ATHLETICS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 124, 21 November 1931, Page 20

ATHLETICS

by "sprinter" N.Z.A.AA MEETING

SUMMARY OF BUSINESS

MORE IN FIELD EVENTS

Nothing to become excited about happened at the annual meeting this week of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. Things went off much as anticipated, except, perhaps, for the personnel elected to some of the subcommittees. Tho new delegate for the Auckland Centre took his place, and the opportunity was taken of eulogising the services of Mr. L. A. Tracy, the man he has displaced, and showing some practical recognition of his worth. Although the Auckland Centre iv its questionable wisdom has seen fit to make a change in its representation, the delegates to the annual meeting decided to retain Mr. Tracy as secretary-trea-surer, but as such, of course, he will not now have a vote on. questions that como before the council.

Mid-North Island Centre.

The various championships—track and field, cross-country, and road cycling—were allocated to tho centres it was suggested' they would be in last week's notes. It was clear from the discussion and tho information to hand that it would have been unwise, even if the delegates had been so minded, to have decided without further ado to establish a Mid-North-Island Centre in place of the present Wanganui-Tavanaki Centre. Practically from the time the proposal was first mooted it. seemed ridiculous that Hawkes Bay and Poverty ' Bay should be included in the territory governed by such a centre. That was recognised by the delegates at tho meeting, and the position now is that steps are to be taken to have a conference or conferences held between the Manawatu, Wanganui, and Taranaki authorities to discuss the whole question.

Cyclist's Status,

I In spite of keen advocacy on the [part of some of the delegates that D. H. M'Fedries, the Blenheim and formerly Wellington cyclist, should be _ reinstated, no change was made in the previous decision of the council declining his application. M'Fedries has played an important part in the establishment of an amateur club in Blenheim, and while they regretted having to adopt such an attitude, other delegates in view of the rule governing the cases of men who once having been reinstated break their amateur status, felt - that it would be wrong to 'let M'Fedries' application through. Some question was raised as to the authority of the association to deal with the cases of cyclists under the present rules, and a successful move was made to have M'Fedries' case sent down to the Cycling Board of Control in Christchurch for an opinion. One feels sorry for M'Fedries, and also for the Blenheim Club.

Olympic Games Art Union,

A view which has probably been taken by quite a number in. regard to the investment by! the Olympic and British Empire Games Association of practically the whole of the £13,000 collected by the art union, leaving only the interest on the capital available to send teams overseas, was touched upon by Mr. A. W. O. Travers. The suggestion made by-Mr. Travers was that at least £1000 of the money should have been set aside to assist in the financing of New Zealand's team, to the Games at Los Angeles next year. Some of the national associations probably will find it difficult to raise funds, and in view of the close approach of the Games and the fact that the appeal by the Olympic Games Association was made so recently, a little later on the public might have something to say concerning the tieing up of the whole- of the £13,000. . ■

Field Eveina

A scheme for the development of competition and an improvement in the general standard of performance in field events was put forward by Mr. H. I. Austad, one of the most energetic and practical members of the council. One had only to attend an athletic meeting, he said, to notice the paucity of competitors in this branch of the sport. In thinking the matter over Mr. Austad came to the conclusion that the remedy lay in the schools, and the suggestion he made, which was adopted, was that £5 should be made available to each of the five centres to provide a shot and as far as possible a javelin to the secondary schools of standing in the districts governed' by the centres. The N.Z.A.A.A. looks to the centres for co-operation in this campaign, in firstly seeing that the sjhools are provided with these accessories, and, secondly, in providing ample competition for the boys.

A worth-while suggestion with a view to our athletes picking up points in style, etc., was made by Mr. A. C. Sceats (Auckland). He advocated that when the New Zealand team went to the Games at Los Angeles a member of the team should bo deputed to make inquiries regarding the possibility of securing motion picture films for distribution in this country of leading overseas athletes in action. An effort was made in this direction in the past by the N.Z.A.A.A., inquiries being made from Mr. C. G. Krogness in America, but nothing came of it. Still, it is worth while making further inquiries. Next Week's Meeting.

The closing date for entries for the Wellington Centre's sports meeting at Athletic Park next Saturday has been extended until Monday. Entries will be accepted at James Smith's, Ltd., by Mr. B. Lippctt, Petone, and by Mr. H. V. Westbury at Lower Hut't. A programme of twenty-one events has been arranged, including a high jump for the lady athletes.

No entry fee is being, charged and there will be no trophies, but points will count for the end-of-the-season medals. It is intended to hold the first grand parade of competitors for the Kitto Shield at the second centre meeting on 19th December.

Evaris v. Rose.

The secretary was instructed at a recent meeting of the Auckland Centre to invite D. Evans and B. A. Eoso to compete in Auckland this season, 6th February being the suggested date. It is hoped by the Auckland Centre that Evans will make an attempt on his New Zealand half-mile record of Imin 54 4/53 ec, established by him at Wanganui last February.

It is understood, that the Porirua Club is not prepared to risk the possibility of a loss by holding its usual meeting at ■ Porirua on Anniversary Day, 22nd January, and that, therefore, the fixture will not bo hold. However, for those who desire to compete on that day no doubt there will be a meeting at Masterton.