THE PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN CREW FOR ENGLAND.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7263, 24 January 1889, Page 6

THE PROPOSED AUSTRALIAN CREW FOR ENGLAND.

In an article dealing with the questloa of sending an Australian eight-oared cr&tr home to England during the comltu. summer, the Leader nays:—One con dition which English oarsmen make in regard to the proposal must be kept to the front, i. c., that the Australians sent to row against them must be amatenn within the definition laid down bytha Amateur Rowing Association of England That definition excludes any oarsman who is a mechanic, artisan,or labourer; who hau ever been employed in or about boats nr in manual labour; who has ever taiurt_t pursued, or assisted in the athletic exercises of any kind as a meam of livelihood; who has ever competed In any competition for either a stake, or money, or entrance fee, or with or agalna* a professional for any prize. Audit v also stipulated that the oarsman mast ba an officer of Her Maje _ty*a Army or Nan or Civil Service, a member of tho liberal professions, or of the universities or public schools, or of any established boat or rowing club not containing mechanics or professionals.

To comply with this definition will necessarily limit the number of cahdid&taa for selection, but still a first cldss eight could be got together. In Sydney tha names of the following prominent oarsman have been mentioned:—Messrs J. R Kennnedy, G. Kennedy, C. Bros, J..Fraser W. Martin, M'Gill, Hooker, M'Douold! Carlton, and Bellbridge, and no diuOM others . could be added to.' this list, In Viitoria there are son, Payne, Bannister, Oxiadc, Watson. Moline, Blair • and -a' few more, awf of whom would be a tower of Btreng_ in an eight. The question arises, however, Should the selection be confined to the two colonies ? We think not. In poiat of physique and other attributes for aa oarsman, few could be chosen who would excel Mr C. B. Co*, of Adelaide; and It Is said thatMrT. Hughes, of the Commercial club, Brisbane, would be a most valuable acquisition in any Australian crew. Every one mentioned would no doubt require a great amount of coach—£ up, but that should not be a serious difficulty. Much could be done by an equally earliest coach and an equally earnest set of oaismen to settle into uniform action during the voyage home by means of a simply con. structed rowing machine.' So far as the getting together of a good and representative Australian crawls eon. cerned, there is no obstacle that could not be overcome. The rowing associations could well do their part. The principal query is, Will the public of the coloutea support the movement. It has been clearly pointed out that the venture would have to be subsidised.as there would benoeluui_ of meeting the expenses by mean!) of gatemoney. Mr H. G. Turner has ascertained that the cost of sending ten oarsmen, ft coach and coxswain to- England, for fiva mouths would be £1500. Thia does not seem a large amount to raise la two colonies, even if the other colonies were not represented, and did' not contribute. The trip could not be carried out for soything like the ahiount -stated wetit not for the proffered hospitalityof the London and Thames roving clubs. Each, of these clubs m' expressed its willingness to put the, iaij tralians up at its club .house, which would mean a great concession and saving of expense to the visitors, though, no doubt, to some extent a temporary inconvenience ta the club members. As to raisin/, tha Victorian portion of the expenses,-It >to-1_ be useless for the Victorian' Rowing Association to undertake.that task. Tm raoney would have to be raised forth, special purpose, and, no plan appears at present better than to. appeal to all sup-, porters of rowing and of the proposal at a public meeting. If taken In hand by a few of the old oarsmen of the colony who have since their rowing days achieved sueee— in their various walks of life, the sum ot £700 or £800 could bo raised in a week or two. Several promises of support.— ths movement have been made, and, there ia every indication that with a little energy the Victorian part of the project could be accomplished. Mr H. G. Turner, the popular president of the Victorian Rowing Association, says he will not hava returned to Melbourne in time to push the matter on, as the crew would have to leave for England- in: March, .but ha characteristically offers .to help with a subscription. A few weeks ago £4000 was raised in Brisbane for a professional seal* ling race. "It should, not, therefore, bo unreasonable to expect, that two-thirds of that amount could be raised in this colony tosend a crew to England, for it is almO-_ certain that there are many persons outside of Melbourne who would subscribe II asked. Though New South Wales baboon unsuccessful in the intercolonial amateur races, the ardour of the support-l-ot rowing in that colony has not beedamped, and there is every reason to suppose that that colony's share of thfunds would not be wanting. ** Trident," in the Sydney Mail of last week, says, in referring to the matter, that the selected men must be big and strong and must be prepared to act strictly as __ coach may direct. The same writerpsj» ft high compliment to the Victorian coiek, for he adds, ,'•' there musfbe one head witsupreme command, and this ' boss * shoalundoubtedly be Mr G; E, Upward.*' _ita the coxswain, who is to be nominated fey the Victorian Rowing Association,.it ii thought by Sydney oarsmen that the post could not be more ably filled than b| Walter Bray, tlie ex-Victorian co-swain, and as he would be just the proper weight —between 7st and Bst—he should, If available, be selected. .'Tlie whole que—lea must be dealt with at the Victorian Rowing Association meeting 6n Monday ev«t_« ing, 14th January, and no doubt early arrangements will be mode for a pat—* meeting. The Victorian Bowing A-Md* tion cannot well recede from the. postti-B t has taken up ou the matter. ■■