MISCELLANEOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Amateur Athletic Club's secretary took a very wise step in convening a meeting of the Committee for last evening to decide on a date and on the events for the Spring Carnival of the Club. The members will thus have ample opportunity to prepare for the meeting, and to get as fit as their trainers can make them. Many will no doubt be induced to compete, who would if they had less time stand aside. The meeting is held too late for me to know the result, but I have no doubb it will be satisfactory. X was surprised to see bo few at the annual meeting of the Club last Thursday week. The majority of the members are too ready to let a few manage the affairs. They let things slide along as best they may till something happens to disturb their equanimity, and then choir virtuous indignation afc what displeases them is unbounded. All the members should take a personal interest in the success of the Club, as no doubb they do ; but they should show their interest by keeping a watchful eye on the business. Things may b"e going on very smoothly, but at any time a hitch may occur, and if men do not thoroughly understand the business they are unable to cope with the trouble. The report and balance-sheets presented by the secretary and treasurer must have been very satisfactory to everybody. As those two officers deserve most of the credit for the success of the various meetings held last season ; they must have felt well pleased at the congratulations poured forth in regard to the condition of the Club. Things were none too brieht when they took office ; but in spite of heavy expenses the Club is now in a thoroughly sound financial position. Every member will agree with the vote of the meeting that a testimonial should be presented to Messrs Halyday and Esana. They thoroughly deserved it.

Messrs Arneil, Powley, and Service, the ! new members of the Committee, are all good men, and will prove acquisitions in the management of the Club. All have the success of the Club at heart; and Mr Fowley especially is taking a great interest in the production of the Club's banner. By the way, that banner is going to "paralyse them," as the secretary says. Miss Annie Dobson, the well-known artist, has very generously offered to do the artistic work in connection with it. Ibwill be about 7 feet by 5, and of very handsome appearance. The old question of prizes again cropped up at the annual meeting. It is as well that it should be known that prize-winners get an order on a jeweller and are allowed to choose their own prizes, which must, however, be strictly " amateur." I hope to see the Committee make an arrangement thab all prizes must be given in to the Secretary or Treasurer for formal presentation within a reasonable time. Some of those who received orders last time gave a good deal of trouble by their delay. The rowing clubs are already beginning to show great activity. The Sfc. George's meeting was held early in the week and an active set of officers elected. The Club means business this season, and all rivals had better keep well off the grass. The West End men were to hold their meeting last night, and I have no doubt they will show as great activity this eeason as they have done in the past. It is well to see our aquatic men take time by the forelock in this way. A lively rowing season may be anticipated. At the Bb. George's meeting some pretty hard words were used with regard to the action of the Regatta Committee ab Jubilee time in ordering the 10 stone whaleboab race to be rowed over again on the very morning of th<* Jubilee Athletic Sports, when several of the St. George's crew, who won the first race hande down, could not row owing to their being engaged in the sports. It was, however, agreed to let bygones be bygones ; but it is to be hoped the Regatta Committee will in future consider tho crews when fixing a time for a race to be re-rowed. There should, however, if the rules were clear and well made, be no necessity to row any#race a second time. The number of disputes and mistakes in both rowing and sailing races in Auckland is a shame. One would expect that in the best port of the colony things should be a bit better arranged. Now that I am on aquatic matters 1 may as well say thab tho Rowing Association should take some steps for the encouragement of single sculling; while the rowing men themselves should take more interest in that branch of sport. We ought to be able to produce some really good scullers.' The harbour is certainly not so good as a river, but we have plenty of calm days, and the Tamaki Eiver or the Lake is not a far journey. The bicycle road race arranged by Mr Service comes off this afternoon. Several new riders make their appearance, as was hoped by the promoter. Let ue hope that this season will see a bit of a boom in cycling. Ib is a pity Mr Buchanan could not see hie way to retain the captaincy of the Club ; but I think he intends to leave himself perfectly clear to get in form for racing, and Mr Waters, the new captain, will no doubt prove a worthy successor. Mr Condell, who intends resigning the post of secretary to the Canterbury Crioket Association, has held the office for some years. There were 56 entries for the Dunedin Club's cross-country steeplechase. Twelve started, and tho race was won by Hislop in very fair time. Shaw, the New Zealander, started in the championship hurdle race (120 yds) in Enerland, bub Daft beat him in the heat in 17sec, and won the final pretty easily in 16 4-sth sec. Bob Lask ran in a 220 yds race of the RoslynGardone Club the other day, but was nob placed. He did nob run in the Public Schools Open 220 yds, nor did MeKelvio start in the Open Mile Walk. The Salford Harriers propose to send a team of athletes to the States, and have arranged a series of sports meetings at New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Washington. The following team will probably represent the club:—E. W. Parry, National Cross - country Champion. and Amateur Steeplechase Champion ; W. H. Morton, Northern Cross-country Champion and World's Long-distance Record Holder from 14 to 20 miles ; T. L. Nicholas, 220 yds N.C.A.A. Champion and Quarter - mile Amateur Champion ; N. D. Morgan, 100 yds N.C.A.A. Champion and 100 yds Amateur Champion; G. H. Morris, steeplechaser, 6tc. : J. H. Wilcox (Bradford), sprinter ; J. W. Martindale (Manchester), 440 yds runner. The fight) between Griffo and Billy Murphy seems to have been a very unsatisfactory affair. It looks a bit like a very old game among boxers. From one account, it would appear thab Murphy was winning easily when he gave up, complaining of the gloves ; while another says thab I Griffo was having the best time. At the English Amateur Championship I Sporte a new record for the Seven Milo Walking Race was pub up by Curtis, of the Highgato Harriers, who, leading from start to finish, nob only won easily, bub created a world's amateur record from five to seven miles, in 52min 28 2-sth sec, without showing any signs of distress. The London correspondent of the Sydney \ " Referee " cays : " Whilst on the subjecb of the Australian cricketers, I may say thab all sorts of etrange rumoura are afloat, and in fact have been for many weeks, as bo the possibility of one, if not two of the crack bowlers of the Australian team remaining in this country and assisting one of the weaker of our first-class counties, bub I cannot yet definitely say thab bbia is aw Jait accompli, and all I can say for the present is that overtures have been made in connection with the extended sojourn in England of a.celebrated Antipodean bowler, with a view bo his appearance for the Gloucesterahire Eleven." Ab the Royal Bicycle meeting at Paddington in June, several records were made, the chief of which was thab of F. J. Osmond, who rode half a mile in lmin 13 4-sth sec on an ordinary bicycle, while in the One Mile Safety Bicycle Handicap R. J. Mecredy, of the Dublin Universiby, lowered the mile record fco 2rnin 31 3-sth sec. The prizes were distributed by the Prince3a of Wales. On the same track Dr. E. B. Turner rode three miles on a tricycle in Srain 6 2-sth see. This beats the speed of all other kinds of cycles, including the ordinary and safety bicycles. Ab the meeting of the Pioneer Bicycle Club, the premier club of New Zealand, ib was resolved that the following prizes be offered to the first member of the club accomplishing any of tho following performances on the road during the season ending May 31st, 1891, viz. :—SO miles under 3hrs, 10gs; 100 miles under 7hrs, lOgs; 250 miles under 24hra, 10gs. Carried unanimously. There has been a good deal of bickering of late between the Melbourne Bicycle Club end the Victorian Cyclists' Union. It ia not very clear what the trouble was about, but the following par from bhe Melbourne " Sportsman " will give an idea of the bad eflecb ib is likely to have :—" Ie is becoming evident gradually that tho Austral Wheel Race this year will probably be a money prize. Since the Union dealt with the Melbourne Club it has dawned on bhe latter body that one of two courses only lay open to them—either to run their usual race and trust bo the racing men deserting the Union for the bauble, or turning it into a money prize. Aβ signs were nob wanting that the racing men as a body were wholly againsb deserting bhe Union, ib has occurred to bhe M.B.C. fco ebrike another blow ab the governing body by giving cash prizes, and by holding out a tempting bait) or two, reckoning on getting sufficient amateurs to race

for money as will weaken the Union, as well as make their race meeting a success. Our amateur cyclists cannot be too careful in dealing wibh this matter. Racing men, ask yourselves whether tbe bait thrown ab you is sufficient to warrant you turning professional. You may at hearb be in favour of cash prizes as against brophies ; bub consider whether cash prizes bwice a year at the outside are preferable to trophies all the year round. And, above all, satisfy yourselves on these two points—whether the money prizes are offered purely for your benefit, or whether you are being made a tool of with which to smite tho Union. Our own cyclists Bhould carefully keep down the professional element. In the cricket match between Sussex and Lancashire, on June 30 and July 1 and 2, the scores were :—Lancashire, 246 for two wickets, innings declared closed (Bnggs 129 nob oub and A. Ward 77 nob oub): Sussex, 35 and 24. The scoring of the losers is bhe smallesb recorded in a firsb class match for several seasons. Wabson took nine Sussex wickets for 13 runs and Briggs ten for 41. The annual match between Oxford and Cambridge was played at Lord's on July 1, 2, and 3, when Cambridge won by seven wickets. The scores were :—Oxford, 42 and 108; Cambridge,97 and 54 for three wickets. Woods, the Australian, was the mosb successful bowler for Cambridge, securing eighb wickets for 57 runs. The following are the bare resulbs of the English Amateur Championship Meeting held ab Birmingham on July 12th :—M. D. Morgan won the 100 yd race by one foot; time, 10 2-sbh sec. T. T. Pitman won the Ha_f-Mileinlminsß2-sthsec. C. F. Daftwon the 120 yd Hurdle in 16 4-sth sec._ J. Kibblewhite won the One Mile in 4min 23 l-sth sec. He also won the Four Alile in 20min 16 2-sth sec. Dickinson won the Pole Jump with lift. H. Curtis won the Seven Mile Walk in 52min 28 2-sth sec, beating the world's amateur record of 52min 34sec by H. Webster. The Quarter-Mile was won by T. S. Nicholas in 51 4-sth sec. The Running Broad Jump was won by R. G. Hogarth, who cleared 20ft, C. W. Howard won the Running High Jump at sft Shin. E. W. Parry won the Two Mile Steeplechase in lOmin 54 4-sth sec. . The London "Sportsman " of June 25th says:—More than once reference has been made to the facb bhab the Australians' tail batsmen have this tour proved almost as good as their cracks, and I would now illustrate this by the facb that, although they have played (up to Saturday last) twelve matches and been in twenty-bwo times, on only three occasions was the 100 hoisted before the fall of the fifth wicket. These instances were, I believe, at Sheffield Park, the Oval (v. Surrey), and at Cambridge. A new hop, step, and jump record ha. •been made in America. J. Rich, of Freeport, covered 49ft llin, beating the previous best of 48fb 3in of J. Purcell, Ireland, by lfb Bin.