BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 138, 13 June 1929, Page 17

BOWLING.

A TOURNAMENT INCIDENT.

SETTLING A FINE POINT,

PERSONAL NOTES.

(By TRUNDLER.)

Trophies to the value of £6 or £8 depended last week on whether a certain jack was alive or dead, and the circumstances were so'unusual as to be well worth recording. A skip drove with his last bowl, and hit the jack so hard that it buried itself in the bank, without falling into the ditch. Naturally a nice little argument ensued, for if the jack was alive these valuable trophies went to the team whose skip had played this phenomenal drive, whereas if it was dead it went to the other team.

There is no rule directly deciding this fine point, but No. 46 says that "if the jack be driven by a bowl in play, and comes to rest wholly beyond the limits of the rink, it shall be dead," and No. 17 explains that "for the jack and touchers the limits shall be the portions of the ditch within the boundaries." The question, therefore, seems to hinge on whether the jack was in some portion of the ditch within the boundaries, and this seems to hinge on whether the ditch means the floor of the ditch only, or whether it includes the two sides, the kerb on one side and the bank on the other side, up to the level of the kerb. Our rules are defective on that point, whereas the English rule is most explicit, that the jack shall be counted dead if it is driven "into any opening or inequality of any kind in the bank." In the meantime, without a definite statement or ruling, the best that can be claimed for the* jack being alive is that "the ditch" means the whole of the excavation, up to the level of the green itself, so that if a straight-edge was extended over the kerb, across the ditch, and any portion of the jack was below that line, the player might be able to make good his claim that it was alive. Personally the writer is of opinion that the jack was dead, just as if it had stuck in the bank an inch above the level of the green, or a foot or a yard above, and that the ditch means the floor of the ditch.

However, there is certainly room for a difference of opinion, and the mere fact that valuable trophies depended on an honest difference of opinion is prima facie evidence that the rules want altering, so that no difference of opinion can possibly arise. Incidentally this is another proof of the weakness of the claim that there are too many rules, for it was the absence of this definite rule which caused all the argument.

Everybody knows exactly what to do when a cow runs away with a golf ball, without arguing the point, either with the cow or the opponent, and bowlers are surely just 'as capable of dealing with a jack which fails to "hole out in one," when driven into the bank.

A VISITOR FROM THE FAR EAST.

Mr. J. K. Popple, president of the Te Araroa Bowling Club, has been spending a few weeks in the city, during which he lias accepted an occasional invitation to play on some of the winter greens. His club enjoys several claims to distinction that are worth noting. First, it is probably the least known club in the Dominion, although it has been in existence for many years. Probably not one bowler in a thousand has ever been there, and not many know even where it is, for it is right out of the beaten track. Second, it is almost the smallest club, in the Dominion, sharing that position from year to year with Patumahoe and a little club at Waitahuna, about 50 miles south of Dunedin. Third, it is supposed to be the further east club in the world, being just a few miles east of the green at Suva, where the annual bowling carnival is to be held next month, although this claim would have to be proved against Levuka, which runs it pretty close. Fourth, it has a most extraordinary decoration, which lifts it above all the greens in the Dominion. Everybody knows the stocks and anemones which adorn the Carlton grounds at different seasons, and quite a number of Auckland bowlers have admired the show of roses surrounding the Buckland green, while many an afternoon tea has been enjoyed under the cool shade of the delightful pepper trees at Remuera. But they don't do things like that down Te Araroa way. Their green is decorated by a gigantic pohutukawa tree, a regular rangatira among the veterans. The bowlers did not plant it themselves— they merely very wisely made their green alongside it —for it was probably already an ancient when Captain Cook called there or hereabouts, in order to liberate a few Captain Cookers for the Maoris. Feet and inches do not usually convey a very vivid impression of the size of a tree, but it is estimated that if it was in Queen Street one lot of branches would be pushing through tha doors of the General Post Office r while another lot would be rubbing against the windows of Hellaby's and Wingate's on the opposite side. A row of such monsters would be rather inconvenient if planted along each side of one of our streets, but it is said that it sets off a wonderful picture at Te Araroa. The officers of a French warship which called there were greatly impressed by its grandeur, and they took a. photograph, of which an enlarged copy hangs in one of the famous Paris galleries. Some of the boys from the East Coast saw it when they were at the war, and recognised it at once, for it is just as distinctive as the village blacksmith's historic chestnut tree.

OBITUARY. Death has entered several bowling families recently and all were surprised to learn last week that the Papatbetoe Bowling Club had lost an active member in the°late Mr. A. H. O'Loughlen. He was probably even better known as a frequent visitor to Carlton, and only the previous Saturday he was enjoying a game, on the winter green. His son is a prominent member of the Pukekohe Bowling Club. Carlton lost an old member in Mr. William Gray, who had been associated with the club for over twenty years. He was a brother of those equally wellknown members of the Auckland Bowling Club, Mr. A. D. Gray, who is now travelling round the world, and Mr. K. D. Gray, who is in business in the citv.

All bowlers will deeply sympathise with Mr. P. F. Watson, a former president of the Remuera Bowling Club, whose wife died recently.

Painfully sudden was the death last week of Mr. A If- Snedden, younger son of Mr. J. A. Snedden, the well-

known veteran bowler of Carlton. He was just making preparations to leave Westport to take up a position as instructor in the Auckland Technical College, Avliere he was supposed to commence last Monday, when he took a sudden drill and rapidly developed complications, which ended, fatally. Mr. Snedden can be assured of the heartfelt sympathy of a large circle of friends in the loss of a brilliant son, cut off in the very prime of life.

GROCERS' SEASON CLOSES,

The wholesale and retail grocers played the last games of their season at Mount Albert yesterday. During: the afternoon the players were the guests of the president, Mr. A. W Page, at afternoon tea. To make it more sociable for the last day, the games were played on the"community bowls" principle, the skips playing lead for the iirst few heads and gradually being promoted. No competitive sides were played with the wholesale against the retail, the teams being intermingled, with the addition of members of the Mount Albert Club. Results: R. Harrison, A. Lang, L. S. Francis, 13, v. F. Bluck, R. De Castro, T. Dickson D; J, W. Bailey, K. C. M. Fordham, C. A. Addison, S. W. Thompson IC, v. J. H. Jones, E. S. Andrew, F. Preston, T. H. Stevens 5; J. Stewart, F. Boyce, J. H. Garlick, P. Floyd 20, v. A. YV. Page, G. R. Stenson, T. E. Price, I. Clarke 4; Jesse Hill, T. Maxwell, A. H. Roylance 13, v. F. Grigson, J. S. Rowe, E. Thomas S.

THE FRANKTON CLUB.

HAMILTON, Wednesday

At the annual general meeting of the Frankton Bowling Club Mr. F. Baker presided over a good attendance.

General gratification at the healthy state of the balance-sheet was expressed. The annual report showed that the membership during the year totalled 40. An enjoyable and successful year of bowls had been experienced and the standard of play considerably improved. The club competitions during the season resulted :—Championship singles, Mr. H. Lucas; runner-up, Mr. G. Frost. McGregor Cup, Mr. P. J. Garvey; runner-up, Mr. G. Frost. Bell Cup, Messrs. W. Crawshaw" and C. Lafferty; runners-up, Messrs. A. Wheeler and H. Childs. Junior Cup (Tui trophy), Mr. E. Gallagher; runner-up, Mr. H. Childs.

The election of officers resulted: —Patron, Mr. W. S. Higgius; president, Mr. F. Baker; vice-president, Mr. P. J. Garvey; secretary and treasurer, Mr. E. B. Burton ; committee, Messrs. L. G. Astle, H. Lucas, J. Troup, A. W. Wheeler, C. Lafferty and A. Rockell; honorary auditor, J. Preston; delegates to the South Auckland centre, Messrs. F. Baker and E. R. Burton.

The various cups and trophies won during the season were presented during the evening.