ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 966, 5 November 1910, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(By Mercury.) FIXTURE. To-day.—Carnival, Nowtown Park. There are rumours of many meetings in tho air, and if all these aro brought into boing tho lot of the local athlete will be a happy ono this season. For instance, our senior club, tho W.A.A.C., has applied for the Basin Keserve on December 10, and the newly-formed Mastertoil Club follows with a good mcotinE on Boxing Day. Then tho Wellington Centre intend, if tho ground is available, to hold the provincial championships on Now Year's Day. Tho Manawatu and Wanganui Club hold meetings in January, and the Port Nicholson and Civil Service Clubs carry on the good work in February. As far as tho local meets are concernod, a lot depends upon- tho attitude adopted by tho Reserves' Coin■mittec'to the athletic clubs,'as the Cricket Association is making no secrot of its intention to oppose what it may happen to consider an indiscriminate letting of the Basin Itesorvo. The W.A.A.C. annual general meeting is sot down for Monday, November H. The good folk of Karori are to be congratulated on the successful issue of their efforts to form, an amateur athletic club in the suburb. This latest addition to tho Wellington Centre is getting to work right away, and opens with an ovening meeting on November 23. on the local recreation ground. Tho distances are to be 75 and 220 yards sprints, and halfmile run, all handicaps. Somo while ago there was printed in this column a stinging article on the stato of English amateurism, taken from tho "Athletic News." In a recent issue "Streplion," tho author of tho last article, returns to tho attack .with- some very portiuent remarks on the easo with which amateur athletes. at Home of limited means can find time and money to travel from meeting to meoting once they have .attained distinction on the running track. In the courso of his indictment, for that is what it really amounts to, lie states :— "A correspondent, himself an athlete, writing on the subject, says:—Men .with limited incomes will bo couineting Hundreds of miles from home. Others who, like myselt'i possess a positive rather than a comparative or a superlative degree, of pace, will not be asked to ontor for short limit. handicaps or for scratch races. We .view tho sport from afar through mental' spectacles. How do somo of my contemporaries manage to get through all this travelling? Before, they took honours, they never ventured away from home. So'far from running at Brussels, Ayr, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, their entries woro restricted to meotings to travel to which did not deeply affect their pockets. I am fairly'well off, but I could urn make such journeys. ■ Tho rule of tho A.A.A. is well known. I do not know tho Belgian definition of an amateur athlete. . The Scotch rule'is: That tho payment by clubs to competitors of travelling, hotel, or other expenses, is strictly prohibited. I know many athletes who run so far away cannot afford the time or the money lor such journeys, and if tho clubs ore acting up to tho laws, tho appearance of the men at far distant meetings is most mysterious." Then, commenting on this letter, "Streplion" makes his charges, as under, and startling allegations they are. However, they speak for themselves, thus:—

"I do not know what arrangements are made between all secretaries an(l all athletes. I do know thoso that havo been made between some. All the game, I dare not print them. I. could tell the sums which have been paid to A.A.A. champions and ex-champions to run in a part ot' the kingdom which is not England. How a sprint champion, of a previous year Ims been deemed a less attraction that a champion of tho current season, and how his i'eo fell by more than 50 per (jent. But I dare not give tho particulars. They were told mo in confidence by the gentleman who, engaged tho runners, and that confidence will not bo betrayed by me. Somo day he may give mo tho permission I should like. Aiul then! All I can say is that the movements of some artisan athlotes who become champions is most remarkable.. Some of them, I daresay, practise various economies in the oft' season to cover tho expenses of the active term. But, after all, the matter is ono which concerns tho authorities of the two countries. If the A.A.A. —and tho }J.C.U., 1 should also fay— aro convinced that all is right, and if tho S.A.A.A. aro positive there are no abuses, then all is well. Tho question I ask is this: Is everything right? And I ask it emphatically."

The Mew York correspondent of tho London "Sportsman" sends his paper tho results of the championships of tho 'Metropolitan Association of tho A.A.U. of the U.S. decided in that city 011 September 10. Tho list of winners and their performances is appended to show the standard of excellence attained by tho Americans in these competitions:—Bßo Yards—Harry Gissing (N.Y.A.C.). lmin. SG 2-ssec. 100 Yards—Eobt. Cloughea (1.A.A.C.), lOsee. Putting IMb. Shot-P. M'Donald (1.A.A.C.), llift, lin. One mile-Wilton Paull (N.Y.A.C.), tain. 22 l-.lsee. Throwing 161b. Hammer—John J. Flanagan (1.A.A.C.). 180 ft, 10 1-Sin. Running Iligh Jump—ll. J. Grumfolt (N.Y. A.C.), Gft. lin. 120 Yards Hurdles-,T. L. Hartniuft (N.Y.AX'.), 15 l-Ssec. i-10 Yards ■-K.' T. Edwards Qi.Y.A.C.), dl> d-ssec.

Thrown Discus—M.' J. Sheridan (I.A. A.C.), 135 ft. sJin. Five Miles—G. F. Bonhag (1.A.A.C.), 25min, 9 1-5-eo, Running Broad Jump—Piatt Adams (N.Y.A.C.), 22ft. 4Jin.

Some few weeks ago' the writer chronicled that E. J. Webb, tho English hcel-and-too amateur champion, lmd migrated to Canada. Ho lias since made his appearance on the track in that country, and was twice beaten at Toronto on September .10 by G. Goulding, the 'Canadian champion—in a milo won in Gmin. 32 3-ssec., and a three miles von in 23niin. Gsec. There was an enormous attendance. Interviewed after the race,

ebb said ho looked upon Goulding a-s the best walker in Hie world.

Says the "Keferee" on a New Zealand sprinter:—"l!. Opie, tha Canterbury sprinter, who is probably 'next beit' to \V. A. Wcodgor amongst the Dominion sprinters, was recently credited with 200 yards in 20 l-ssec. in Christehurch. Opio is undoubtedly a good sprinter, but—well, I find 20 l-ssec. somewhat hard to digest."

It should not be necessary to give more than tho barest reminder to sports lovers of the carnival at tho Newtown Park this afternoon. The meeting and its object were fully dealt with in this paper's editorial columns on Thursday morning, and there is nothing further to be said. Quite apart from the excellence of the cause the programme submitted should be ample guarantee of an afternoon's enjoyable sport, and as such it is commended to the kindly consideration of tho public.