THE ATHLETIC CENTRE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 3, 25 October 1924, Page 5

THE ATHLETIC CENTRE

DISSATISFACTION WITH CONTROL

PROTEST FROM STRATFORD, Operations as at present carreid on by the Taranaki Athletic Centre are apparently not being regarded with unanimous favour. At last night’s meeting of the Stratford Athletic Club. Mr B. Saunders said that some alteration •in the method was absolutely necessary. The annual meeting had been 1161(1 at short notice, .and delegates had not been given a chance to get there. The secretary lived at Kaponga, which was right off the main line. There had been only one meeting held during the year, and that was an .informal sort of affair, which had taken place on the ground during the sports meeting. Mr Saunders thought some remit should be sent forward dealing with the question. Mr W. R. Foley said that with Mr T. Kirkwood he had attended the anual meeting of the centre. They had to go at short notice. No balancesheet had been received by the clubs, nor were copies provided for the delegates when they arrived there. The chairman had read it over, and that meant that there was no time to study it in order that it might be discussed. However, the finances of the Centre seemed sound, but the organisation was being run by the chairman and secretary. Some men had been reported from Stratford for non-payment of nomination fees, but no action had bee n taken. In fact, the matter had not even been mentioned. He 'thought that the report and balance-sheet should be printed and circulated to the various clubs, fourteen days before the

meeting. The President, Mr J. W. McMillan, said that the matter under review 1 was a very important one, and something should be done about it. would be unfortunate if governed by people who were 'not sufficiently interested to push the thing along.

' Mr L. J. Furrie deprecated the fact that there had only been one meeting during the year and that.jt was an informal one on the sports ground. He thought they had enough influence to force something being done in the matter, and that influence should be exerted. If the Centre was worth its existence it should find some business to do. The matter of the defaulters was a very serious one, and should have been dealt with by the Centre. Mr Furrie dealt at length with the seriousness of that phase. Mr Foley remarked that there were nine clubs which had not paid their affiliation fees, and still they were allowed to run meetings. There had been a lively discussion at the annual meeting of the Centre on that sub jet.

Mr T. Kirkwood, a vice-president of the Centre, also spoke in support. Mr McMillan was of opinion that the publishing of the fact that there was dissatisfaction would have the desired effect. Mr Saunders said he was not satisfied with the secretary’s office being at Kaponga. There would have to be a “stir up” meeting in order to get the place of meeting changed. It was eventually decided that the delegates from Stratford and surrounding clubs endeavor to take combined action and obtain a meeting of the Centre and force the latter to place matters on a better footing.