ATHLETICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3215, 10 May 1911, Page 6

ATHLETICS.

THE OTAGO SQUABBLE. COUNCIL AND ASSOCIATION AT LOGGERHEADS. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Alay 9. The recent squabble between the Otago cenre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association and Council, and more especially with their delegates on the Council, came before the latter body at its meeting last niglitt. The business was introduced by a. letter -from the Otago centre, voiding the appointment of Messrs Marryatt and Pollock as their delegates, o.n the ground tha-t they had disobeyed' express instructions from' the centre. .

Mr Marryatt, who was presiding at the meeting, left the chair by his own wish, and Mr W. T. Larkin took the chair in his stead.

Mr Thompson l moved that the Council inform the Otago Centre that its revocation was ultra vires, and the Council regretted that petty ~squabbling had been allowed to enter into the consideration of a question which ought to have been left entirely to the Council. There were protests on several sides against the latter portion of the motion, and the chairman refused to accept it-. Mr Thompson thereupon amended it somewhat, but retained the ultra vires clause and moved further that the Council regretted the- action taken by the Ole a go Centre,and that the centre be informed that the matter of fixing a venue for an Australasian- championshi was for the Council and not for the individual centres interested. The motion was not seconded, and it therefore lapsed. Reference was then made to the rule relating to the amrointment of delegates, which is to the effect that each affiliated centre shall be represented on the Council by two members who- shall be elected at the annual meeting of the centre. Another rule provides that if an extraordinary vacancy occurs by resignation or death or suspension, the centre may eledt another delegate to fill the vacancy. The rules make no provision for any appointment once made ; being revoked. Mr Rc-ss hoped the Council would do nothing so undignified as to take notice of the business by passing a resolution concerning the action of one of its centres. He asked the chairman to rule as to whether the resolution, was valid. The chairman (Mr Larkin) ruled that the Otago cenre were not in order in passing the resolution referred to in their letter, and that therefore the Council could not accpet lie revocation of the appointment of the delegates by the Otago centre. Mr Marryatt said that- he wished to make a staeme-nt- about the business It had been the intention of his; colleagues and himself to hand in their resignations, even in the event of the

Otago centre’s action being declared unconstitutional, because they could only consider , the resolution passed by them as a vote of no-confidenice ini their delegates. He had, however, received information that the Otago centre proposed to rescind thg resolution, and in response to requests - made by members of the centre he had decided to withhold his resignation until the matter could be finally settled. He reiterated his statement made at Dunedin recently that he did not consider the interest of Wellington- as against Dffnedin in voting as he had done; hut- merely the- interest of the sport; that he had not disobeyed any instruction, not having received any ; they had not broken pledges, never having given any. The Otago centre would meet on Thursday, when- the mater would be finally dealt ■with, and. he suggested that a- special meeting of the Council ought to bo called. In the- event of its becoming obligatory upon him to resign he thought it would searceN- be fair to delay acceptance of the resignation, so disfranchising Otago- on the Council for some weeks. Mr Pollock endorsed Air Marryatt’s remarks, -and the matter of calling a special meeting was left to the discretion of the president (Mr Alarryatt).