ALLEGATION OF . UNFAIRNESS IS NOW WITHDRAWN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18585, 10 October 1928, Page 8

ALLEGATION OF . UNFAIRNESS IS NOW WITHDRAWN.

FREE ADVICE CASE AFTERMATH COMES TO CONCLUSION TO-DAY.

Remarks made by Mr W. E. Thompson, president of the New Brighton Trotting Club, in which he said that the board of the New Zealand Trotting had sought to defeat the rules under which the club acted, have been withdrawn by Mr Thompson. This statement was made when the club was considering the Free Advice case, and Mr Thompson was called upon to appear before the board to show cause why he should not be dealt with under the Rules of Trotting. As the result of his withdrawal, the board decided to-day to take no further action in the matter. Mr Thompson’s letter was as follows: “ With reference to the statement made by me which is complained of by the association, I now recognise upon reconsideration that the statement should not have been made in the form in which I made it. It is very undesirable in the interests of the sport as a whole that there should be any further controversy about this matter, and I therefore withdraw the statement and my charge of unfairness against the association.” The president moved that the withdrawal be accepted, and no further action be taken. The motion was carried without discussion.

At the last meeting of the board, the sec-etary of the association reported tliat he Had written to Mr Thompson as follows: “ I am instructed by the president of the association to call to your attention the report of the meeting of the New Brighton Trotting Club’s committee appearing in the “ Lyttelton Times ” on October 25, wherein you are credited with saying: Right through the association has not taken a fatherly interest in the clubs. It_ has sought for a wa}', fair or otherwise, to defeat the object of the rules under which the club acted,’ and to ask whether this is a correct quotation from your speech.” (< In his reply, Mr Thompson stated: I desire to say the sentence referred to should read: * Gentlemen, I am of the opinion right through the association, etc., and in the second line ‘clubs’ should read ‘club,’ as I was only dealing with the attitude of the association towards the New Brighton Trotting Club in the Free Advice case.” The rule under which the board acted was Rule 341, Section P, which states that if any person shall write or cause to be written, publish or cause to be published, utter or cause to be uttered, any improper, insulting or abusive language with reference to the conference or the association, or members or officials thereof, he may be deemed guilty of a corrupt practice, and may be fined any sum, etc.