ALLEGED DISORDERLY CONDUCT. AN INQUIRY.

Taranaki Herald, Issue 13917, 29 May 1909, Page 2

ALLEGED DISORDERLY CONDUCT. AN INQUIRY.

The Management Committee of tho Stratford Football Club held an inquiry on Thursday evening with regard , to allegations made concerning the con- . duct of the Stratford First Junior foot- - ball team when in New Plymouth on Thursday, May 20 (says tub Post). Mr. T. C. Fookes presided, the other members present being Messrs. B. Fearon, D. Cameron, H. Kirkwood, T. James, B. Kivell, R. Masters and E. H. Young. The Chairman said that the object of the inquiry was to thoroughly investigate certain allegations which had been published in the New Plymouth papers regarding the conduct of the- team at the Imperial Hotel, New Plymouth, and also in the streets of that town, on the date in question. The committee, he said, should go fully into the matter, and, if the charges were found to be true, proper reparation should be made to Mr. Smith, and steps taken to prevent such an occurrence for the future. * After reading notifications from the newspapers which had published the allegations, to the effect that, as tho statements published were fully substantiated by Mr. Smith, they did not purpose ' to send representatives to the inquiry, the secretary, Mr. E. H. Young, read the following letter from Mr. J. Smith, licensee of the Imperial Hotel :— " Imperial Hotel, New Ply- <- mouth, May 25, 1909. To the Secretary, Stratford Football Club. Sir,— Re your interview of yesterday requesting me to put in writing the facts of the allegations published through tho New Plymouth press, I wish to state that I have read same, and am sorry to say that they are in no way exaggerated. It is to be regretted that a team, for the foolishness of perhaps one or two, should all s\iffer. I have been a past player of the game and have always given the same mj' best support and encouragement, but when a thing of this sort occiirs (aud I might state that it does not apply only to your club) 1 think the matter shbuld / have the careful consideration of the / Taranaki Union. lin no way wish that any club shall be shown up through the medium of the press, but the statements they have gained possession of, I am sorry .to confess, are true. Therefore I consider there is no necessity for me to repeat them, seeing that I explained to you in our conversation yesterday. I was surprised to see,a. letter signed by Mr. Masters contradicting these charges. No permission was given anyone by the barmaids to remove towels from any of the rooms, and. as to the fact of only three towels being used,, this is totally erroneous. It was not' my "intention to write to headquarters at all, but having been asked by yourself and others I can see the only way stands for me to substantiate the facts. — Yours, etc., J. Smith." Ten members of the team then gave evidence contradicting tho statements made regarding- the team's conduct, after which the inquiry was adjourned to allow of the attendance of an absent witness.