ATHLETICS.

Goo. W. Smith arrived from Wellington on Wednesday, and was warmly welcomed home by the officials of the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club. The Auckland hurdle crack, who put on flesh on the return from England, and is in splendid health, will be entertained at a smoke concert in the Federal Clubrooms, Wellesleystreet West, this evening. C.W.S. says lie has run his last race.

Racing members of the Auckland Amateur and Cycle Club are anxious to know if the club intends holding a. November carnival this year. If it is intended to hold a meeting, the fact should be announced forthwith, in order that intending competitors might bo given a reasonable time for training.

Mr. L. W. Harlcy, who for many years past has occupied the position of honorary secretary of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, intends resigning office at the close of the present financial year. Mr. Hurley has always been an earnest worker, and his place will he hard to fill. The annual meeting of the association has been fixed for October 31.

The newly-formed New Zealand Amateur Boxing Association has definitely fixed September 25 as the date for the first annual championship, which will be held in the Theatre Royal, Christchurcti. It is the intention of tine association to hold annual contests for both professionals and amateurs, but this year the competitions will be confined to amateurs. Entries close to-day.

A. W. Bell, the well-known amateur longdistance runner, is at present in Gisbortte. Bell, who is an Australasian champion, was in Auckland two or three seasons ago, but did not do much running at local meetings, as he was engaged in farming pursuits in tho Waikato district, and could not find the time to devote to training.

Geo. W. SmithV version of Hie running of the 120 yds hurdles at the English Amateur _ Athletic Association's championship meeting is very different to those given by the more hostile of his English critics in chronicling the race. The Aucklander, in the course of a conversation on Wednesday last, informed me that although he exercised every care by jumping- high at his fences, he was the first to move off the mark at pistol crack, and was l ever headed at any stage of the journey. The Irish representative, Carey, was behind Smith when he (Carey) fell at the third hurdle, the Aucklander being on the ground when he heard his opponent hit the fence. It was evidently the pare at which the Aucklander carried the opposition over the first two or three fences that, killed, and Smith assures me that had ho been hard put to it he could have done a yard or two better. The grass track over which the hurdles were run gives absolutely no assistance to the runners, and is slightly uphill, there being a rise of 6iu from the starting to the finishing posts, while in the centre there is a hollow. Smith puts the whole tiling in a nutshell when he said: "I went out to win, and when I felt that I had the race in hand 1 did not feel inclined to take any chances simply for the sake of .making fast time. Had I done so I might, as I frequently did in practice, have rapped one of the hurdles, and lost the race. I was sent Homo to try and win for New Zealand. I'm quite satisfied." And so say all of us.

On the evening of July 21, at the Stamford Bridge Grounds, London, F. Appleby, the young Heine Hill Harrier Club runner, defeated A. Shrubb and five others in a 15-mile race and created a fresh world's amateur record for the distance. His time was lh. 20m. 4 3-55., which is 2m. 10 4-ss. better than the previous best of lh. 22m. 15 2-ss. made on he same track by Sid Thomas on April 9, 1892. Shrubb. who was about 40yds away, second, finished in lh. 20m. 15 4-55., also beating Thomas' record by close upon 2m. Appleby, who has not yet reached his majority, was weighed before starting, and only turned the scale at 7st 121b, Shrubb being about 101 heavier. The winner established fresh records for all distances from 12i miles to 14J. miles inclusive.

The general secretary of the Wellington Eight Hours' Union (Mr. D. McKeuzie) has forwarded mo a programme of the union's thirteenth annual demonstration and Labour Day carnival, to be held on the Basin Reserve Ground on Wednesday, October 8. The sports programme embraces 22 items, the principal event being the. Eight Hours' Demonstration Sheffield Handicap of 120vds, first prize £12, second £5, third £3. Nominations for the principal races close on Saturday next.

How strong England is in distance runners at present has been on several occasions demonstrated this season. Another insta/iee was given on July 19, when the famous English amateur, A. Shrubb, put up a fresh world's grass record for three miles. It was at tho Essex County C. and A. Association Sports in the grounds of the Bishop of Colchester, at Chelmsford, that Shrubb accomplished the fine feat of running three miles in Mm. 25 4-5*., winning by half a. lap from A Aldridgc, who in turn beat F. Appleby by SUyds. The previous best for this distance on a grass track was .1. Kibblcwhite's 14m. 36 3-55., made at the Oval in 1889, so that Shrubb reduced the record by 11 3-5?., and only failed by a few seconds to beat; the track record for the distance. W. ¥. Simpson, the New Zealand crack, who numbered the phenomenal Englishman among his opponents when racing in the Old Country in Julv, covered the three- miles at the Australasian Championship Meeting held _on the Auckland Domain last December, in 14m. 49-., which is 23 1-5?. worse than Shrubb'a latest.

Boxing in Auckland seems to have taken on judging by tho attendance at the Federal Hall last Saturday night, to witness the contests in the various grades between Professor Potter's pupils. The arrangements for the evening were all that could bo desired, except in the matter of ingress and egress, one door being not nearly sufficient to allow of spectators getting in and out with any degree of comfort. The contests were keenly fought, though a certain amount of greenness was noticeable, due, no doubt, to the fact that most of the performers wore appearing in public for the first time. The orent of the evening was a twelve- spar between Turvey and O'Meara and a fairly even wintest was witnessed. For the* first five rounds there was little to choose between them, though Turvey was more resourceful than his opponent, and commanded :<. greater variety of hits. 11l the last few rounds O'Meara seemed to tire and Turvey outpointed him, though the former put up a very good performance for a veteran. The exhibitions are to be continued, another contest having been arranged for next Wednesday week, ami, judging from the support accorded the initial performance, sparring contests should again become popular in Auckland,