AMATEUR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 134, 29 February 1908, Page 6

AMATEUR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

• SHARPE'S ; EXPENSES TO HOBART ' VOTED. ; J•' .-■ of '■ the. New Zealand . Amateur -Athletic Associa- ■ ! tion,,was held"last .night,- bowman' prfe- . .'Siding. - .. ;V'. v ~ 10 ' only business on the;order;paper- was the: question, of the-circumstances attendingthe inclusion of G. '•'■Sharpe,of Wellington; m the., teams, to represent the Dominion at' the Australasian Championships, : - A motion .was'iput that .the', matter be dis- 1 cussed, mcommittee/arid'.the 'voting -for--and' against being equal, ,the . chairman gave his casting, vote against; the-proposal. . Mr.. J. H. P.ollock said, that, prior to the departure, of . the . New , Zealand -tea'nT .rt-, number.;!, of. i \ (including:, execu- • tijG officers), expressed tho'opinion that., if j possible, Sharpe, holder of tho'-three-milo : ninnmg .championship,'' should - Upon being approacneiij (the. picsiQciit) sam that ho , would'-'be^;quite wil- ; ling to pay half of Sharpe's G&penses; There was a- consensus ■of "opinion that he (the speaker),_ who was proceeding'to Christchurch, should interview the members' of tho New Zealand Council,on th 6 subject.. When ho arrived thero he : , met . Mr. .Atack.' (president},, several: of' the membersj-.'.ahcl two - of the selectors, Messrs.- Green and 011iver>ho wcro. of opinion that Sharpe should be included m the team., They ', invited him' to attend a. meeting of tho Council 'that' night, when ho availed himself, of art -opportunity to " Sharpe's case before.:'the members, subsequently,-.-the' Council passed a resolution to the effect that,] in view of tho opinion of the selectors—it must, have beeii the': opinion of, the solcctor whom .he- did not see-r j and,of tho state.of tho finances of the Coun-' oil, it regretted 1 that it could not make Sharpe a member of the team, He had omitted, to mention that,fprior, to .the meeting, be . telegraphed to 1 the' treasurer.' of theCentre that a majority; of-.ithe .'.Council appeared to be in favour;of, the; proposal, ' and m''consequence- of this message Sharpe went down to Christchurch., :Ho (the speaker) did not- anticipate that the expenses would fall on the. Centre,, for Dr: Newman had offered to pay a proportion of the, expenses, he;'was willing' to contribute £2 himself, and others would, he felt sure, make, up .the balance. Prior to.the departpe;.of;tho-teamthc offi-; cials of the Centre'forwarded, a ;cheaue for • £11 to.; Christchurch • peiises.:. > . .. Vi-.''" s ''.; ,A* The chairman pointed' out. that .ho W3s principally responsible;, for the cheque beins drawn.- b , After Messrs. Coffey* and • M'Villy had 1 spoken,' .'. >. , aIr tj Callaghan moved that the Centre en-' i .dorse the action of the. officials'; in sendinc Sharpe to Hobart. Mr. Hogben was of opinion, that'.the expenses of Sharpe should . be- borne by the New Zealand Council. . * Mr. Heenan declared that, if Sharpe had not been sent, to. Hobart, after .having gone down to Christchurch, the Centre,would have ' made a: laughing stock of itself.'; Mr. Talbot held that-all the .members;oftho Centre, should have,been- consulted before ■ the f money was drawn', for the purpose'. P - Mr. Ross-held that Mr. .PbUocU 'although •; acting with intentions; had commit- : ted a tactical blunder.,y He, thought that i none of the iunds of the Centre should bo expended until the account had como before ! the Ueyitro. .'

Upon a vote .bemg^taken;' tho motion" which means; that the: Centre meets Shame's expenses, was carried by ;a small, majority