ENQUIRY TO BE HELD.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19853, 14 February 1930, Page 8

ENQUIRY TO BE HELD.

♦ CHAMPIONSHIP BICYCLE RACE. UNFAIR TACTICS ALLEGED. Last night at a meeting of delegates to the North Canterbury Centre..of the New Zealand Athletic, Cycling, and Axemen's Union, considerable dissatisfaction was expressed regarding the racing in the ten miles Australasian cycling championship race, which was recently held in connexion with the Christchurch benefit meeting at English Park. It was finally decided that a full enquiry should be made into this race, and that certain riders should be called upon to appear before the Centre at its next meeting, The chairman, Mr W. J. Walter (Mairehau), introduced the subject by .stating that there could be no doubt that the race for the ten miles Australasian championship was not as clean as it might have been A complaint had been made to him by Mr P. C. Crooke regarding questionable tactics in this race, and he, as referee, had investigated the matter. There appeared to be little do»ibt that, on the west side of the ground, L. W. Hill, who had been leading, closely followed by P. O'Shea, had ridden wide, allowing O'Shea to take the inside running in the last lap. When entering the straight, O'Shea did not keep to the pole line, but rode wide, forcing W. T. Weir over to the fence, "and thereby interfering with Weir's chances of winning. Mr G. Henderson (Doyleston) said that the race had been pretty much of a farce. The younger riders were only going for lap money. He would like to see a thorough enquiry into the matter, and suggested that Hill. O'Shea, Watson, S. Arnst, Jordan, and Pither should be called upon to attend. The chairman then formallv moved that an enquiry should be held. This was seconded by Mr G. E. Fergus (Cust). Mr P. C. Crooke (Christchurch) said that he intended to move an amendment that the Centre take no notion in the matter. The trouble was more due to weak officials than to the riders themselves. He also thought that the Centre should have a new referee. He had reneatedly suggested that an official should he placed on the corners, but it had not been done. The chairman: Why blame me? Mr Crooke: You dealt with one case last year, and !et another go. It is becoming quite a joke now, as to who is going to win a race. You are frequently told before the race who will be the winner. Mr C. Stuart (Coalgate): You are most inconsistent in your statements. You laid the first complaint and are now going back on it. Moreover, your amendment is a direct negative to the motion. Mr Crooke then asked why the Centre needed to pay out on the race if they were dissatisfied, and the secretary explained that the money had already been paid over to the competitors. Mr Fergus said that although the prize money had been" paid out, it was not too late for the Centre to call an cnauiry. It was their duty to check such practices. The chairman then ruled that Mr Crooke's amendment (which had not been seconded) was out of order, being a direct negative to the motion, which was then put and carried unanimouslv. The chairman then moved and Mr G. Henderson seconded that L. W Hill, P. O'Shea, W. T. Weir, and S. A. Jordan should be called noon to attend the next meeting of the Centre. The motion was carried unanimously.