ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 293, 10 December 1910, Page 16

ATHLETICS.

6*ys the "Dominion": During the visit to Wellington of Mr. Win. Henry, ol swimming fame,, he, conferred with the Councilvof the ITZ.A.A.A. with regard to the big athletic festival proposed to be held at the Cl-vstal Palace oh June 22 V 1011, in connection" with the Coronation festivities. Mr. Henry is the accredited plenipotentiary of the cbun^' , governing the affair to the , Australasian amateur athletic todies, and explained the intent of the affair very succinctly The intfention of the council, headed by Lord Desborough, is to attract to England for-the occasion the flower of the athletic talent of the three great sections of the Empire—Canada, South Africa, and Australasia—there to meet in single combat the representatives of Great Britain. The .departments. to be contested afe running, Swimming, boxing, wrestling, and, perhaps, tennis, l.he running events are to be iOO yards, 220 yards, halfmile, and mile runs; the swimming distances 100. yards .and mile; while the boxing and wrestling are limited to mid-dle-weights. There will be no heats in the racing, all events to-tie "sud.lon death/ Toim3 are -"to- bo limited io ten men each, and .although a. trophy, £250 in value a will be given to the team scoring the greatest number of wins, there is to be no team-work proper. Th? contests will >be man for man—simply a four-cornered duel in each, department, Mr. "Henry reported that Cnnada has already accepted? and t he desired to know thfr feelings of the New Zealand Council, in order to 'bo able 'to lay its views 'before ■ the >Auitr«lasilta Union. Of course, there was only ohe course OWBtl to our legislators—to affirm the principle tfiat the schefile Wa3 an eXcellorti, 6ne in every way, and to promise to give it every consideration, but not to bind themselves to anything until the tynolc bUsiflfcss had been thoroughly gone 'nto —especially with regard to its flflancial aspect. This is vfhat was done,' aiid a aiessage' embodying these Views \vas given to ilr.v-Htnry 'tcr eSfivey to the' Head body in Sydney.' Wliether or not rh"« earryifig out of btir pb'rtidii 'of the.prcpositidii fa' practicable remains to be seeh—the whole thing is of sUch magnitude tliat it cannot be dealt with offhand. It will serve as a "steady job" for the new council ot the N.Z.A.A.A. during the coming mouths.