EMPIRE GAMES TOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 238, 8 October 1930, Page 17

EMPIRE GAMES TOUR.

ACCOUNT GIVEN BY MANAGER. N.Z. TEAM SCORED EIGHT WINS. FEELING OF LOYALTY DEVELOPED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. An interesting account of tie New Zealand team's visit to the Empire Games at Hamilton (Canada) was given at a Rotary Club luncheon by Mr. R. J. Hobbs, the manager, who said that the hospitality that had been accorded them everywhere was wonderful. They were given a civic reception at Vancouver and similarly "were met at each town on the trip "across to Toronto. There was one thing that gave us a tremendous thrill: After, each event the winner was conducted to the dais and the second and third men placed below him. The National Anthem of the winning country was played and the country's flag was hoisted, competitors standing to attention until it was at the top of the flag staff. Our thrill came when Savidan won the six-mile race. The competitors in this having to run 24 laps.. When Savidan had covered 22, one of-the officials told him there was only one more to go. When he had finished that lap the gun was fired. He stopped, but was then told tl<at It was the signal that there was one more round to go. He said afterwards that he did not know how he managed' to get round, but he was so far in front that he won easily. The team had seventeen starts and gained three firsts, four seconds and two

thitos. - Savidan won the six-mile run, the senior foxy# registered a win and Lay threw"the javelin a long way furthc: than any other., competitor. 1 Lay,went, down*to Chicago with'the team, and it was good to see the Union Jack indicating .the New . Zealand representative's throw well ahead of the American flag, indicating the best tbiow for tho United States. During the whole four the team scored eight firsts, throe jit the Empire Games, and one at Chicago and the eight-oared race at Toronto, where each four of the New Zealand rowing team contested the final and where Elliott won the 100 yards and 220 yards sprint, events. -"One thing that struck us very'much •in Canada was the ignorance about New Zealand," said Mr. Hobbs. "Many of them thought New Zealand was only a little way from Sydney. I had with me about 250 silver fern badges and these were the most coveted badges at the games. The next thing that put New Zealand on the map was our success at the Games. I had many Government publicity books which were distributed/' The Games had done a lot of good in bringing Canada closer to the Mother Country. The next Games in 1934 were to be held in South Africa. ... He hoped the same success would be achieved there. "I. have made an application," he said, "for the Games to be_ held in Wellington in. 1938. and it will be a wonderful show." (Applause.) "The city of Hamilton was behind the Games financially to the extent of a*bout 25,000 dollars, and wlien we came away I was told they had broken square. I suppose about 50 per cent of the ■ best athletes in Britain and Canada- • are University men. By coming to New Zealand they would lose four months from studies so that I do not think we will get tf;e best men -nere The intensified feeling of loyalty which was developed at the Games when carried back to the different countries- did more good than could be done by politicians.