FOOTBALL.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 15113, 23 December 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

. SPRINGBOK NAPIER CABLE. SENSATIONAL EVIDENCE. The events surrounding the send- ! ing of the inuch-diseussed cablegram ■ to South Africa, in regard to the match between the Springboks and the Maoris in September, were recalled on Saturday, when three officers who were dismissed from the Napier Post and-Telegraph Office appealed\against their dismissal to the P. and T. Board of Appeal now siti ting in Wellington (says the New .'Zealand Times).. ! The officers concerned were: F. H. Winstanley and F. Rodger (teleigraphists), and L. A. Reichenbach (postal clerk). The charge upon which they were dealt with by the department was that thej' had committed a breach -of the postal regulations, in that they had divulged the contents of the cablegram among themselves, and not, as was popularly-believed at the time, to the Press or the general public. The departmental investigation was held by the chief inspector (Mr Laurenson). The Board of Appeal comprised the following:—-Mr E.. C. Cutten, ! S.M. (chairman), Mr G. B. Dall (appointed by the department), Mr R. B. Reynolds (elected by the officers of the postal branch), Mr H. I. Bennett (elected by the officers of the telegraph branch). Mr J. Robertson represented the department, and Mr O. C. Mazengarb appeared for the appellents. The hearing commenced at 9 o'clock on Friday morning, and the Board adjourned at 10 in the evening. It sat for the same period on Saturday, when the hearing terminated. On Sunday the members of the Board sat again, reviewing the evidence, with a'view to coming to a decision.

The officers appealed, on the ground that no action of theirs Imd led to the telegram being divulged to the Press or the public. It is understood that sensational evidence was given in regard to the methods alleged to have been employed by the departmental investigators in securing the evidence which led to the dismissal of the three officers. It is learned that the investigation in Napier lasted several days, at the end of which a chance conversation afforded a clue, which provided the evidence needed. An inquiry by a representative of the Time! elicited the information that the -departmental- investigation failed to secure evidence as to how the telegram of the South African Press correspondent for his paper leaked out to the public. Purther developments will be awaited with the greatest interest.