Bowling. (By "Jack.")

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 09, 11 January 1908, Page 14

Bowling. (By "Jack.")

The days are long and the bowers happy. It would need some very strong counter attraction to keep them off the green. A few tako their pleasure in moderation ; there are others ! One day during the present week a pairs match was played at Nowtown. It was a closq game, and the lookers-on were many — and free with their comments. At 8.20 the light was failing, and there were four heads still to go. Tho playeTS, very reluctantly, it seemed, decided to adjourn, but the onlookers suggested a fight to a finish. And with darkness coming down fast, tho four energetic bowlers proceeded. About 9 o'clock they finished up, amid great excitement — and no moon ! Who won tho spectators could not tell till afterwards, when the ■winning pair told them. The following war cry of tho Auckland team for Australia was arranged by Mr. T). F. Barclay, nati-vo interpreter to the House of Representatives: — Skip. _ Akarana, c te whakaariki o!! (Aucklandors, behold the onemy.) Team (in unison). Aye, kua kite, nvo kua. kite ! ! (So we behold them, so we behold them ) Skip. Akarana, c pekea whakataetaea ! ! (Aucklanders, Lo ! spring forward to tho contest.^ Team (in unison). Tenei te whakatika atu nei. (Herewith we _ advance against them.) Kawea, te riri, kawea. (Proceed with the battle—proceed.) Kia tau tika ai to ingoa. (That renown may properly rest upon) Xi te taha ano j puta tona toa. (Whichever side shows the greater prowOKB.) Kia ora, ta tau, Kia ora. (Good luck to you. Good luck.) ' Singles and pair competitions on the Nowtown green are being got through with despatch. There have been some interesting games and not a few "boils over," though on the result — reaching the semi-finals— the better piayers have, perhaps, vindicated their reputation. In the game for the Diamond Buckles, played on the Newtown green on Saturday last, 'Some excellent shooting was done', and towards the close the particular rink occupied by challengers and challenged was closely watched by spectators. The holders — J. J. Roberts and Price (skip) — finished one up. However, the season is s>till young, and Ramsay and A. Campbell are in form — and hopeful. On a certain green there is a regular attendant, uho is also a good player, and v. ho becomes positively annoyed ■uhen an opponent bring* off a shot that comes anywhere within tho "fluke" category^ The other evening a pairs match was in progress, and players on either side got home occasionally through lucky "wicks." Each time this occurred, the name of the regular attendant, who is also a good player, was shouted loudly by the onlookers. Fortunately for somebody, the R.A."W.LA.A.G.P. is not in the city jubb now. x ' SOME ENGLISH NOTES. A MATTER OF WIDE INTEREST. (from ora own coehespondent.) , LONDON, 2Gth novomber. A striking tequol has followed the refusal horc to recognise the New Zealand bowling ream which toured England and Scotland during the summer, a3 a representative one — the exclusion of bowls from the list of Olympic Games to bo competed for next year. Lord Desborough, president of tho English Olympic Association, having been communicated with upon the subject of bowls not finding similar recognition to that accorded twenty-three other games, writes that while tho antiquity of bowls had been, recognised, the council considered that tho recreation was not sufficiently international to find inclusion. Lord Jersey, patron of English Bowling AEsociation, who entertainpd Moasrs W. Lyons, W. Mercer,, G. Tutt, and G. Fld,t£her when tho, Auckland rink v/as hero iii 1906, having been informed of Lord Desborough's reply, has written as follojrs : "As Lord i)esboroug_h has declined to admit bowls in the list of contests ,at the Olympic Games I cannot very well write . to him. /again When I see him I will ask him." It can well be noted that bowls is one of the few* games possessing an International Board, one of its chief -jbjeotg being "to arrange tours for colonial or other bowling teams -visiting the United Kingdom for matches with constituent clubs, and for teams visiting the colonies." Ab in the! , caee of the New Zealand combination which toured here during Ihe past summer; tho matches arranged for tho vipiting bowlers are confined to "constituent clubs." . The elevation to tost match recognition appears to bo outside tho pal?! As bowling on the Continent co greatly differs from the game as played here 'no International games can in that way be arrangad, hence just as long as colonial or other bowling teams visiting tho United Kingdom are officially deprived hero of an international status fo long, seemingly, the pastime will remain excluded from the list of Olympic Games. Following the several matches played by Mr. T. Balhnger and Mr. Bennio in tho New World, when they came to this country with tho team m 1901, under the late Mr. James* Paul, eventually came the rraotical interest displayed by President Roosevelt .over bowla being included in tho\ Olympic- Games at St. Louis. The! President had been informed (unofficially) frcm this country of the enthusiastic way in Mliir'i tho recreation was followed in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, while alto finding a ronewed association with the United States. The New Zealanders, who, under Mr. Earnett and Mr. G. Prince, well nigh carried all before them over the keen greens of the most famous clubs/ in Scotland can certainly feel a certain special interest over the exclusion of bowls from the Olympic Game*, especially for the rea£on assigned by Lord Desborough — that the recreation had not been considered by tho Council as, sufficiently international to merit inclusion. It is contended that Dominion, Commonwealth and Colonial bowling teams visiting this country have a right to claim an International status in all cases where tho itinerary is made under tho auspices of their parent associations, and that in making this clafin they will not only bo upholding the status of the gamo in their <?ivn covr.iti-y, but also advancing the pastime to its doubtless ultimate inclusion in the recognised list of Olympic Games. r A meeting of the council of the New Zealand Bowling Association was held at puncdin on Wednesday last. Mr. Young, it was announced, was preparing a report on bowl-testing, hut it was noc likely it would be available for the tournament. A suggestion was made that there should bo a general meeting of bowlers during the tournament to difcuss matters of interest connected with the game. Applications will bo called for the position oi secretary at a salary of £25 a year. Tho association has a debit balance of £20 4s id in the current account, against which there is a fixed deposit of £WO. It was resolved that the Eeeretftry write to the secretary of tho "Vieioriasi Bowling Association asking whether it was intended to hold a conference of bowlers in April or May next, and, if co, would delegates from the Jtjw Zealand Af.sociation be allowed to tako part. In resigning the position of president of tho New Zealand Bowling Association, Mr. Allnutt said ho was dedng so as a protest against what he considered the objectionable methods that had been UEed since he had taken office Everything* that could be done to bnng about hjvrmony between tho association and the centre he had dono. Since their last meeting his position had been a somewhat humiliating one, and ho could not for the life of him understand how they could get any man who possessed any manly stamina at all to take the potation of president of the astooiation if that person Was to be treated as he (Mr. Allnutt) had been treated. The chairman of tho centre had taken tho position of head of the tournaincut, although ho knew that that was contrary to the wishes of the big majority. As president of the

association he (Mr. Allnutt) had been granted permission to preside at Ladies' Day and to tako the chair at tho smoke concert. That concession had not, however, been accorded him as his right as president of the New Zealand Bowling Association, but had been granted by resolution. He was also a momber of the Tournament Committee, and yet although tho programme was now out, he had only been asked to attend one meeting of that committee. It was a shabby reward to reooiyo after giving 20 yoars' service to bowling. After a long discussion Mr. Allnutt was asked to withdraw his resignation, and promised to consider tho request. The New Zealand Bowling Association'!! tournament commences on the 20th inst. Carlton's win in tho North Island tournament was well earned. Tho play off games must havo been Tory exciting. Tho secretary of the Victoria Bowling Association has arranged the following programme for the New Zealand era, organised by Mr. Ham, of Inverca-rgdl, to visit Australia in April:— April 6, club match ; 7, 8, and 9, Victoria v. New Zealand, three matches ; 10, South Melbourne v. New Zealand ; 11, Ballarat ; 13, Metropolitan Club ; 14, Armada!© (premier club of Victoria). Probably (says "Skip") fomo alterations will be made, as it is hardly desirable to pHJy the Victorian — Npw Zealand matches co early. It would appear from private letters received in Invercargill that the Viotorians aro still sore over some remarks made by some members of the "All White" team when they returned home.