A LIVELY MEETING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18821, 11 July 1923, Page 5

A LIVELY MEETING

WANGANUI BOXING - ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL POSITION UNSATIS. FACTORY There was quite an electrical atmosphere at the annual meeting of the Wanganui Amateur Boxing Association held last evening, when the president (Mr A G. Mackay) presided over a fair attendance of members At the outset Mr T. Souter addressed the meeting, and protested vehemently that his subscription had been ret used on the ground that he was a prolessional. He '*ontended there was nothing in the rules to debar him, and that if the attitude were insisted upon that the previous subscriptions that bad been paid by him should be refunded. The president said that the matter was discussed al the annual conier- • •nce, when it was decided not to allow professionals to be members of amateur boxing associations He admitted that although a proof had now tome through there was no record of the decision. Lt was decided to hold the rules over until next season until i \ became law. It was impossible to rulun*d subscriptions, as the decision: was only made at the last conference I here was no doubt, however, about the decision He would, however, communicate with the secretary of the conference, and the matter would have to stand over until then. One cf the members said that it was extraordinary seeing that the decision was made twelve months ago, that it was only communicated now.

The president asked why Mr Souter had left it until the season was over Iwjfore he came forward to pay his subscription ? Mr Souter said others paid their subscriptions so that they would get tickets for the contests, but he always got in as a second. He paid his subscription to help the Association along. If the remit had gone through it would be in the rules. It appeared to be a move to prevent him taking part in the meeting. The President: That does not seem so One member said there were ugly rumours going about that Mr Souter was going to be baned. Ho hoped that they would allow him to stay and ask any questions. After two members had had an argument about who was up first to speak, another member inquired if Mr Souter was a member or not. A Voice : Ho is. The President • He has been a member. A Member: Was the remit about professionals carried? The President: Yes. 'l'he Member: I would like to bet if it was it would be in the rides

The president said the matter would be made public when they heard from the secretary of the conference. A Voice: What about Mr Souter? Chorus: Let him stay. STRAITENED FINANCES. Reviewing the year’s operations, the president said that six contests were put on. and there had been a direct loss of £270. The principal item was £353 for the professionals They had gone through a sort of transition stage during the past twelve months. The loss of revenue could be attributed to some extent to unemployment. They had dune their best, but had gone down all the time. The expenses of running the contests had been heavy. Personally, he considered that they should stick to the amateurs. Replying to a question at this stage, the president said the bank overdraft was £2Ol, and the total debts were £367. _ A Voice: We’re “bung,” then. The President: We have been bankrupt for years. A member said it was a curious thing that when a contest was on a large number of people hung about the building who could pay to go in. The President : They probably wanted to get in for nothing. It was a lotton thing for some of the members to uy and beat the association. There had been instances of members getting in by saying they had lost their tickets, whereas the tickets had been given to somebody else. Voices: Name them One of the members, who had acted as doorkeeper, said that nobody had got past him without a ticket. Mr Souter asked was it a fact that the president had let three people in without tickets ? The president said that in the instances referred to the tickets had not been sent out to the three members concerned. A Member : You had no right to do it. Mr Bert Fry said that it was a very mean discussion, seeing the work that the president had done for the Association. A president should have the right to give a ticket to anybody he wanted to. Other associations treated visitors well, and it would only be right to admit visiting members of sister executives. Mr Barnett: We are only referring to local men getting in. The President: Name them. Mr Barnett: I won’t name them here. I'he President: Well, drop the subject. because that is not fair. A Member (to the President) . Do you think that they get in ? The President: No The Member: It is the talk of the town The President: I think rumour is a lying jade. Mr J. Coull said they had been very tight at the doors, because a lot of half I Rhiekered” - hung round and “ tried , to swing in.” They had stopped it. al- . though they had been cursed up hill I and down dale. Touching on the financial position, Mr Coull said it was pretty rotten, but , they were not bankrupt. A Member: We are near it. (Laugh ter). ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The president announced that IxrtJfl himself and the secretary were

•ng their positions, but the " ’ul' 1 Ur- p.i''' < ;•> .i.i sccr<'< a r> . m I. < ' ' ' i 3 ' 1 satis 1 plause).