ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1265, 21 October 1911, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

$ . THE CENTRE'S NEW ItUDES. (Br "Mrcncuni.") To-day—Whyle-M'lCay Road Race, To Aro Baths lo Patent Slip and back. December 2(1 and !!7.—Australasian Amateur Championships. To-day's Road Struggle, Tho animal teams' road raco for the Whyte-M'lCay Shield is to bo run olf over the time-honoured courso fro in To Aro Baths to tlio Slip and back, roughly five miles. liy tho conditions of gift tho trophy is to bo competed for by teams of from four to six, tho first four men of each team homo to score points which aro allotted according to tho order in which each competitor finishes. Thus tho first man to tho tape scores one, and so on, and the quartet with tlho least number of points in tho final reckoning wins. This time tho event promises to provide a battlo royal between tho two harrier clubs, Wellington and Brooklyn, the personnel of whose teams has already been published. Tho Wellington Amateur Athletic Club also has a business-like team in action, composed of the evergreen Fitzgerald, tho two Turner brothers, Frank and George, of walking fame, and Kobortson, the young I'etone runner, who was prominent in tho Exhibition Stadium "Marathons" during tlio winter. There aro other combinations, of course, but it is probable that these three "regulars" will provide the place-fillers, with one or other of tho harrier clubs in tho van. Centre's Amended Rules. At tho coming annual meeting of the Wellington Centre, tho sub-committee which was set up (luring the recess to redraft rules, is to bring down the result of its labours. A copy of tho proposed amendments lias reached "Mercury" through tho courtesy of Mr. W. L. Dunn, the centre's secretary. On the whole the business has been well and faithfully done. For the actual runner, whose interest lies moro in tho active than the legislative side of the sport, the chief interest in tho proposed rules lies in a section dealing with the registration of club members, and herein is room for debate. Tho most important clauses relating to this matter run as under:— Each affiliated club shall register annually its competing members. Tho regishviion fee shall be sixpence, and tho centre secretary, on receiving an application for registration together with tho feo, shall issuo a certificate of registration, ii' (he application is 111 order. Tlio secretary shall keep a register of all such certificates issued. No person shall be an active member of more than one club; provided that a member of a harrier club may 1» a member of one other club uot a harrier club. Theso rules shall come into forco on December 1, 1911, and any person desiring to compete at any sports meeting within the jurisdiction of the centre after that date shall, first of all, register in tho name of the club which ho desires to represent. It shall bo incumbent on all persons within the centre's jurisdiction who, on tho coming into operation of this rule, aro aetivo members of more than one club, to resign their aclivo membership of all but one club. For any breach of this rule tho centre may suspend or otherwise deal with the* offending person as it may think fit. The wholo of tho fees derived from registration of club members shall be devoted to a fund to bo called the "Wellington Centro Olympic Games Fund," which shall be. paid over every fourth year, commencing with t'w year 1911-12, to tho Council of the N.Z.A.A.A. for tho general fund for representation of ail Australasian or New Zealand team at the quadrennial Olympic Games. Amendments Criticised. With the proposal that all competing mombers of n club should register for tho very nominal fee of sixpence per capita, no fault can bo found, except that it will increaso the club subscription to the extent of the nimblo sixpence—no very serious matter. The propo«al to ear-mark tho fund so brought into being for Olympic Gamps purposes is rer.lly an excellent suggestion. It is with the clauses enacting that no person shall belong to more than one club that one finds fault. "Mercury" understands that the rea«on of this autocratic measure "is to be found in tho fact that, as things are at present, there is a total lack of what is known to the supporters of the proposal as "healthy club rivalry" in Wellington. It is considered that tlio stirring up of such a, spirit of rivalry will make competition keener iii future, and also give an opportunity for the institution of an inter-club championship banner, to be competed for by clubs at the annual provincial championship meeting. Theso reasons do not sound convincing enough for such a drastic "interference with tho liberty of the subject." The first effect of its enactment would mean tho diminution of nearly all the club's membership rolls, as many of our most prominent athletes are at present members of two or more clubs. Moreover, it is the smaller clubs who are tho least able to bear such a drain on their membership that would suffer, as. naturally enough, it would be the small institutions from which tho nnilti-club man would withdraw fii'st. A man lias nothing to gain by belonging to moro than one club—it is done solely with the laudable intention of helping along tlio sport by supporting the clubs, a.nd it is apparent that it would be the chibs that would suffer by the change—not tho men. The inter-club championship matter could lie arranged by making the competitor nominate the club he intended to represent when making his entry for the events to be contested. One would be glad to hear the ca.=e for the other sido set forth in full—in the meantime the proposed change appears to be a step in the wrong direction—if not actually a leap in tho dark. Mark those Swedes! Apropos of the formation of an Olympic Games Fund, the following from "tlio London "Sportsman" will show how earnestly and thoroughly tho Old World goes into the matter of proper representation at theso gatherings. In connection with His coaching of tho British team, tlio English writer says: "Let those who are suggesting that the British Olympic Game? team for next year should be taken in hand by a competent trainer or trainers mark the earncslness of the Swedes in the the same direction. For a considerable time past they have been paving to the tune of ,£IOOO per annum a competent man to tour the country and coach the Swedes in athletics. This trainer, although a Swodo himself. was in America a long time studying the Yankee system of coaching. How nianv Britishers would today like a similar iob at the same salary? It is superfluous to ask tho question. Tt would lie more to tho point, perhaps, to inquire what wo arc prepared to pay for the coaching of our men in view of the next Olympic Games." Emil Voigt—His Status, It may be remembered that two weeks ago "Jlercury" raided the point whether Emil Voigt. the English champion fivemiler. is eligible to compete (rr Victoria, in which State ho is now residing, at the forthcoming Australasian championshins. Tho question arose_ through an article on the subject of Voirrt's status in the Manchester "Athletic News," and "Mercury's" remarks, _ after beinrr copied into various papers (with and without acknowledgment, by the way) have fallen into the hands of' "Harrier," of tho "Australasian," who disposes of t.lie matter in those terms. Tho "Streplion" referred to is tho athletic writer in (ho "Athletic News." "TTarrier" says:— AYell, I have been an active member of the V.A.A.A. council ever sinco its formation, and am still, and never at any time has it had any agreement of any kind whiil.wcr wilJi the English A.A.A., so we may take it that the positive "Streplion" is not a reliable ctiide to follow in. this matter. Voigt's offence appears lo linve been that he offended the A.A.A. bv siding with the opposition in their dispute with N.A.TI., and apparently some people would like tho quarrel pursued even in these remote regions,

Voigt is not only an amateur, as defined by the Australasian rules, but is in tho highest class as an amateur (I do not refer lo his naming ability). Yet because of this miserable dispute in England some people would like to debar such a man from competition out here. Tho V.A.A.A. were not, unaware of the facts when Voigt first arrived, and that body is not one likely to permit him to coinpete if they had any doubt as to his Hiatus. It there is'to be any opposition from the oilier Stales or New Zealand to his taking part in the next Australasian meeting, it should Iki raised at. one-* 1 , for, fit and well, ho is practically certain of selection. After his breakdown in tho tcn-milo championship on September 30, Voigt's leg went black from lieol to knee, and he is still only able to get about with difficulty. 11 will probably bo at least a month beforo lie can attempt any running. Victoria is Busy. According to Victorian papers Eric Russell, tlio record high-jumper, has stated definitely that he is coming to New Zealand for the big "meet" at Christmas Ho lives in the country districts of Victoria, but is reported to be going down to Melbourne a month before' (ho team leaves to train, ne has cleared G feet in the high jump, and has run 18 1-5 sec. in the 120 hurdles, and is not yet 21 vcars of age. So his appearanco here will lie watched with interest. Other names before the Victorian selectors are:— Sprints-,1. Burton, A. D. Ellis, J. 11. Slater, A. E. Tlarlkopf. Quarter-mile— Hartkopf, Wheatley, D. B. Bowers, L. H. Kelly, J. L. Davis. Half-mile—Wheatley, Bowers, S. G. Hollow, R. H. Watson. One mile—Wheatley. Watson, Voigt. Three miles—Voigt, S. Long, A. Richardson, D. Turnbuli, T. Vines. Walks-W. Murray, E. M'L. Morgan. Hurdles—J. L. Davis, E. 11. Russell. High-jumi)—Kelly, Hussell. Long-jump—Davis, Kelly, Hartkopf. Pole Vault—L. R. Walker, J.Brake. Hammer and Shot—W. G. Rouse, Robertson. Tex Ramsdell "Goes Over." The latest American mail contains the information that F. L. Ramsdell, the well-known Pennsylvania University sprinter, and a star football player, has turned professional, and has been engaged as athletic director of Carnegio Tech. at Pittsburg. Ramsdell is a very big man, standing Oft. and weighing in the vicinity of lost. He was born at Salado, Texas, 26 years ago, and is nicknamed "Tex." He cajno into prominence in 1910 at the intercollegiate sports. Afterwards he visited (England. and there he won the 100 yds. and 220 yds. championship—a performance ho repeated this year. In 1910 ho defeated R. E. Walker, then an amateur, in the English 100 yds. championship. A little time ago Mr. E. R. larkin. the secretary of tho Now South Wales Rugby League, was negotiating with Ramsdell to come to Australia, but from the information to hand it would appear as if tho American will stay at home. Jt is rumoured that the Wellington centre is endeavouring to arrange for tho holding of its annual provincial championship meeting on the Saturday beforo Christmas Day—three days beforo the opening of the Australasian championship meeting. This would be "wiping the eye" of the N.Z.A.A.A. with a vengeance, and would make a veritable glut of amateur athletics for Christmas week. It might mean providing a sauoo to whet tho public's appetite for tho big mooting, and again it might tend to spoil the big fixture by giving tho public too much of a good thing. In the report of the proceedings of tho last meeting of the A.A. Union of Australasia appears the following note of interest to New Zealanders:—An application was received from the New Zealand A.A.A. for CI. P. Kcddell's 120 yds. hurdles performance of 1.1 3-Josec., made at Ghristchurch on March 18, 1911, lo stand as the Australasian best on record. All certificates were found in, order, except that there was no certificate from (no referee that tho hurdles were jumped in their proper position, and were of, the proper height and number and correctly placed. It was decided to writo the N.Z.A.A.A. that the exccutivo were agreeable to pass tho record on receipt of such certificate.