THE SPLIT IN AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 13, 16 January 1909, Page 2

THE SPLIT IN AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

AN EXPLANATION. At a meeting of the Wellington Centre of the newly-constituted N.Z.A.A.C , Mr. J. rl Pollock (chairman) took the opportunity of malting an explanation for the severance from the old body which has hitherto ruled amateur athletics iD thb Dominion. Misstatements ut the circumstances connected with the election of the amateur. governing bod> representing -Otagu, Wellington, and Southland, he remarked, were being circulated. The president and members of the latu council continue to distort 1 actual facts, obviously with the view of training sympathy. The real issue was that the president of the late A.a A. Council adopted an illegal and 1 unconstitutional attitude in connection witt 1 the election of a council to administer the aitalrb of the ' association for the season 1903-09. The Otago and Wei--lington centres each made applications to the council for an explanation of the returning officer's extraordinary ana utterly illegal procedure, but were voucn safed nothing more than the reply, "Mr. Atack rules that the nominations sent in by Otago and Wellington cannot be received, and that^ends'tnatters." Naturally, the centres were aggrieved, and when it was discovered that an appeal could be made to the A. A. Union of Australasia, such was drawn up. At a meeting of the council ,this course of submitting the question to an impartial executive was defeated by the casting vote of ttxe president (Mr. Atack), who was the very person responsible for the contretemps. With lhe obvious view of obscuring the ical cause of all the fcrou ble, a section of the council and a cer- ' tain Christchurch journal raised a cry that the Wellington Centre wished to remove the head quarters of the council from Cirri stehurch to the Empire City. They knew, further, that the question of neadquarters had not been touched upon by the centres, whose nominations were rejected. They also knew that tho object of the centres was to elect an entirely new. Executive m place of a body of men who had, by their actions, forfeited the confidence of three centres, composed of delegates representing thirty-seven out of fifty amateur athletic clubs. The question of headquarters was not involved in any way. A. conference of centres, which was subsequently Held at Christchurch on sth December, and at which the representatives of tho thirty-seven clubs were present, realised that as an election had been denied them, there was no council in existence. The council which was elected by tne representatives o^ the thirty-seven clubs could not be termed self-elected. The gentlemen were nominated solely by Otago and Southland delegates , no Wellington delegate even made suggestions with reference to the personnel of the new executive. Finally, a circular has been issued by a Mr. Norden, of Christchurch, which purported to show that the past actions of Mr. Atack's council had been above reproach, and that clubs should continue to repose implicit confidence in it. If that contention could be maintained, why did Mr. Atack and hit> friends shirk going to the ballot 1 asked Mr. Pollock. Surely if the late council v/as all that Mr. Norden had painted \% there would be no_ danger of the members composing it being rejected at the ballot. The position of the Nelson Harbour Board in connection with its improvement scheme (including the cut through the Boulder Bank) is rather unique The board (says the Nelson Mail) was authorised to borrow £65,000; but the loan was financed in such a way that amounts were borrowed only as required, thus saving interest on the whole amount till the last. An additional £10,000, the savings of the board during its existence from port dues, subsidies, etc., was transferred from the general to the harbour improvement account. There being still uncalled about £6000 of the £65,000 loan authorised, the total sum expended to date is £68,000. The expenditure carries no rats on the residents of the city and district, tho interest on the loan and tho working expenses of the board being covered by annual revenue, the Government subsidy, and tho £500 per annum in lieu of the city foreshores endowment. The annual subsidy, which has been reduced in proportion as the port revenue has increased, is now a virtually negligible sum, hence its ultimate complete withdrawal will make little or no difference to the- financial position of the boaro*