BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 246, 17 October 1929, Page 19

BOWLING.

MORE CLUB OPENINGS, TEDIOUS SPEECHES. VAIN REPETITION DEPRECATED. (By TRUNDLES.) After all the excitement of the official openings last Saturday, there is to be even a larger programme thie week, for a similar ceremony is to be conducted at Dominion Road, Edendale, Eilerslie, Glen Eden, Helensville, Otahuhu, Rawhiti, Remuera, Takapuna, Te Papapa, Tuakau and VYaitemata. There will also be an informal opening at Mount Eden and New Lynn, in each case the official ceremony being delayed till later on in the season. In connection with these ceremonies there seems to be developing a strong conviction that there are usually too many speeches, and most of them are too "long. On this matter a good hint was given in quite a different connection this "week by the Hon. J. G. Cobbe. Speaking at the opening of the Chamber or Commerce Conference, he said that there was one thing he liked abou: aatherinz? o: bucinecs men, and that was that when they had linisned all they had to say they stopped, whereas he "knew of one assembly where they still kept .en. It was not very hard to α-uess which assembly he had in mind, but the iew bowlere who were present, including the Mayor of Auckland, would probably chink "that they knew still another" institution where the speakers kept on talking after they had said all they had to" say. There may be_ a little excuse for bowling speakers, for they are only following the example of the" many bowls which are reputed to

"keep on" after they have stopped," but a bowl cannot help itself when it is once a'iven too much impetus, whereae a bowler ougnt to know when hie audience have" heard all the fresh news he has to give them, without repeating it all again. Probably after this gentle hint, which has no particular application, but refers to club functions in seneral. some of our speakers will act more in accordance with their own statements for _the future, for quite a number cf them say they don't want to detain the company, nor keep them from their game.

The Challenge Matches,

The last match of the season, for the Denieon' Pins, took place on Saturday, and resulted in a win for Clarke, Norgrove, Eoberts and Ramsey (Dominion Road), who defeated the holders, Cave. Spenee, Oatridge and Robertson (Mount Eden), by 22 to 13. It was quite a pood match, due to consistent play by all the challenging team, so these trophies will now stay in their home club till next winter season begins.

The Size of a Bowl.

Alter all the arguments about measuring bowls, it Ls pleading to know that the executive of the Dominion Council have decided to recommend to the centres the reversal of the parent body's decision ma4e at the annual meeting in July. The review of the position is rather interesting, as it reveals an apparent weakness in the method of dealing with these matters. The sub-committee appointed by the Auckland Centre executive to revise the "Laws of the Game" included an alteration in the method of measuring a bowl, from in circumference, the maximum size allowed from time immemorial, to in diameter, recognising the; fact that there ie not one bowler in a thousand who would ever appreciate the circumference of a bowl. The matter was discussed rather fully, during the course of several long evenings, when the 98 rules were reviewed, and the decision to take the diameter at which is identical with in circumference, was made in spite of the fact that the Australian maximum k 5 3-16 in. However, the council is known to be conservative, so it was thought that a decided step in advance would be made if the diameter was officially recognised at all.

Thio impression of the council was more than justified, for they threw out the whole thing, and recommended the retention of the old svotem. Nobody can say what happened in the discussion, or if there was any discussion, but this again emphasises the point that is often mentioned, that the bowlers of New Zealand pay the expenses of tine councillors to attend the annual meeting, and then they rush through the business as if their chief object was a race against time, in order to retire to the social functions usually arranged by the local members. If this is not the case, it is open to any members of the council to explain how they could deal exhaustively with 98 rules in one day, in addition to all tihe other business which we all know that they had to deal with.

Fortunately they saved face by apparently holding up their own" recommendations until they could, be more carefully reviewed by the Dnnedin executive, and this has now been done, that body not only confirming the Auckland suggestion, but boldly taking the extreme step of following the Australian maximum of five and three-six-teenths.

Whether they were influenced in this action by the protests that have since been raised k not a very material point, but there is still plenty of time to review all the other questionable decisions of the council. In the meantime, speaking generally, the alterations made uy the executive are an improvement on the decisions so hastily made by the full council, but even now they will stand a good deal of consideration. They stew , distinct signs of most careful attention, and to that extent are worthy of warm praise.