ATHLETICS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21792, 26 May 1936, Page 15

ATHLETICS

MEETING OF CANTERBURY CENTRE harrier affairs discussed Recommendations governing the harrier sport were carried at the meeting of the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last evening. Dr. D. McK. Dickson, one of the deputation that waited on the harrier sub-committee, reported to the centre on the matters discussed, and made the following recommendations;—( a) That the harrier sub-committee have control of harrier affairs under the centre; (b) that the minutes of each meeting and the balance-sheet be submitted for the centre’s approval; (c) that the affiliation and registration fee be collected by the sub-committee and that £1 Is be retained by the sub-committee from the harrier clubs, th* remainder to be handed over to the centre; (d) that at the beginning of each harrier season the centre secretary furnish the sub-committee with a complete list of registered track runners and that the harrier secretary return a complete list of competing harriers as soon as possible, together with fees; (e) that the sub-committee shall not expect grants from the centre; (f) and that harrier registration shall not entitle a harrier runner to compete in track events unless he pay to the centre the same fees as other track athletes. The recommendations were adopted. The Hinds Athletic Club wrote that its committee had discussed the unsportsmanlike attitude of the visiting athletes arriving by subsidised buses on its sports day. Most of the athletes had refused to pay admission fee at the gate and had then defrauded the club by asking for the refund of the admission charge. That practice had been going on for the last two years. Out of two full bus loads of competitors and others only 5s had been collected, and yet 20s had been handed out In gate refunds to those arriving by the buses. The committee was forwarding the protest and hoped that the centre would see that the club was more fairly treated. The chairman (Mr E. M.-Todd) said that it was not a very sportsmanlike attitude on the part of the athletes. He suggested that in future the fees should be collected on the bus. It xyas decided to write to the Hinds Club' stating that the centre would take steps to prevent a similar occurrence.

880 YARDS RECORD APPLICATION NOT GRANTED UNFAIR TREATMENT ALLEGED Allegations of unfair treatment of its application for a record for 880 yards, made by V. P. Boot, were made at the meeting of the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last evening, when it was decided to ask the New Zealand Athletic Association to reconsider its decision. The chairman (Mr E. M. Todd) said that with reference to V. P. Boot's record for 880 yards at Lancaster Park, the New Zealand Association had at first decided to hold the matter over until the Olympic team had left New 'Zealand, and then finally it had rejected the application on the grounds that the centre had not complied with the rules In measuring the track. Boot had been credited with the record for the distance made in Wellington, but that record was 1 4-ssec slower than the time registered at Lancaster Park. The point was that it would have been impossible to measure the track immediately after the race, as it would have meant holding up the athletic meeting for considerably more than an hour. The rule concerning the measuring of the track was vague. Mr R. Beatty said that it seemed unfair that Boot’s record should be rejected when overseas athletes’ records, made under the same conditions, had been granted. The track was surveyed on the day of the meeting and on the following morning. The New Zealand Association had created a precedent in granting records which had been made under conditions similar to those of Boot’s record. It seemed unfair that Boot should be treated differently from overseas visitors. He moved that the centre write asking the New Zealand Association to reconsider the matter. If they received no satisfaction, he considered that all other centres should be circularised and the position explained. Concerted action might then be taken. Mr P. Maloney said that he felt sure that with fully half .the records the track had been measured on the following day. He considered they, were being unfairly treated as they had carried out the instructions, surveying the track on the day of the race and after the race.

Mr Beatty’s motion, that the New Zealand Association be asked to reconsider the matter, was carried.