NOTES BY FORWARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2250, 15 April 1897, Page 35

NOTES BY FORWARD.

*.* "Where is this sort of thing to stopf was the inquiry by Mr Reatieaux at the annual meeting of the O.R.F.U. when an instruction to the committee to recognise Mr Montgomery's services was proposed. I do not think the question was altogether justified. The Otago Union has not been a sinner in the matter of testimonialising. Writing from memory I can only recall a testimonial to a former secretary who had served for iome years and a subscription last year to a fund that was being raised ia recognition of services that were alleged to have been rendered by the promoter of a~uuion in the north. The Otago Union has not, therc- | fore, occasion to reproach itself on the score of, I at any rate, the number of testimonials ife has i given ; and I am satitfied that & testimonial to j Mr Montgomery was much better deserved than either of the other testimonials I have ruenI tioned. Such a question as Mr Restieaux ( asked might fairly be pub at meetings of some i of the northern unions, whero the delegates | regularly nieaßuru the valuo of the services of • the executive officers by tho rather degrading I standard of pounds, shillings, and pence. j • . • One can hardly repress a feeling of im- | patience at the complaint which is repeatedly i being made that the interests of country clubs j in Otago are ignored — deliberately ignored, ib lis inferred— by the committee. It is within ' ir.y knowledge, from my intercourse with mem- ! hers of the committee, that the very opposite i=i tho case. It is not reasonable to suppose ! that tbe committee should be continually de- | vising means to present country clubs with fjomn attraction while the country clubs tbem- ' selves offer no auggestion as to how that end is ' 'nest to be accomplished. It is impossible to 1 believe that the crude proposition which was , made l*st Saturday night to the effect that tho j country clubs are to ba brought into touch with I the. union by the establishment of flag matches ! ou tbe goldfieldfl emanated from any of tho I country clubs. The idea was as original as the proposal was impracticable. No one with any knowledge of the goldfields could suppose thai; the clubs there would be aatisfied with & } premiership contest. Two flags wcuJd havo ito be provided— if any *t all. The Matakacui Club, I regret to hear, has been disbanded, at» I owing to the f,narcity of water and consequent scarcity of work in tho district tho player* have become scattered ; but it would be quite unreasonable to expect the Naseby, Sfc. Bathan>», and Cambrian clubs iv one corner of the goldfield* to tako part in the samo competition *.» the Roxburgh and Limerick club» iv another coiner ; tnd that altogether overlooks tho claims of clnug, in noith aud sout^i Otago to attei.- ! tion. • . ■ For tbe seaßon niion which, we have now entered the clubs iv ail iints of Otago will, }. belic-ve, be well catered lor. Koine antliorjty for that belief was forthcoming from efficUU quarters at, the annual meetiug of thu union. As to tbe future, Jiowover — snd lb.ero is wi harm in looking forward a bit — thcr« are one or two suggestions which 1 would offer for conl sidemtiou. The isolated position of »ome or j the clubs in the interior — the fact that owing i to the absence ot railway communication it i takes a lcrager time to reaoh them irom Duu1 orlin than it takes to reach Wellington— is the> ! great drawback to these clubs being brought ! into touch with tho union through, the agtucy ' of visits fnm town te»rup, and my first, sagges- | tion is, therefore, that the union should undecI take the control of inter-county contests on tho 1 £oldfielde, provision b u ing made whereby each j county would play a match at home and aleo v, i a match away from homo iv each B<r&f*uu. i Thus, tfce Maniotolo County might play ' Vincent in Vincent County. Vincent might; ; pUy Tuapeka in Tuaprku County, and Tuapck.i might pky Alauiototo in the Maniototo. It 1 that wore tile progvarume tor one season, ib 1 might be changed for the following (season so I that th<? Maniototo team should visit Tuapeka, the Tuapp.ka team visit Vincent, and the Vincent) I team visit the Mauiofcoso. The travelling es- ' pense?, in whole or in part, of the teams mig'ib j 1 c borne by the union, which would generail i riuiu-i-vi.se the contests. Ano'her svjg^esfcion . ■ that the u^ion, to foster matches between tow;; ■ aud country clubs, should defray the actual i travelling <;xpen»eH of town teams visiting ; country teams beyond a certain radiun froru j Dunedin, and similarly assist country t|-arc» ! visiting town. These are suggestions which I • only submiu at. present ior the purpose of veuI.\li»ing tns matter,' and I sball be giad ie : country footballers and others who *te intti rested will contribute their ideas as to their J feasibility or otherwise. I • . • There was some very plain tulkipg at the i annual meeting of the Otago Rugby Union aboui 1 the New Zealand Union's Appeal Ccmmittw;. ' Ihe geyprally- expressed opinion being that if t'ual cenrnittee is to command the respect oi '• the football cooimunity in she colony it mufcfc, ! be materially strengthened. This was apropos to the successful prosecution of the Otago Uniou's appeal from the decision of the Appeal Committee in upholding the ruling of the referee in the Canterburj-Otago match last August in regard to the disputed try. wherein ! the unanimous view of the Otago Committee i-that the referee had erred was, though not. up- . held by the New Zealand Union's Appeal Comj mittee,' unanimously sustained by the English ' Union's Committee. It may be remembered ' by those who read these notes at the time that the affiliation matter was a burning question with tbe Otago Union, and although the advoI cates for the New Zealand Union always i attached a great deal of importance to tbe ! Appeal Committee, I mainraiced the opinion 1 that it wonld never prove a very effective body, ' and that is the opinion which I shall always ; hold so long as tbe constitution of the committee j remains us at present. By that I do not mean to reflect on the personnel ot the committee. On I the contrary, I believe that those members of ! the committee who may be assumed to have j been the majority that erroneously supported i the Canterbury referee's ruling are as able "experts" — to use Mr Gallaway's happy expression — as are to be found in the centre s where they reside. It is the system, however, which is entirely wrong. • . • One cannot expeot any judicial body to do satisfactory work when there is a member in Auckland, a member or two in Wellington, ■a. member in Timaru, and a membsr in Dunedin, ! and their decisions are arrived at by'corrcspo-i- ! dence. It is only by the mett'ng of member.?, j so that an interchange of opinions may b» giveu on the subject of appeal, and that, iE necesaary, '.he point may be fairly argued out, j ihat any committee of the kind can be hoped to do reasonably satisfactory work, and it in in | the fact that there is never any meeting of tha ! members that the radical weakness of the New Zealand Union's Appeal Committee consists. That weakness would be most effectually re-, moved by selecting the whole of the momber^ of the committee ivova. one esutee— tbfci h^

always assuming that such a committee i necessary, which I am not prepared to admit Its existence involves a belittltrnent of the dis triot unions in the colony, which should be per fectly well able to deal with all but exceptiona cases arising within their bounds —the excep tional cases being such as that which cropped-u mtheCanterbury-Otagom»tchlastseason; and indeed, its existence is a reflection on the abilit of district unions to satisfactorily settle the dis putes of their clubs. If the Appeal Committe were swept away, and wibh ib the New Zealan Union, from which it has Bprung, it would b bo much the better. The time is not yet com for that, bub I believe ib in coming. '.'The Southland Rugby Union begiDS the yea with an overdraft of about £100. Officer* fo the ensuing year were elected as lollows: — President, Mr G. R George ; vice-presidents — Messrs C. Northcote, A. F. Hawke, J. E. Wat aon, and A. Martin (Gore) ; General Committe —Messrs F. Mussen, J. Manson, J. Gilkison H. Royds, J. H. Tapper, I. Jenkins; Selectio Committee —Messrs R. Galbraith, A. M'Robie J. Martin; honorary secretary and treasurer iir R. Gslbraith; assistant secretary, Mr J Manson; auditors, Messrs G. T. Smythe an A. Farquharson; delegate to N.Z.R.F.U., M Joseph Wesney. '.• As the Invercargill Football Club is unabl to keep its fixture with the Dunedin Club, team from the B.itannia Club will play th match. •. • AU the Dunedin clubs have now go fairly started, and each held a practice game o Sa'.urday last, when the weather wa§ so sultr as to cause those who were not in descent con dition a gcod deal of tribulation. ' •. • The wandering sheep have in two o three cases returned to the fold. J. Duuca played with the Kaikorai Club in last Satur diy's match, and G Stcphenson returned t his old love, the Dunediu Club. A. Mason, o the oiber hand, has gone to Wellington. ".- The first meeting of the newly-elected com mitte9 of the Otago Rugby Football Union wa held on Monday, and attended by Messrs J. M. Gallaway (president), A Wilson, J. H. Jowitb, F. H. Campbell, D. Duncan, H Harris, R D .tsaacs, W. J. Strong, and J. Hutchison. I agreed to ask Messrs J. Bee, F. W. Mitchell, A. S. Mackenzie, J. R. Murray, and A. D. Wilkinson to act as the union's delegate to the New Zealand Union. A letter from th proprietor of the Victoria Saltwater Baths, Htating that he was prepared to offer induce ments to footballers to form a swimming club was received. Some discussion took place on tbe migration of players from club to club i town at the beginning of the season, and th (suggestion wa,3 thrown out, for future con siderafon, that provision should be made in the by-lawg whereby a player on joiuing » club should be requited to remain a member of it for at least two years, and if he left his club should ibe prevented lor a year from playing for another club. Au application from the Alhambra Club for the use of the Carlsbrook ground (which the union has taken for the season) on Saturday next for the matches by its Fir.'b and Second Pifteens agaiusb the Merivale (Christohurch) and Second Fifteen of the Pirates (Invercargill) respectively and au application from the Pirates Club for a tub-lease of the ground for tho season ■were dealt with. •. • The annual meeting oi the Otago Rugby Union parsed off very quietly last Saturday night, but the proceedings did not lack some of the usual features, i^everal delegates were present for the first time, and there did not seem to be co much talking power in the metting as thiere was at some of these gatherings i recent years. That may, however, bs a erroneous impression due to the facb that ther was no contentious matter brought forward, Mr M. Cohen was there, for instance, aualrnos eilent delegate, but no one would suggest tha he has tot a wealth of talking power, and ther were others in the meeting who could, if necea sary, have spoken, if not so fluently as tha gentleman, at any rate effectfvely. A meetin of the O.R.F.U. without Mr J. H. Chapman would be a curiosity, and the former cont oile of the union'i .destinies, as he may fairly be styled, can generally hi relied on now, like Mr Downie Stewart at a meeting of a public comp&ny, to speak to the adoption of the report. Among the little diversions of the evening were the chairman's lapsi linguae when he mora than once referred to the New Zealand Union as the Wellington Union —and was on each occasio applauded by Mr Chapman, who assured him that he was quite correct, —Mr Lawry'a earnes but amusing complaint of parsimony on th part of the utiion in not increasing tbe expenses of the representative*' Southland tri by the sum of h&lt & crown, which he claimed as being due to him, and Mr Robson's modest assertion that his proposal for the encourage ment of country iootball was the only one tha was practicable. *. * The disqualification of A. J. Gculd, th famous Welsh three-quarter back, who has bee described as bhe best player of the last decade, for an infringement of the professionalis regulations in having accepted a testimonial i a shape that was forbidden by the Internationa Board is undoubtedly the sensation of the season in Great Britain. The movement fo the testimonial was started in January 1896 and about that time the English Unio directed tbe attention of the Welsh Unio and the Newport Club, to which Goul belongs, to the fact that if the testi monial was a monetary one Gould woul be a professional. In reply to that the lion secretaries of the movement gave their assu ranee that there was no wish to run contrary t the professionalism regulations, aud the hon secretary of the Welsh Union stated that hi committee were of opinion that they could no sanction the Gould testimonial as a monetar gift. Shortly after this the Welsh Union raise the ques'.ion if there could be auy objection t the gift ef a house to Gould. Mr Rowland Hil consulted his emergency committee, who hel that such a presentation would be as objection able as the presentation of a monetary gift, -bu on April 7 ths Welsh Union sanctioned th testimonial. The English Union\hen brough the matter before the International Board, an utter a del»y of several months, in which th movement seemed to hang fire, that bow passed on December 12 a resolution to th effect that " the gift of a testimonial in mone or kind in opposition to the suggestion of th board is on the part of the givers or Mr Goul «n act of professionalism." The Welsh Unio then took up the position that the board bad n power in tbe matter, and there the thing stands with this exception, thab consequent upon th finding of the board the match between Scot l land and Wales has fallen through. ' OTAGO RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION. The annual general meeting of the Otag Rugby Football Union wai held in the Cit „r , o . j „ . , .. ■, -, . „», Hotel on Saturday night and attended by th majority of the retiring execubive and delegate from the Alhambrit, Athletic, Caversham, Dun edin, Kaikorai, Oamaru, Otago University Pirates, Union, Zingari-Richmond, Excelsior Milton, Otsgo High School, Owaka, Pacifi Port Chalmers, Naseby Prospectors, Roxburgh Star, Waikonaiti, Wesb Taieri, Ravensbourne and Taieri Clubs. Mr J. M. Gallaway (pre 3 dent) occupied the chaiu

s annual report. . The Chairman, in moving the adoption of , - the annual report (which has been already*! - published), referred in terms of satisfaction to | l the way in which the interest had been sustained | - in football during ths past season, and said he p thought that it mighb be expected that the , interest would be increased in the ensuing y season, when visits would be paid by foreign - teams in return for the visits paid by the Otago c team last year. The greab feature of the past d , year was the northern tour, which had proved c a great success. —(Hoar, hear.) When they c remembered that the Otago team won three matches in that trip, drew one, and only lost r one —and that against a team they had never r '. met before, with whose tactics they were nob acquainted, and whom they were determined ,t j beat next time —he thought very great credit - was reflected nob only en the Otago repree sentatives, but also on those who selected , them.—(Hear, hear.) With reference to the n contest wibh Southland, he did not think ib was , ; any disgrace for the Otago team to be beaten , by Southland in one m*tch, for the latter . were a jolly good team. —(Hear, hear.) A reiy d important matter in connection with the r narthem tour was the appeal which arose over the Canterbury match. The re3ulb of the c appeal was exceedingly gratifying to those a members of tbe committee who were experts, c for they were, unanimous in insisting that the j ! appeal should go forward to the English Union, j t ' None of them liked to win matches ou technical n j grounds, bub this was more than a technical y ground, and he did nob think he was too severe - on bhe Appeal Commibtee of bhe New Zealand Union when he suggested that, when this appeal, r the first which had ever gone Hoaie from a n decision of that committee, was given by the - ' English committee —unanimously, as private iao J formation stated —in favour of the appellants, v it behoved the New Zealand Uuion to consider carefully how they should strengthen the Appeal - Committee. The affiliated unions in New Zeas J land had a right to expect that the bisb men in New Zealand should be en that committee. — J (Hear, hear.; He was quits cure that in the . , c*ge of the appeal last season the Appeal Comt ' mittee erred only from ignorauce. aud he had |no doubt tbat in future they would bs vary ! careful iv their ensideration of auy appeal s J from Olago. lie knew there was a feeling that c the country clubf did not get sufficient enoourngement from the union, but those who - had served on the committee must kuow , how difficult it was, with the fund* at their diiposal, to do justice to everyone, and he n i was sure tha committee were anxious to c ' strengthen the country clubs. He thought it - ' would be admitted that it was a step in the ! right direclion when the Otagj team played ' North Otago at Oamaru last season, and he had J heard from various s'mrcps that the experience of the North Otago players in that match had been of great benefit to them. Ib had been suggested that in connection with the Record Reign festivities there might be a match held in Dunediu between North and South Otago. — (Hear, hear.) Such a match would be wifeuessed with keen interest, and ib mighb be the means of discovering good players, who could be drafted into more important teams. Referring to the balance sheet, he said when they cjusidered there was nothing bub tratgoinga last season, it was gratifying the .unioh's overdraft j whs not l&rge, and it required no'greab prophet ' to see that the seasons to ome vould convert ! that overdraft into a large credit balance. He J acknowledged in thi3 connection the liberal i spirit iv which the commibtee had been met in j n making their financial arrangements. One 1 n tbin« about tbe comraitteb'* business lasb year ) c wh;ch was no« pleasing was the number of dh- ' putes which had come before them. There was 1; a tendency on tbe part of sonib players to itnt pute improper motive* to rct«rea» That was c not sportsmanlike, and his experience was that - a man who was prone to impute improper motives t to another was only measuring thab obher g jby his own standard. They must support as J far as possible the referee on the {■ obball fiyld, r ' as otherwise the game would descend into mere, chaos. With regard to the little unpleasant- i ness which occurred with the New Zealand ; Union over the visit of the Queensland team, > ; he thought the committee had the support oi j j the Otago football players in the position they j ; took up, and so far as he was personally concerned, if the thing had to be dove over again n he would act in tbe same way. —(Applause.) Mr G. L. Denniston seconded the motion, t Mr J. H. Chapmvn expressed r.he hops that c , the appeal from the ret°erec;'« decision in the Canterbury-Otsgo match would not disturb the p good feeling which had existed betwean footbailers in the two provinces. He felt with the chairman thab the New Zealand Union should - ge> the very best men obtainable on their b Appeal Committee if they were going to com- ; i in and the respect of the footballers of tha ' c I colony. He thought ib a mistake b < play two ! n ' matches every year with Southland, and he . felt sure thab it' travelling was overdone no m , good would be done to football. While he was v . pleaded to see that the necessity for support l being given to referees was mentioned in the i report, he could not help feeling that the r Rtferee*' Association last year did nob display , , tbe wisdom they should have displayed in the j n , selection of referees for important matches — n j (hear, hear), —and that they should not pub d juniors in the position of acting as reterees in big - matches. He was gl»d that tbe remarks he uttered d •. in that room a few years ago, when he told the . ! Otago Union tbat they would ba making a - j mistake if they affiliated with the New Zealand o Union, had prove Ito Be correct. —(Laughter.) . i Lasb year they had seeu a team from across the s i*"water pass by Otago in comeq-ience of a paltry t dispute with the vowers th*t be in Wellington y over a question of gate, and that was how footd ball had been dugraded through their conneco tion with the New Zealand Uuion. He was l quite sure that their connection with that d union had nob done the slightest good to foot- - ball in Otago, and he predicted that in a few t yearg they would sever their connection with c it.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) He felt that t the step taken by the committee las^ year in d causing the Otago team to play in Oamaru was c a dangerous one, and he thought that if they d wiihed to encourage country football ib would c have been much better to send a team other y than the representative team to play the clubs c in North Otajo. —(He»r.) d Mr R D. Isaacs s»id his residence in the n country had shown him that the country clubs o were not being treated as they should be, and , he did not agree with Mr Chapman that ib had c been proved that ths Otago Union had made a - great mistake in joining the New Zealand Union. Mr F. H Campbei/l thought he could assure the delegates that there-was not the slighted o ear °f friction between Canterbury and Otago y «"ing oov er the *PP al !ch,. hadn^ een m. adeThe fact was that while the Oiago team c thought that Mr Bvanß] the referee in the match s against Canterbury, had committed an error on - a point of law, they expressed themselves as , • quite satisfied with his impartiality. He agreed , that the New Zealand Union s-hould get the "» best men they could —thoroughly practical men, , cot theorists —on their Appeal Comirit'ee. In , roply to Mr Chapman's complaint that the best i- referees were not sent to the be6t matches, ha ' said Ibafc the difficulty was that the Referees'

| Association, although they had endeavoured to i secure them, could not get the best men. He j was sill of opinion that the Otago Union would I have Buffered if it had remained out of the | New Zealand Union, and that so long as Canterbury was iv that union it was not a bit of good for Otago to stand out. Iv coiuection with the Southland matches, he said the committee had last year advised the discontinuance of home-and-home contests but the Southland Union was not then agreeable, bub he did nob think they would be continued this year. The motion was then put and carried. ArriLIATION OF CLUHS. The L*wronce, Ravensbourue, and Taieri Club 3 were affiliated with the union. UNFULFILLED FIXTURES. Mr F. H. Campbell, in accordance with notice, moved, and Mr R. M. Falconer seconded — " That a new by-law be added to the by-laws of the union to read : (1) The list of fixture* for the season, as appearing in the 'O.R.F.U. Annual,' shall be considered official, and any club failing to keep Jts appointment, unless with the consent of the opposing club, shall forfeit such match. (2) If the giound for any match ba not settled within seven days after the meeting of secretaries, the cDtnmittee of management shall decide £p what ground such match shall be played." Mr A. R Lawry moved as an amendment, ! which Mr A J. Miscall seconded — "That there j be a recognised premiership, and that a committee be appointed to draw up rules." After a good deal of discussion, the amendment was lost by 17 votes to 14. ' Mr"G Stephenson moved, and Mr M. Cohen seconded, as a further amendment, the addition of the words, "or in the opinion of the com- ! mittee of management the ground arranged is I unfit to be played on," after the word " opposing club." The amendment was accepted by Me Camp- \ ! bell, who withdrew the second clause of his motion, whereupon the flrsi clause was carried \ unanimously." ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEAKERS. | The election of office-bearer resulted as follows: — President: Mr J. M. Gtllaway (re- 1 elected unanimously). Vice-presideutg : Mr W. S. Laidlaw (Earnscleugh), 27 votes ; Mr A. ! Wilsoo, MA., 25; Mr J. H. Jowitt, 22; Mr R. Chiiholm, 17 (elected, the last-mentioned ' gentleman ou the chairman's casting vote) ; Mr T. A. Hunter, 17 ; Mr O. R. Wise (Oatnaru), 14; Mr J. M'Donald, 13. Hon. necrctary < Mr J. Hutchison (re-elected). Hon. treasurer : Mi- D. Duncan (re-elected). Committee of Management : Mr P. H. Campbell, 27 vote* ; I Mr R. D. Isaacs, 27 ; Mr D X Torrsii cc, 25 ; Mr G M'Lvren, 22 ; Mr W. J. Strong, 18 ; Mr H. Harri', 18 (elected); Mr J. Duucan, 13; Mr A. Rentieaux, 12 ; Mr P. Macissey, 11 ; Mr J. B. Water*, 11 ; Mr R. M. Falconer, 10. Auditors : Messrs W. T. Monkman and J. Crosby Smith (re-elected). Mr S. E. Sleigh was unanimonsly re-elected delegate to the English Union, and Mr J. M. Gallaway vice-president of the New Zealand Union. ENCOURAGEMENT OF COUNTRY FOOTBALL. Mr J. A. RoßtiON muvttd — " That flag matches be established on the goldfieldi." He thought that would be the best way of eucouraging country football. Mr A. Dickson seconded the motion, bub , thought t,h»c South ' Otago should be included in its application. ! F. H. Campbelt said that as the meeting : declined to sauction"fla? matches in Duaedin ifc ' was hardly likely to instituts them iv the country, but he thought the country clubs ! might v( st assured that the committee would ! nos overlook their interests this year. ■ Mr J. H. Chapman proposed ai au amendment — " That it. be an instruction to the incoming committee to arrange for a tournament of country clubs in Dunediu during jubilee week." Mr A. R. LAWfiY seconded the amendment. Mr G. M'Lauev spoke strongly in favour of Bending the bent available team round tbe goldfields auriug the season, feeling sure that thife was the best way to meet the case. i Mr J. Hutchison pointed out that Mr M'L&ren's suggestion would not mtet tha demands of tha clubs in North aud South Ot-ajo. He thought, however, that there would be no difficulty duriug the year in satisfying the claims of clubs in all quarters. A m doh between North alid South Otago could be played iv Duaedin during the Record li°ign cele- ! brttions, and a team could ba sent round ths j goldfieldt later ou in the season, — playing, he ■ would suggest, not clubs, ats was done last time, ■ but counties. The Chairman asked that the committee be not hampered wibh special instructions. The delegates had expressed their views, and the committee would do their very best to carry them out. The amendment was theriupon withdrawn, but Mr Robson declined to accede to the ?uggestion thac he should withdraw the motion also, and on its being pub it was lost by a considerable majority. SCHOOL FOOTBALL. Mr F. H. Campbell, with tue view of encouraging interest, iv football iv the public ! schools, moved — "Tnab thi* meeting view with i approval tha interest taken in fastball by the public j-caools of Dunediu, and lrjst that the committee of management will foster school tootball in every way possible." Mr J H. Chapman seconded the motion, but trusted the committiee would stop at commendation of fcchool football, for there w&n any amount of enthusiasm among the boys, and it would bo a mistake to encourage them to play for trophies. Mr Campbell disclaimed any intention of seekiug to provide trophies for the boya. The motion was then carried. RECOCiNISING SERVICES. Mr G. M'Laren moved aud Mr J. Duncan seconded — " That it be an instruction to the incoming committe3 to suitably acknowledge the services rendered to football in Otago by Mr J. 1! Montgomery." Aftsr some remarks from Mr A. Restieaux, who asked where testimonialisiug was to stop, the motion was ca-ried by a large majority. A vote of thanks to the chairman concludei the meeting. OTAGO FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION. The seventh annuil meeting of delegates to the Otago Football Association was hsld in the Coffee Palace last Thursday. Mr L. Kemnilz (president) occupied the chair, and there were present, Messw Payne and Sooular (Mornington Ciub), Messr* Haynes and Wdby (Queen's Park), Messrs North and Peters (Raugera), Mr R. D. Spraggon (Kaitangata). Messrs Watson and Smith (Green Island), Messrs M'Nair and White (N-rthem Club), and Messrs Kemnitz and Calder (R' siyn Club), and membars of the committee BALVNCE SHEET. The Treasurer reg-etted'thaS the balance sheet which he had td^weßcnt was the worft he had yet submitted. Hi read out the receipts and ! expenditure, which 1 showed that there was a 1 debit; balance staudiug againit the association of £27 G<. The Chairman moved the adoption of the I balance sheet and of the renorfc (which has

already been published) and which was taken as read. In doing so he congratulated members on the success of the different clubs during the season. He regretted that the tonrna- j ment, however, did nob meet wibh thab financial success v;hich it had been anticipated it would. He had fully expected that the takings would have bsen more than they were, but unfortuuately through Obago going down in the first instance the interest which would have naturally been attached to the tournament was lost. So far as the committee was concerned they had a lot of trouble aud a goad deal of worry, and they felt very sorry that the losa was so large. However, tfcey were fully justified in goiDg to the expense they had in regard to the tournament, and a satisfactory feature of the affair was that the northern players certainly enjoyed themselves. He had no doubt when they sent a team up nortb, as they expected to do during the incoming season, they would hi as well treated aa the visitors to Duuedin were. 15 was suggested that members should put their hands in their ' pockets to defray the loss, bub ib was afterwards considered that that would ba hardly fair, and an appeal t) the clubs was made. Two of the clubs responded liberally — (applause) — and helped very much to reduce the liability. The botal indebtedness of the association was £27, but soma money had lately baen received which reduced the amount owing to some £24-. Sj far as the clubs were concerned, they promised to be stronger numerically this year and to display better pky than they did last year. The facb that the tournament was held here had given the pub'.io an insight iuto the Association game, and would tend to create more interest iv it in Otago than had hitherto been the cass. The want of grounds whereou to play was one of ths greatest difficulties the clnb3 had to contend with. Tbe City was vtry inadequately provided with recreation grounds, but he had no doubt that suitab'e grounds would eventually be secured. He movel the adoption of the report and balance steet. Mr Spraooon Eeconded the motion, and after a brief discussion it was carried. OFKICE-JSEAHERS. The following c fficj-bearers were elected :—: — President, Dr Mauphorson ; vice-presidents — Meisrs J Moncrieff, John Mill, J. L. Salmoud, E. R. Green, and R v. A. North ; secretary, Mr George Cameron ; 'treasurer, Mr J. M. Nicolson (re-elected) ; auditors — Messrs Sharp and North (re.-eiec'-ed) ; delegate to the New Zealand A'sooiatian, Mr P. D. Leslie ; cominittep. — Messrs K>mnitz, Cleland, iSpraggou, Ashto-i, aud \Vu'.t'\ GENERAL Mr Monciueff reported that the Association game was likely togo ahead in Southland. He had received a letter from Constable Walker, who was one of the promoters of the game in the North-Eist Valley, and he had established a club at Riverton. With euch an euthusiast as Me Walker at the head, the Association game should progress iv that pirt of the world. j Mr Moncriekf moved a vo'<; or thanks to the retiriug president aud aho to the retiring secretary (Mr George M. Campbell). Mr Campbell, he added, had been particularly assiduous in the discharge of his duties, ami it was to bs regretted that he could not bed his way to ag-un acb in th» capacity of secretary. A vote of shanks to Mr J. A. Finlay, who also found ib necessary to ro.tuv, was likewise carried.