ON Thursday night, July 14th, the delegates of the Mornington Peninsula Football Association met at Copsey’s Hotel, Somerville, when the President (Cr P. McArthur) presided.
Crs Rigby, Stephens, and Griffeth, and Messrs H. McCulloch, Cameron, Firth, Simcock, Wilkinson, Carigg, G. McLear, P. Floyd and Morphett were also present.
Mr E. Laging (Carrum) wrote objecting to the repeated appointment of White as umpire for matches in which Carrum played.
It was stated that White had umpired three Carrum matches successively – against Somerville and Hastings at Carrum and the match at Dromana. It was alleged that White permitted rough play without hindrance.
Mr R. Clydesdale (Dromana) wrote objecting to umpires travelling to the various matches with competing teams, but nothing was done in the matter by the delegates.
Umpire James (East Melbourne), wrote stating that he umpired the match between Dromana and Carrum and he reported Jim McLear (Dromana) for striking Tom Feavor (Carrum) with his clenched fist in a very cowardly way.
There were no police present.
Mr Lou Carigg (Dromana) – Well, that’s the limit! The audacity of James is incomprehensible! Why, he wasn’t there; it was Les White who umpired the match!
Cr H. Rigby (Carrum) – None were more disgusted than we to see White at Dromana.
Mr G. McLear (Dromana) – He admitted to me that he was White, saying that James was seriously ill with pneumonia and couldn’t come.
Mr H. McCulloch (Frankston) – As the man, James, was apparently never on the ground, we should not deal with the report.
Mr McLear (Dromana) – As captain, he should have told me that he intended to report Jim McLear. The rules demand it, but he did not mention the matter to me.
Mr Cameron (Frankston) – All we should do is find out who did umpire and report the matter to the League.
Messrs Carigg and McCulloch moved to that effect. There were no dissentients.
Mr Carrigg (Dromana) said that the match between Carrum and Dromana was the most disgraceful he had ever witnessed. Jim McLear was greatly provoked before he hit Feavor, who had deliberately charged “Bunny” Dyson.
Jim McLear was one of the finest men on the peninsula, yet he was violently attacked with sticks and stones.
Cr Stephens, (Carrum) – Oh, out it out!
Mr Carrigg – Carrum was looking for gore all the time. (Laughter). I say they never should have been admitted to the Association.
Mr Firth (Somerville) – But the Dromana delegates voted in favor of the Naval Base and Carrum being admitted!
Mr G. McLear (Dromana) – I have nothing against the Carrum players. I blame the umpiring and one or two spectators for the whole trouble.
Cr Griffeth (Mornington) – I voted to admit Carrum and the Naval Base. I would do so again. My only complaint against Carrum is that they proved themselves “too hot” for Mornington. (Laughter) We are going to try and square things up when we meet next time. (Laughter).
Cr Rigby (Carrum) – I am proud of the Carrum players and their supporters, and deeply resent Mr Carrigg’s imputations of cowardice.
Mr Cameron (Frankston) – Carrum beat us fairly and square; we have no complaints to make.
Mr McCulloch (Frankston) – Hear, hear.
The matter then dropped.
Mr Carrigg asked whether Johnston and Laidlaw, now playing with Carrum, were the same Johnston and Laidlaw who, with McAuly, were disqualified for life at Chelsea last season by the Federal Association?
The President – I have no knowledge of the matter.
Mr Carrigg – I am quoting from the Moorabbin “News,” which says players of the same name were rubbed out for life. Do the Carrum delegates know anything about it ?
Cr Stephens – I know absolutely nothing about it.
Cr Rigby – It’s a surprise to me.
I will make it my business to investigate those charges.
The President – It will be unfortunate for Carrum if they are – I don’t say they are the same players who were disqualified for life. In that case, Carrum would probably lose all their matches.
Cr Griffeth moved, and Mr Carrigg seconded, that the secretary get particulars from the Federal Association and invite these two players to sign a declaration that they were not disqualified for life; and that the matter be also referred to the League.
***
MR P. Wheeler will give a lecturette on “A Trip to Fiji,” at the Frankston Progress Association meeting next Tuesday evening.
***
WHEN the Railway Commissioners visited Frankston last week, they were met by the Shire President, (Cr Mason), and Crs Oates and Wells.
Mr Clapp again assured the deputation that the electrification of the Frankston line would be completed by August next year, and in the meantime he did not propose to alter the running of trains to Frankston.
Mr Clapp said he would take steps to obviate the blocking of the evening express outside the Frankston station and promised to enquire into the practicability of providing a traffic sub-way at Beach Street crossing.
***
AT the quarterly meeting of the Peninsula Schools Committees Association, held on Wednesday night, at Frankston, (Cr W. Armstrong in the chair) it was decided to organise a combined picnic to Royal Park in November next.
The shire president, Cr Mason, was present, and invited the committee to attend a meeting of the council’s sub-committee on Monday evening next to further consider the idea of securing an Elementary High School for the peninsula.
***
THE gale last Friday night, from the effects of which Frankston escaped, wrought considerable damage, however, at Mornington, where the damage is estimated at £1500.
The tide was one of the highest for many years, and the wind sweeping in from the north-west, with no obstacle to mitigate its force, drove the waves high up over the foreshore.
At Fisherman’s Beach, Mornington, 44 bathing boxes were wrecked and washed away, and broken timber and wreckage were piled up in some places three feet high.
Rowing boats were torn from their moorings and smashed to bits. At many points, the cliffs, undermined by the wind lashed waves, were eaten away to the extent of 8 or 10 feet.
Even the massive stone coping of the sea wall at the pier could not withstand the onslaught. Though the blocks of stone were fastened together with heavy iron staples, they were lifted and all swept up on to the roadway and the pier, the decking of which suffered considerable damage.
It has been suggested by residents along the peninsula bayside that since the deepening of the entrances to Port Phillip the volume of water and the rise and fall of the tide has increased considerably, and the erosion has consequently become greater.
The steady encroachment of the sea has become more marked – what was a green sward at Mornington 10 years ago is now below high water mark – and experiences at Mornington prove that something will have to be done to prevent the inevitable ravages by the waves to public and private property.
***
From the pages of the Frankston and Somerville Standard, 22 July 1921
