NEW ATHLETIC CENTRE

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1931, Page 7

NEW ATHLETIC CENTRE

SECESSION FROM WANGANUI ACTION TAKEN IN TARANAKI. DISSATISFACTION WITH CONTROL. As a result of a meeting of delegates from practically all the amateur athletic clubs in Taranaki held last night at Stratford, it has been decided to secede from the Wanganui-Taranaki Athletic Centre and to apply for affiliation to the N.Z.A.A.A. as a separate body, to be known as the Tarapaki Centre, with boundaries identical with these of the Taranaki province. In making the application it was agreed to stress, the fact that the province was now in a position to conduct its own affairs. Mr. A Grant (Hawera) was elected to act as* chairman, and Mr. C. J. Cummings (Hawera) as secretary pro tejn for tlie Taranaki clubs, and a letter outlining the position was framed to go to the New Zealand Council, bearing the signature of each club approving of its contents. , ■ . ~ There were present Messrs. A. Grant and J. Dredge (Hawera), P. Skoghind and D. J. Malone (Stratford), Whiting and Prince. (Eltham), S. F. Varnham and C. Prior . (New Plymouth), and Warner (New Plymouth Harriers). Mr. C. J. Cummings, also of Hawera, attended in the capacity of secretary. The. Opunake club wrote expressing a desire to have a. separate centre in Taranaki. The chairman explained that the Hawera Club had convened the meeting as a result of the circular issued I to clubs on April 22. The letter stated, inter alia, that there appeared to be general dissatisfaction with affairs as controlled by Wanganui, and that amateur athletics could better be fostered in Taranaki by the formation of a separate centre for the province. GROUNDS OF DISSATISFACTION. In instancing a number of points in which improvement could be effected, the letter went on to mention various grounds for dissatisfaction with the conditions existing. Mr. Grant moved: “That the Taranaki clubs (New Plymouth, Stratford, Eltham, Opunake, Patea and Hawera) secede from the Wanganui-1 aranaki Centre and apply for affiliation to the N.Z.A.A.A. as a separate body, to be known as* the Taranaki Centre, with boundaries identical with those of the Taranaki province. Mr. Prior seconded the motion, but asked for a ruling regarding the status of the New Plymouth Harrier Club, an affiliated body which, however, had not received an invitation to attend the meeting.The chairman apologised for the oversight. “I did not know that the harriers were affiliated,” lie said. It was agreed to include the harriers among the list of clubs and to give their delegate} equal voting power with other .delegates.; s , ........ Questions regarding the financial position of the Wanganui-Taranaki Centre were answered by the chairman, who also dealt with the procedure regarding the conduct of championship meetings. Mr. Prior saw a difficulty in the. small size of the proposed new centre, and Mr. Varnham suggested that the present body might not grant the request for a separation. Ho thought the wishes of Taranaki clubs could be better met if the centre remained as at present constituted, but if the headquarters were moved into Taranaki. . ... ~ : That the’time Was not "opportune for the formation of a separate Taranaki Centre was the opinion of Mr. Malone. He reviewed the situation as it existed and- suggested’that some effort should be made to build up a fund, by. levy or otherwise, to be used in assisting athletes to attend the New Zealand championship meeting. He thought some effort should be made to weld the existing organisation into better working order, at\ least with a view to tiding the, clubs over the slump period. “I have discussed this matter with Mr. Cohen of Wanganui, and I might say that he definitely denies that correspondence had been left unanswered,” said Mr. Malone.

The chairman: "We can prove all our contentions.

Air. Prior: I can support the chairman.

ATTITUDE OF WANGANUI.

Mr. Malone went on to say that Mr. Cohen had expressed the willingness of Wanganui delegates to hold certain of the meetings in Taranaki. The fact that he had had to apply direct to headquarters at Wellington for a supply of reinstatement and registration forms after writing in vain .to Wanganui was mentioned by Mr. Prior. “I have always been in favour of Taranaki running its own affairs,” said Mr. Skoglund. He thought, however, that the present time was not opportune for breaking away. “If,” he added, “we can arrange a round-table conference say, at Hawera, I Lave no doubt that a working arrangement can be arrived at, but ultimately I would like to see a separate Taranaki centre.” Mr. Skoglund read a lengthy letter from. ..Wanganui setting forth the position as viewed from that end. It was explained that a manager had been sent with the centre’s team to the New Zealand championship meeting, but although his expenses had been guaranteed they had not yet been paid, “for obvious reasons.” The chairman referred to this statement as bearing out his contention that the centre.was insolvent. “In any case,’ he said, “why was it necessary to send a manager at all? There were only about six athletes sent from the centre, and surely one of those could, have acted as manager.” “All this talk seems to prove that it I* time now to form a separate Taranaki centre,” said Mr. Dredge. In answer to a question by Mr. Skoglund, the chairman said no grant had been made to any athletes to attend the championship meeting for the simple reason that the centre had no money.

A lengthy discussion ensued in which delegates' quoted instances of allegedly lax and unbusinesslike methods on behalf of the present centre. Mr. Malone thought before taking the drastic step of breaking away altogether, an effort should be made to have meetings of the centre held in Taranaki—say, at Hawera. The chairman: That will merely be a question of voting power at the annual meeting. Arising out of this remark it was explained that the centre had no executive. If any matter required attention • meeting of club delegates had to be called, and the result was that distant clubs usually preferred to appoint someone to represent them who was living in TVanganiii. Ways and means of conducting a Taranaki centre were discussed.

The motion was then put and carried by seven votes to three. The Stratford delegates and one New Plymouth delegate who voted against the motion explained that they did so solely on the grounds that they did not think the time opportune. These delegates, however, expressed their willingness to fall in with the wishes of the majority and to work for the good of the new centre.

Mr. Grant and Mr. Cummings were appointed to act pro tern as chairman and secretary respectively of the Taranaki clubs pending authority from the New Zealand Council to form the new centre. The meeting then proceeded to frame a letter to the New Zealand Council applying for permission to form the Taranaki centre.