AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 21, 19 October 1907, Page 5

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

(Bf "Obpheus.") Tho harrier season has drawn to a close, and the various athletic clubs are holding their annual meetings, and otherwise showirif signs of activity iji view of tho approaohinj season of field sport.. Tho Wellington Harrier Club has alone pro vided that class of.sport which does so mucl to bring out.our long-distance runners, and tin writer would like to see the formation of ai least two more harrier clubs in the city next season, and there should also bo roon for one at the'Uutfr,(taking, in Petone).. Per Imps tho suggestion may bear fruit. It wai cross-country racing, that developed J. Prende villc, If. 0. Burn, and other wcll-knowi champions. ' . It is' to be regretted that tho New Zealand Cross-country: Championships, which were' ti have taken place at- Henley, near Duncdin on Labour Day, fell through owing to the in ability of three centres to be represented. I was understood. that Canterbury, Otago, anc Southland would, .fight out the championship but at tho last niomont, for some unexplainoc reason, Southland .failed to enter, and tin event had to' be, abandoned. Otago had mad extensive preparations for the race, and Can terbury ' was. prepared to send a team, b that it must have been very disappointinj to them to 'find : .they were the only entrants At, the last ; meeting of the Wellington Cen trc some discussion took place on' the. word iug of the. resolution re tho delay .by thi Council in considering Kerr's claim for i record in the.mile.walk last New Year's-Dav It was 1 pointed out that the word, "delay' might bo takento mean the months'that hai intervened since the record was put up, bu that was riot'what the mover of the motioi intended. The.' chairmnri (Mr. M'Villv) statoi clearly that the delay referred solely to tlv postponement of the matter from ' its las meeting,—until' they had a fuller mcetingthe letter from; the Association stating that in view of Kerr's- subsequent disqualificatioi in Christchuroh; the'question required care ful consideration. Personally, the writer see no harm in postponing until a fuller meet ing, but certainly'takes: exception to'judgini one performance by a subsequent one, mor especially the' latter occasion (the Nov Zealand charhpionship meeting) Kerr, in ad ditiou to being far from well, was makinj strenuous endeavours to satisfy the keenest o critics and possibly slightly overdid it, am had to pay the penalty of as severe a judge a ever controlled a- race'. . The delay -in obtain ing all the certificates- was, of course, no fnnl of the Council, as one of them had to be oh tained from England, whither one of th judges of the race had departed. While speak ing on the. subject, I'notice it reported ii some quarters.that-some members •of thi Centre, took exception to the Council "shirk ing its responsibility" by delaying considera tion of the..matter; If, such a remark wa made it was certainly'not addressed to th chair. It ; may; have' been spoken by on member to - another, ; but the writer doubts i the words were.uttered at all. The annual report of tho Port' Nicholsoi A.A. Club showed-' tho membership to hav reached 162. Considering, the fact that th club only came, into existence the season be lore last .with; a total, of 25 members, •it growth has been phenomenal. The - Wanganui. AiA.C. held its annual.meet ing recently; 'and much enthusiasm was shown, which bodes well for the coming sea son. The'club has applied to the associatioi to hold tho next New Zealand championship in Wanganui, but-it is unlikely that the re quest will be,'granted on this occasion, ai though; if Wanganui continues to agitate am shows that energy 'in: fostering athletics tha it does in many otljer things, it will not b long before it gets' a : championship meeting and this'city wonld be only too pleased ti assist it a,s far-as lies in its'power. , The Waira'rapa Cliib holds its'annual meet ing shortly. It-is that Bradburv the- provincial mile' and half-mile champion has decided to" retire- from the track ver soon. .He-will ; be 7 "m,uch missed, not only ii his own district... but also, in Wellington where ho is .deservedly -popular owing to hi, consistency oh the track'and his-quiet and un assuming manner. . I hear that T. 0. I-ambie, who was to havi who represented Otago in tho N. Z. cros country championships, has been transferrei to .Wellington,' and intends throwing in hi lot with-tho Civil Service Club. Otago's los should be Wellington's gain. Wellington'athletes' will regret to'hear tha G. P. Keddell.of Otago, who holds tho Not Zealand long ju'niprecord; :.viz.i. 23ft. Sin. pu "up' at D.unedin ..in March, IMG, and whi subsequently. strained the muscles of one o hiR legs, has, on the advice of. his doctor, do cided to-retire from" the field' altogether.'. I will be a long while ' before his record i beaten, ;and the Dominion can ill afford ti lose such ii, champion. . Guy Hn'skiris; son.of Mr. F. T. Haskins, ex Town Clerk of Christehurch, has been puttini up some ..creditable, performances' at the Pennsylvania University. On one. aftornooi he is crcditecLwith running a mile in the ex cellent. ..time".,:'of..,tain.' 20,,-.3-ssec, . and thi half niile'in, .lniih 57 Msec. Ho shouli prove a. groat acquisition to New Zealand oi Ins return to' the Cnthcdrnl City should'ln continue-on the'frack: ' ''.■'.■ '■ Oamaru has- once' more formed an Amateu Athletic Club, and.has affiliated to the Otagi Centre. It-is to bo hoped that it'has conn to stay.this- time:.. • '■ •■ " - .The OtngoCentre'-has nominated the follow ing gentlemen :for. ; -seats on ' the new Council which is to be.elected at the annual meetini of the Association-on November 13: Messrs ITambcr.-Cooper;' Olliver, Kinyig, Alexander and Mills. Nine members are to.'. constitnt tho Council; ,who are to be elected bv til combined; votes, of "the. centre.' ." '■• The nominations received from all centre are as follow, -vizi7—Messrs.' W. G. Atack .7 E. Green, E..'"Nordoh,, D.Hnmber. C.'".J Cooper,,C. T.,OVschman,- .T. E. Olliver, H. S Batchelor T...8. Alexander, A lunvig, G. ,M. -Mills,- J...F. Griersoii, and G H. Mason. A: notable omission is Mr D Hoare. . ' --'V • ;\ A. E. . M. Eowln'na, the present holder o the one and three-niile New Zealand chani nionships, is at present on a visit to Eng land. ■ ' J ' •The proposed.Petbne' Amateur Club has helc a meeting: an d decided to form a club am athhate. to the Wellington Centre. I. hear .that, the dates of the' Australasiai championships, to take place at Hobart, havi been definitely, 'fixed'', for Saturday, Fobr'uar 2,1, and Monday, March 2 next. This; year's; 1 crass-country championship, o Victoria took'place at Caulfield, and was an iM-xed by a Tasma-nian team. The Sydney. 10 Mile Teams ■■ Road' I?ace was won for thi second time.by the' East Svdnev AA. C I understand that, the Feilding SiioVts -is socition- is likely, to' ■ put at least a cou'ph of amateur everits, on its programme fo: Boxing Day. /-.-•As there are several good amateurs resident m'Feilding, they, will, tha have an opportunity 6'f showing their mettle llio annual general meeting of the. Wei hngton Centre-is announced for Fridav, Octo ber 25. , """ —■— .i -