraction ahead of them they would realise that a small wage would keep them employed and the cost of living would come down accordingly. In 1912 a farmer would employ two men, whereas now he hesitates before employing one, because the price he eventually gets for his products will not stand it. Mr MacManus tells Mr Bunn that “(ho sooner he realises that in modern society we are all mutually de_poridcnt one on another and that the division of labour results in collective production and collective distribution, the better it will be.” Quite so, and everything depends on the fanner, not on the union representative, who is often incapable of doing an “ordinary” day’s work, but receives a salary of anywhere up to £2O a week for what, in my experience, and a long one at that, is making trouble for the workers and for nobody else. I knew one Labour renresentative who wont into a shearing shod and found two young men. non-unionists, shearing a few wet ewes —a cut out at 4.30 p.m. on a Saturday. after thev had been idle for three days waiting for the sheep to dry. and they had another shed to go to on Monday morning. He told them they had no right to be working at that time on Saturday, and he threatened to take action against them, hut they, being non-unionists, defied him, and he was powerless. He tried to induce them to join the union because then ho would have been able to make a case against them, but he got a good solid tnlkincr to. and ho was glad to leave tho_ shed. Now. here were two young men trying to do their duty, as duty I call it. shearing wet ewes, when they have been in the shed perhaps three days. Can anybody imagine that helping a union? I asked those two young men if they were going to ioin the union as asked to by the union representative, and they said that they would see him in > place where the temperature is not supposed to bo very cool.—l am, etc., Frank Cmaki.es.