CYCLING CENTRE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 121, 19 November 1934, Page 11

CYCLING CENTRE

CHAIRMAN RETIRING

AMATEURISM ISSUE

In his report, Mr. A. A. Nattrasfs, chairman of the ' Wellington Cycling Centre, whose annual meeting is. to be held tomorrow night, states .that he - intends to drop out of cycling administration. He states that he will not seek'reelection as chairman of the centre, and will not accept a seat on the council of the New Zealand Amateur Cycling Association. Reference ie made by Mr. Nattrass to the opposition from the chairman and secretary .of the, New Zealand Cycling Council to his being allowed to take, office as a member of the council without being reinstated as an amateur. He declares that the only drawback to the principle of democracy, for which they had foitght, had come from the chairman of the Cycling Council, supported by the

secretary. "Unfortunately," Mr. Nattrass' states, "although it has been of first importance that a constitution and rulea should be adopted for the guidance and the control of the sport throughout " New Zealand, the last four meetings of the'association (the New Zealand Cycling Association) have been almost confined to discussing the eligibility of myself to act as a delegate ou the governing body. With three to one supporting me, the chairman has by various means) held up a decision on the matter, •in spite of protests by- the West Coast, Canterbury, and Wellington. There were three reasons why he had endured the unpleasant publicity that had arisen from the matter. The first was the fact that- he had a definite majority with him; secondly, there was a large number of officials throughout New Zealand in exactly the same position aa himself; and, thirdly, because he was not prepared to efface his athletic career by applying to be reinstated as an amateur. Mr. Nattrass impresses upon cyclists and officials the desirability of holding on to the rights for which they have fought, and to control their affairs on a democratic basis. To this end he suggests that they nominate delegates to the New Zealand Cycling Association who will carry out the wishes of the', centre, .and that they fight to the last ditch to have c chairman of the association one who will carry out the wishes of tho centres as expressed by the majority of the centres..