ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AUCKLAND RUGBY UNION.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 893, 18 April 1907, Page 11

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AUCKLAND RUGBY UNION.

Mr. A. E. Devore presided over a well-attended meeting of the A.R.U., which was held at the Sports Club on Friday! Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows: —President, Mr. A. E. Devore (re-elected); vice-presidents, Messrs. J. Arneil, F. M. Jervis, and C. Hesketh (reelected); secretary, Mr. C. V. Langsford (re-elected); treasurer, Mr. F. S. Murray (re-elected); management committee, Messrs. D. W. McLean, M. J. Sheahan, F. J. Ohlson, C. Stichbury, and Conquer (re-elected); auditors, Messrs. T. Macky and P. R. Fraser (re-elected). President’s Remarks: In returning thanks for his election as president, Mr. Devore said this was the 19th meeting he had attended. When he

first took office the position of the union was different to now, the annual takings being counted in hundreds; now they had got into thousands. In 18 years that had been a very great advance. He had, like some others, seen a generation of footballers. Football in those days was very different to what it was now, and footballers were a different kind of men. Footballers in those days when selected for representative matches had to pay their own way, and they were respected. Now they were respected and admired, but they had not to pay their expenses, but the union did, and properly so, too. When the district scheme of football was inaugurated, every club was fighting for its own ends, but luckily that had passed away. It was the thing now that if they could get the best men for any one club, they should get them. He liked to see the good men distributed among the various clubs, but the old feeling, club against club, had nearly gone. That was attributable in some degree to what the union had been doing these past years. A substantial sum had been divided by the union to each club to assist in the erection of training halls. That was a step in the right direction, and would bring along a crop of young players, which they always wanted. Mr. G. Donaldson (City) moved an amendment to the rule providing for the payment of £1 per week, with medical attendance, for 10 weeks, to any player who was injured, by the addition of words providing for the defraying of the cost of all medicines and hospital and dental expenses. Mr. Donaldson said the union was a fairly wealthy body, and they ought to cater for the players. He instanced the case of a Newton player, who was confined in the hospital for 10 weeks, and laid up an additional three months, through an injury while playing. That player received £lO, being £1 per weeK for 10 weeks, and he paid £1 8s per week while in the hospital. Mr. Chevis (Parnell) seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr. F. J. Ohlson moved as a recommendation to the committee that when a player represented the province for five years, and then discontinued to play for any club, he should be granted a free ticket for all representative matches. Mr. H. Rowe seconded the motion. Mr. Chevis asked if a player who had played for a club for 10 years, and had done a lot of football, was not to receive recognition ? Mr. Donaldson endorsed the latter’s remarks. Mr. D. Gallaher pointed out that all senior players were at present admitted to all representative matches free. The president said the carrying of the motion would prove an incentive to young players to do bet-

ter. The motion, was then put, 11 voting for and 11 against. The president said although he voted for the motion he would give his casting vote against it, so that further consideration could be given to the question. Mr. Chevis said all recognised the union had been liberal to the clubs in ■the pact, but the union had now a good balance, and he thought the incoming committee should be able to spare a little more to the clubs. An additional small amount would be very acceptable. The shower bath accommodation at Alexandra Park was also inadequate. The secretary replied that at the end of last season the committee had waited upon Mr. Hansen, the manager of the Tramways Company, and he and Mr. Carey, their engineer, inspected the accommodation. A promise had been given that another shower bath would be erected between the City and Newton rooms. Mr. J. H. Pagni, formerly of Wellington, congratulated the union on its position. He did not think there was another union south of the line in such a flourishing condition. A vote of thanks to the president for presiding concluded the meeting.