N.Z. RUGBY UNION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10962, 3 May 1907, Page 1

N.Z. RUGBY UNION.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, last night. Tha annual meeting of th© New Zealand ! Rugby Union was held this evening, Mr G. T. C. Campbell presiding. Tlie finances of the Union showed a profit for the year of £302. Loans amounting to £3450 had been granted to th© following Unions : Auckland £1000, Taranaki £4000, Wanganui £750, Southland £1300. . The sum of £9300 had been placed on fixed deposit. The CSmirman, m moving the adoption of -'the report, spoke m flattering terms of;the tour of tlie- "All Blacks" m England, whicli- liad liad a highly beneficial effect m tlie promotion of; Rugby. fojstball. He* read a letter^ from the, Stanford versity, offering -to send _ a team .t9 'NeW Zealand to show the progress of the game m America through the visit of the New Zealanderjs. Tlie Standard University team hoped to leave San Francisco on June 10th, arriving at Auckland about July Ist, and staying about six weeks m the colony. *;

Mr Weir (Hawke's Bay) took exception to the manner m which the secretary I hnd been ai>pointed, also to the non-ap-pointment of a manager for the North v. South Island match. The tgdin, he alleged, was allowed to ramble about at' their own sweet will. One- man was m a state of intoxication.. No one attended to the teams m the interval, all the officials being busy looking after the gates. Why also were certain clubs allowed to secede from, tlie Hawke's Bay Union without the consent of that Union, arid allowed to join anotlner Union? More light sliould he shed upon the doings of the Management Committee, and the affiliated Unions be made acquainted w'th the proceedings of the Committee. ■'.""'-

The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Air G. H. Dixon, on behalf of the Manmem) Committee, moved that the New Zealand Rugby Union become incorporated under the Unclassified Societies' Registration Act, 1906.— Carried.

Mr R. M. Isaacs (Otago) moved an amendment to rule 3 (control of the game) providing for the-appointment of referees, such appointments to be made by an Appointment Board consisting of 20 membra of the Management Committee and on c member of the New Zealand Referees' Association.—Oarried on .division. Mr W-.M. J. Reardon (Bush) moved to amend rule 5 (officers) by providing that the-. (secretary of the Union be not an honorary bat a paid secretary. He said "that" the Union, was a money-lending institution^ with a capital of oyer £12,000, and it was lyigh time i they had a gaid se'crgfan-'.-sCarfied.. .- A : Dr. Newman . (Wellington! moved that the Union' revert to the old method of appointing vice-presidents— one to ibe nominated by each Union instead of three oeing elected at the annual general meeting of the New Zealand Union. — To this Mr Langsford (Auckland) moved a provision that vice-presidents must be resident | within the r. boundaries of the Union, nominating.— -Dr. Newmans amendment was carried with, the proviso/. ,; Mr J .Hutchingsu (Otago) moved the deletion of sub-clause ' C. of. rule 15, that any one delegate may exercise all the votes to which his Union is entitled.— Some objection was raised to the proposal "on the ground that an injustice would thereby be done to the smaller Unions, who could not afford to send the full number of delegates. — Tlie' motion was rejected and the old clause retained.

2 Mr Skogland (Taranaki). moved to amend rule 16 m the direction of providing that the annual report and balance-sheet shall bo m the hands of affiliated Unions at least a fortnight before the annual meeting. — Carried. •

Mr Campbell (Otago) moved m rule 26 (from the decision of the Management Committee on all matters coming within its powers or referred to it. there shall "be no appeal) the! deletion of the words ''there shall be no appeal," and to substitute "there shall be a right of appeal to an Appeal Council to , be appointed- "by the delegates at the annual meeting, the mem-, bers of such Appeal Council not to be members of the Committee of Management." — Mr.. Hales (Wairarapa) suggested that such appointments to the Appeal Council shou.d be made by the President* as was done by the President of the Racing Conference.— Mr Campbell's motion was carried.

Mr Murray moved to amend rule 32 (annual subscriptions) by adding, "provided tluit the maximum subscription payable by any -Union' shall -not exceed £5 12s 6d."— Carried. •

Dr. Newman. (Wellington) moved that the shield regulations be amended to provide fpr the following:— -"Tlie competition for the shield to be between the provincial districts of New Zealand; the shield to be held m the first place by the Union of the capital town of the province winning the same, any Union within the province defeating the Union holding the shield to obtain possession and hold same on 'behalf , of the province; the shield match to be played on the ground of th c Union that at the time of the match holds .the shield." Tlie mover thought the present anomalous position should be remedied. It was felfc that tlie shield should be confined to provinces, and not to Unions.— Mr G. ii. Mason (Canterbury) maintained that * tlie whole scheme wiis unworkable. Hie shield should be wiped out altogether. On:e they started grub-, bing over who should fight for it they Mould create great dissension.— Mr White (Buller) said the idea was that if, say, the Wellington Union won the shield ft shjnild be wrested from them on their own ground. This would give country, players an opportunity of coming directly under the eyes of the selectors of tlie New Zealand team. — The motion was lost by 38 to

At the football conference the delay experienced m obtaining replies to communications addressed to the English Rugby Union was discussed. Tlie opinion was expressed tlint an International- Board of Control should be established, and that a lot of time had been wasted m referring matters to England which could have been dealt with by the New Zealand Union.

WELLINGTON, this day. Tlie New Zealand Rugby Union meeting lasted till 1.30 this morning. A motion that the Mutch Committee of the Union be elected by delegates was lost. Tlie location of tne Appeal Committee was fixed at Christchurch. A sum of £200 was set aside for fostering football iv the primary schools, the amount to be distributed to various Unions to expend m the way they think tit, but they must render, an account to the New Zealand Union. "Messrs G. Campbell, G. Faclie, and A Campbell were created a new Appeal Council. It was resolved |hat m all Witches "'under ..{the jurisdiction of tlie U^nion the Management Committee make special provision for representatives of the press. The. sum of £25 was voted to the New Zealand Referees' Association. Mr A. Bayly (Wanganui) was elected president, and Mr N. Qalbraith, treasurer. The* Management Committee appointed was : Messrs Dixon, Isaacs, Hyams, Wylie, WaHburton, Laughton,'- and Laurenson. The appointment of secretaiy wis ]c/t to the Management; Committee, to iv-lmin also w.eie referred the appointment of .a-repre-:>uutative m San Fatmcisco.