By "SPRINTER."

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 154, 27 December 1924, Page 18

By "SPRINTER."

Since "the1 announcement that Charles Paddock and L". Murchison intended to pay a-visit -to New Zealand the controlling body of amateur athletics in New "Zealand; has been busy negotiating by cable, .through George Krogness, the Dominion's representative in America, with a view to completing arrangements for a- tour which should prove to be one of the most notable of all time. The council had to move,, and move quickly, but its progress towards making certain that these two great athletes < would appear in New Zealand was hampered somewhat, by the fact that a couple of cablegrams from America .were rather ambiguous. However, there now seems to be no doubt that Paddock and Murchison will be here in February, and that-being the case the latter part of this season should provide a rare feast of sport. It was hoped .that the negotiations for the Paddock--Murchison visit would result in the athletes agreeing to make a six, weeks' tour of the Dominion, but as far as is known at time of writing the position seems to be that the tour will be of four weeks' duration. 'A 'message received from .George Krogneas during the week was as follows:—"Replying to your telegram just received^; Secretary Rubien, Amateur Athletic Union, telegraphs that Paddock arid Mjirchison accept your original invitation visit whole February, with understanding their expenses will be paid from New York through New Zealand to Japan. Expenses would amount to £50 each from New York to San Francisco; irom San Francisco through New Zealand additional." There is a suggestion in this message that the New Zealand Council is being asked to guarantee the (vhole travelling expenses of the athletes from America to Japan, although in the latter portion of the message does not mention the additional^ expenses to Japan. It would be altogether too much ;o expect of the New Zealand Council that' it should finance the whole, tour. If the athletes are appearing in Honolulu, it \vould be only reasonable for some contribution towards the expenses to come from that quarter, and, of course, Japan should bear a portion >f the travelling - expenses. However, ohe New-Zealand Council, anxious that as much as possible should be done, to nake sure of the athletes coeiing to New Zealand, has endeavoured to clear the ancertainty regarding expenses by offering terms .which, must be considered very liberal. The following cablegram was forwarded in reply-to the' message quoted above:—" Guarantee up to £250, arid expenses in New Zealand additional, i\-ith no further liability." That should satisfy thr toueists. If it does not, then they may have to seek other fields.. New Zealand is most anxious to see' these :hampions, but it cannot go beyond its means. Even now, the covering of the cost of the visit, as suggested by the council, may be no easy matter. According to arrangements the American athletes are due to arrive in Auckland on the 2nd February. The New Zealand championships take place in Auckland during the following week, arid is-Paddock and Murchison will be wanted for that occasion the northern centre could not be expected to run" a special meeting a w*ek prior to the championships. The best course to adopt in regard to the appearances of the AmeriT*™\® e7 Z^ aland w°«l<i be to ask the Wellington-Centre to arrange a meeting, on. the 7th February for the first appearance of - Paddock and Murchison. Ihen a visit could be made to a North .sland country centre, before the Americans appear in Auckland at the New u*i t. ampionshiPs on the 13* and '.4th February. Another North' Island wuafcry centre could be visited durin" the following week, and, in addition to a midweek appearance in the South Island, Saturday meetings for the Americans could be. arranged by Otago and canterbury on the 21st atftt 28th PFebru ury. Ifc appears that there will-be four srturdays a nd. three midweek- appearances by; the. visitors. . • r During,the holidays;local athletes will oavo plenty of meetings to engage then' attention, and in January there are like•ii l. SOme attl' actions, one of which will be., an /afternoon meeting' at Peone, ; if the ground can be secured" It s proposed-to".hold this meeting on"l7th January, with the road walk, and the hope is that there will se no necessity, for a further .postponement. .Already two postponements have been necessary, the meeting being fixed it first for two weeks ago, and then postponed.until last Saturday, when the state of the ground was too bad. Sports are being held at Paraparaurnu Pe-' rone, and Masterton on New Year's Day and at each place there should be much. to. make the holiday a pleasant

SCHOOLBOY WONDER.

Frank Hussey, the famous schoolboy •printer who has been timed in 9 3.5 seconds in the hundred in high school games, and who went to Paris with the American Olympic team, will soon be running under the colours of Boston College., Hussey ran in the winning relay sprint team at the Olympics, and -in other meets shortly afterward showed speed that puts him in Charlie Paddock s class-in the shorter sprints" states Eobert Egdron in a San Francisco paper. "It was unfortunate that Hussey didn't have a chance to run in the 100 metres at Paris. We had bo many first-class.sprinters that it was. impossible to enter them all in the 100 and 200 metres, the. number of entries from each country being limited. Hussey might have run faster than Scholz, Paddock Murchison, and Leconey, and might have beaten Abrahams, of England in the short sprint. However, ifussey is young, and he'll have another chance. Probably-when another Olympic rolla around he will be going faster. He may be,the fas.test sprinter in the world in mother year or. two. His schoolboy performances promise record-breaking when ac is fully developed under college joaching. °

"Charlie Paddock, who has now retired from the track and is going to confine lis athletic activities to golf, says he .nay try to run again in the next Olympics. It's doubtful that any athleto can itay out of competition for four years md show his old speed. And there ij» ao-telling how many new.record sprinter* may. b* developed in the next four rears. ,"" Xawon . Bobertison, . Olympic team.coach, tells me that he.expects to lee Frank Huasey come up to Paddock's

speed in .another year. Hussey is "a. T steady performer, and even as" a novice competing Against such inon as Scholz, Paddock, ■Murchison, and Leconey, he was as cool as any. veteran on tha mark, and us quick to get away. He is a re- ■ marfcabty' -list' atai'l'e'r.' .'*! With ,"a ..little :< more strength and_experience, and » Paddock 'jump' at the finish, ha may be , unbeatable." ■ "' ' ""•' ■■;_■--•■.•■ "•'."'•

[The suggestion .that Paddock is retiring ts rather premature, as the great sprinter is now embarking upon a tour. —"Sprinter."] '

AUCKLAND SCHOOLS.

A hint has been 'thrown out to the Auckland Centre of the N.Z.A.A.A. that it would be well advised to '■arrange, with the co-operation of the principals of the schools, a secondary echools championship gathering. An Auckland paper points out. that the, performances at the various school sports held recently have shown that.there are some excellent performers. At Mount Albert Grammar sporte Moses.,wen the 220 yds in 23isec, and the:.44oyds in 57sec, and he tied with Shea- in the 100 yds 'in 10 l-ssec' Barnes won the - 880 yds. in 2min 11.3-5. sec,, and the mile in smirr6 3-ssec. Kirkpatriek's. long; jump, 19ft llin, and Ewen's -16sec for the 120 yds hurdles were noteworthy performances. At the Auckland Grammar School sports Watt ran the mile in 4min 55sec, while at the Sacred Heart' College sports Keenan won the. half-mile in. "2min 16secj and : the mile.insmin.ssec, and.Young ran the quarter in 56.3-ssec. - The Hamilton High School boys had some striking results. K. Anderson-and J. Tuck wed with ,41ft 7in,.in the hop, step, and jump, and Anderson cleared 21ft 4in in the long jump. J. Tuck won the quarter in 59 l-ssec. These are the young athletes that, should be encouraged to compete after their school days are over. The boys, would welcome euch a gathering as a secondary schools championship meeting, where they would be able to try themselves out against the best performers m the secondary schools.

DUNN SHIELD.

Interesting details of performances in the first day's events of the Dunn Shield contest in Sydney.are given by."Argus" in the. "Referee," as follows:—Despite adverse .conditions, there.were several notable .performances, and also some surprises."^ The effort of''George R. Parker in the. three miles walk was particularly good. Travelling in.fine-style, he covered two miles in 14min~3 l-ssec, and the full distance in 21min 'Issee, his previous State records being respectively 14min 17sec.aud 21min. 59sec. Another good .performance was .that-by -H S Graiidemagne: in.. the ■ mile. There was a big field of.round, about 20 runners, and for two laps the pace was muddling the cracks angling for'positions. At the' bell, James,,Hatton, of international fame, shot to the front, trailed by Graiidemagne, With '. H. .Gorfin and A X Cal aghan iandy. , A. bitter battled topk place until , 150 yards from the hmsh, when Grandemagne unwound such a paralysing ' spurt that the ex-Surrey• crack, pulled.out:.and. stopped, thus aW lowing his^clubmate,,.Harold Gorfin, to finish second, with Rhodes Scholar Callaghan.handy.. Gorfin should develop into' a.miler of ".class.. The. most notable sur-, prise came when Walton W, Hunt, the btate champion, was beaten in his heat of the 100 yards by a young sprinter'y more or IcES .unknown—P. Murray, of the Western- Suburbs A.A.C.—and although he qualified for'the final, our re-' presentatiye at. Antwerp' in 1920' was^ unplaced.- Presumably the heavy tracks and wind account .in a measure for the slow times-,in,the ,100 .yards. In the ]avelm' throw, W. F. Payne (police) broke J the.,Dunn Shield record wlfen he got the implement out to 166 ft 44in The versatile police athlete" also.won .tte'shot' putt. Another dual '..winner was T • "W" M'Namara. (Western :Suburb S )-Ji c " was farst'through the worsted in both JLOO yards and 440. yards. In tl.ie last-named even there was considerable jostlinjc for positions m the'early stages, due, in a measure; to the.1 runners being on a Zrw Ttt 'W1 between M Namara and W. H. Huttpn was worth goiiimiles to see.' After the.race a protest was lodged-on behalf of M. T. Emmer30n. .(Police), who; wa»- c hopped,.off' at' the start others . .closing. ,i n too abruptly. And those drawn, wide 'out were, not involved.'."""'. ■ "' ' : ■■■■■■•

...; ;.... NOTES, The Porirua Club is holding its annual meeting on Anniversary Bay Mr U H Harrison, father of tho youhc cyclist, is.noyv^ acting as;-the- club's de^ iogate.,to,,the centre.

J.<\ C.. Stephenson, the. old-time Midland cricketer,,-has every reason to bo proud of Ins two boys,-. Marry and Jack ■ As pupils of ..the .Island Bay.. School, the boys nave figured prominently, at the primary schools' athletic championships and judging by their .performances they are likely to be athletes of distinct merit when the time, comes for them to take their place m open company. Jack who is now lx years of age, has been a'winner at the , primary schools.; championships since he.waß nine years old, wifli the exception that he was beaten in a final, last year At the-recent-Island Bay school sports he competed in seven events, and his efforts were attended with so much success that six wins were placed to his credit.. .Harry, who is eleven years oi age,.won the 75 yards-primary schools, championship this.year, and was successful in the. race for boys, of 10 years at last season's championships : A. S. Hunter,,who was at Levin last season,'is .now in-New Plymouth, but he has not retained the,form which gave him a place in the half-mile at the provincial championships: at "Athletic Park last season Ihis.is indicated in a letter to L A. Tracy. Hunter, states that he is a back number this year, his performances being:-220 yards second off 20 yards, in 25 3-ssec; 440 yards, first off 22 yards in 58sec; and 880 yards, third off 40 yards .in 2mm 17 l-ssec. * Last year he was capable of much better performances.. t button,in the i'un : off for the two miles Ladies Bracelet race of the Hutt Valley Harriers at the evening .meeting at Petone, .showed promise, of developing into a really good distance runner He ran away .from N. Craig. Cycle racing on such a small track as that at- Petone. provided more than the usual thrills at the evening meeting though luckily not a single rider came down. In finishing second from 25yds beaten by a length, in 2min 30sec' Blakeway rode a splendid mile. .At a special, meeting of the Hamilton Amateur Athletic Club . recently the right of a professional to serve as a committeeman on an amateur body was discussed. Mr. O. 'S. Ellis, the chairman, pointed out that, anyone who had taken part or run as a professional wa,s not ■ eligible for appointment to other, committees. The'club wished to arouse enthusiasm in amateur sport, and put down any ill-feeling. The New Zealand Amateur ; Athletic . Association, .would not allow ;affiliatiqn,,unless the committee was cleared of professionals.' It wns essential that the "two . professionals Shirtcliffe and M'Geehan, who were members of the committee; should put in their resignations. ] An effort would be made to have them both reinstated as amateurs. Mr. Shirtcliffe, who was present at the. meeting, tendered hia resignation,' which was accepted with regret. '.''■'

Mr. E. J. Hefl'cr has been elected sec-, retary of the Mastcrton A.A. Club", vice Mr. Colemaul

The Wairarapa team j.o compete at the Wellington provincial' championships is to be selected by Messrs. T. G. VanKioni; E, J. .Eastwood, and G, M'Kay..