"POT-HUNTING" ALLEGED

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21991, 15 January 1937, Page 12

"POT-HUNTING" ALLEGED

ATHLETES ENTERING FOR TOO MANY EVENTS MEETING OF CENTRE A proposal that for the rest of the season athletes should not be allowed to compete in more than three events at any one inter-club meeting was made at a meeting of the Canterbury Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last evening. Mr D. W. Bain said that athletes were entering for a great number of events. It was not good for them to do too much at one meeting, he said. Mr E. M. Todd: We already limit D graders to three events. We have net limited other grades' because we wished to encourage competitors. Mr Bain said he thought that the matter could be left over till next season. Mr J. McG. Johnstone said that the meetings had degenerated into pothunting. The competitors were concerned mainly with the gathering of points for their clubs. Even if they were no good in an event, they could I get points. | After further discussion, Mr Bain moved that for the rest of the season competitors be restricted to three events. Mr Todd argued that this would be hard on those competing in field events, where men commonly entered for more than three events. On being put to the vote, the motion was lost. Registration Fees Mr R. T. Hughes said the New Brighton Club had requested him to ask if some remission could be made of registration fees. The club was composed mainly of junior members, some of whom were only school boys and school girls. Mr Bain said it was impossible to discriminate between clubs. Two shillings was not much to pay for a season's sport.

Those who were not ready to pay their fee were forth nothing to the sport, said Mr Tcdd. He said, however, that 2s was the maximum fee. The centre could charge less, provided that the New Zealand Council got its Is. Mr L. Hill said that school children should be exempt from the fee. They could not be considered as on the same level as grown-up athletes. He moved, however, that all active members of the New Brighton Club pay registration fees. The motion was car--ITlie Technical Club delegate, Mr Sanderson, reported that only two girls in his club were not registered Mr Todd said that letters addressed to the Technical Club on the subject of registration fees had not been answered. Other clubs were in the same P °Mr 1 "Is not the Technical Club ignoring the centre?" He asked if the centre could be sure of the club's cooperation in the future. Mr Sanderson said he gave the necessary assurance in so far as he could speak for his executive. Dale for Championships Mr R. Beattie reported that the Lancaster Park Board of Control had allotted February 13 as the day for the Canterbury championships. The pipe bands had the ground on the following Saturday. Mr Beattie was asked to approach the pipe band authorities, with a view to exchanging dates. The Wellington Centre wrote confirming January 30 as the date for the interprovincial meeting. A suggested programme was approved. It was resolved to apply for the use of St. Andrew's College ground for the meeting. . , ~ , „ At an executive meeting held before the meeting of delegates, advice was received from the New Zealand Council concerning the Queensland Jubilee Shield race last year, in which the council stated that the result was not affected by any unusual circumstances connected with the track. It was decided that action be withheld, and that the matter of award of standards be reconsidered at a later date. Mr Bain said that the representation at delegates' meetings was unsatisfactory, and moved that the rules governing representation be revised. It was resolved to write to Mrs W. H. Winsor sympathising with her in the death of her husband. It was decided also that a letter of condolence be sent to the Lancaster Park Board of Control, of which Mr Winsor was a member.