Amateur Athletics. (By "Porte-Voix.")

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 129, 27 November 1909, Page 14

Amateur Athletics. (By "Porte-Voix.")

(Any notes cr comments for aiotice in this column wjll be welcomed and should reach our office not later than Wednesday in each week). By cable from Australia we are informed that Simo and Wood, tho two prominent Australian Marathon runners, are being sent to the n<*xt Olympic games. No move has apparently been mado for New Zealand to be represented. Mattors in connection with the> pro-, posed Wheatley-Davis visit havo not roaohed tho definite stcige as yet, and, from all accounts, are not likely to for some time. My friend of the Otago Witness still pursues his lonely course of throwing cold water on the idea; what ho has given as his reasons do not appear very material ones. .In _ commenting on tho recent sports meeting held in mention waa made by the writer of tho number who witnessod the sports on the "never," owing to the lowness of the fence that encompasses the Basin, and • a suggestion was made that this fence should bo raised,, oven if sports clubs had to nay for it. The City Council has very kindly consented to allow this barricade to be raised — at the expenso of the sports bodies. It appeals to me as a grim kind of humour when tho corporation, in oharging about fifteen pounds for a place of amusement, adds to your receipt: "If you want to keep tho public from having a free view you must erect a wall yourself." R. Kerr, of Canada, who ran third in the 100 metres at the last Olympic games, appears to be running as well a 6 evor. On 25th September heu won an invitation 100 yds in lOsec, and 220 yds in 21 2-ssec. Tho latest star in the athletic world ,was competing at the same meeting, and won the half mile from scratch by 30 yards in 1.57 3-ssec. Since then ho has lowered the colours, of the redoubtable Melvin Sheppard, who won tho 1500 metre run in London. "Sprinter," in the Canterbury Times, ae\otes considerable spaco to criticising the accounts recently issued by the N.Z. A. A. A., and doubtless members of that body will feel honoured. After a careful study of the sheet, and with the additional brain power of two competent accountants, he "candidly (why oandidly?) confesses being fogged." After the trouble over the election of» last year's council was settled, an amount of £16 9s 5d appears to have been handed over to tha properly constituted council at Wellington. The Christchurch writer says in regard to it : . "On the revenue sido there is no mention of the amount." This £16 9s 5d was nothing more than a transfer from the N.Z.A.A.A. bank account w .V. nnstcnurch t0 its bank account at" Wellington, and "Sprinter" might tell us, supposing he possessed two bank accounts, and occasionally made lar^e transfers of money from one to the other, would he treat it as additional income each time that ho received the money from ono account to place it in the•other,? Why, tho principle is so far back in tho pre-elomontary stage that elementary works on bookkeeping don't tou"h on it. The proposition to alter tho rulps to make centres responsible for the payment of subscriptions to tho council 'is not finding very much favour with the centres. "Sprinter" suggests that the secretary-treasuror at Wellington wanta to be jehovod of some "part of tho duties. If the clubs would only pay a few letters should bo all the duties. In mentioning this, attention is forcibly directed to statement No. 1 in tho accounts of the association just issued— the statement of receipts and expenditure at Umstchurch for six months. There are two ton guinea bonuses, and a charge is mado of £7 3s for typewriting, addressing envelopes, and (mention it not in Rome) putting on the stamps. On* can oasily imagine that, as "Sprinter" says; the old council officials found the present system quite satisfactory. Thay forgqt to add to tho charges *Tostinir letters." . The Athletic Sports Club held an evening meeting at tha Basin on Wednesday Evening. Tho chiof race requiring noto is that of the mile, which was won in handsome fashion by Heffer, the time being returned by the solitary timekeeper as 4.44. This improved runner was, on the scratch mark with F. Wilton, and for three laps the. two kept well together; then Heffer started to race, and won looking round, Wilton second. I doubt whether we have anything bottcr in tho province over the mile. Cunningham won the 120 yds, with Dunn and Wilton filling tho second and third places. Tho finish was a very good one Local clubs are still agitated over the question of sufficient days on which they can get the Basin Reserve. At present a sort of an arrangement has been come to with the Cricket Association, which means that the centre and clubs aro to get but two more Saturdays, with one extra should Whoatley and Davis come hore. With seven or oight clubs, all with numerous activo membership, the amateur athletes must be just as numerous as cricketors, and when thoy hold their meetings • they get just as good, if not bettor, patronage. It appears to this scribe that the timo is not far distant when some more equitable apportionmont of tho available Saturdays will havo "to be conceded. From the Otago Witness: Mr. Arthur Marryatt, one-tjmc president of the Otago Centre, and now vice-president of the Now • Zealand Council, passed through Dunedin on his return to Wellington on Tuesday. Mr. Marryatt has

greatly benefited by his holiday at tho Lake's, where 'tis rumoured he attempted to start an amateur athletic club ! Marryatfs enthusiasm knows no limitations. In answer to "M.J.H.," whom I do nor treat too seriously, and apropos of my notes of tho 13th instant : The writer was too interested in the gamo to note who was looking after the score-board during the timo that "Doc" Edwards was acting as touch-judge and playing centre-three-quarter in the pushball fame. Seeing that thero was no score, should imagine the fact of no scoreboard officials turning up did not matter" as far as that event was concerned.

On Wednesday evening the subject, "Which is the most urgent of settlement — the land question or the liquor question?" was debated in the Ranfurly Hall, Petone, by Messrs. E. C. Evans and Robertson, representing ths ,Hutt branch of the Single Tax League, and Messrs. Townsend and Nugget on behalf of tha Good Templars. After hearing the various speakers an inter- • esting discussion followed.