SPORTS EVENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1938, Page 18

SPORTS EVENTS

NiZ.. CENTENNIAL

AUDKLAND PROPOSALS

CO-OPERATIVE SPIRIT

• Representatives oi the New Zealand Centennial ■- Games Committee, Auckland, which- some months ago announced proposals for : holding New Zealand Centennial summer and winter games at Auckland, were received with the utmost cordiality; and a; spirit of helpfulness and "co-operation when last night they attended, 7'as a deputation, a meeting in Wellington of sports body delegates.-The Auckland summer series of games is to be held from January 6'to-January-'2O; 1940, and'the purpose of the deputation's visit was to see whether .the national sports bodies which will be -holding their national contests-in Wellington during the Ex-! hibition "would Iseep that period asj clear as possible. A recommendationto'this effect-was carried,- although it appeared from the tentative list of fixtures tfeat the New Zealand bowling tournament is the only national gathering in Wellington which: is likely to coincide with the Auckland summer games. : The deputation comprised Messrs. K. Vamar, W. :R. Fee, and J. Melling. Mr. I*. Campbell, one of the Exhibition Company- directors, presided. ' AUCKLAND CELEBRATIONS. . When Wellington' decided to have the Exhibition, said Mr. Usmar, Auckland thought it should also have celebrations worthy, of the Centennial and the province", and'ah organising committee was set up, thlree years ago.; The Centennial celebrations were being taken . very seriously in' Auckland, and in saying that .no reflection was intended on the Exhibition project in Wellington, which Auckland hoped would be the unqualified success it deserved to be. Auckland was .striving' to present something which would keep the. Centenial alive throughout 1940. They were now able to define dates. What they described as the intensive period was between. January 6 and February 15, 1940. After a thanksgiving service, it was proposed to inaugurate this period with the .New Zealand Centennial summer games. It had been hoped to include as many as possible of the national championship meetings, but from the' replies which had been received to a circular it was now realised that the majority of the national associations had decided to hold their championships in Wellington, so that it was futile .to proceed with that idea. Many months had been spent in planning a programme for the games, and the anxiety of the. Auckland sports committee was that there should not .be a clashing of dates and that Auckland, during the period Janiiary 6 to 20, should. be visited by as many as pos-. sible of the overseas teams which might be in the; Dominion, and also by lead; ing New Zealand performers, whose.app"earan*ce in events in Auckland would* it was considered, be an excellent "pipeopener" for. the New Zealand championship contests. . The two difficulties that might arise, continued Mr. Usmar, were, first, that competitors might be unable to obtain leave to compete in Auckland and Wellington, and, second, the expense. Any difficulty in regard to expense, however, was. thought to be capable of adjustment, and later: a proposition would .be submitted to.overcome the difficulty. ■ "We are seeking the co-operation of Wellington to make our games a success," said Mr. Fee. "We in return offer pur co-operation to Wellington, and will dp everything we can to make ypur Exhibition and any other celebration you hold in this city a success." It was pointed out to -the deputation that, according to the tentative list of fixtures in Wellington, the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht; Club, had a programme extending from January 17 to January 22, but it was suggested that this would not affect Auckland yachting if the regatta there was held as usual on January 29. The only event •which it.was suggested:would clash ■with the Auckland summer games was the New .Zealand bowling tournament. That. was a- matter, -.which Auckland might discuss with.the New Zealand Boyling, Council. ~.- ... '}■-'./ SFIRITOF CO-OPERATION... ■ Mr. H. MeCormick (N.Z.A.A.A.) said th^t his; association looked for visits fr.om: overseas:athletes, and. if they could be .arranged the. visitors would .be concentrated; in Auckland when the Auckland officials wanted them. It was also .contemplated that New Zealand/athletes would take part in the Auckland, games. 1 Mr. Fee: That is excellent. . .Mr.lß N. Rundle said that the New Zealand' Swimming Association would do .all it possibly could; to assist in waking. thfe" Auckland gaimes a success by "the. appearance there of overseas, swimmers. and champions from the other.New: Zealand" centres. .. / A similar:sentiment was voiced by MrV V. Allen on behalf of the New Zealand-.Surf .and-Life-saving Association-. An, Australian..team" would be coming to.New" Zealand, '..'he said, and he anticipated ho difficulty in the way of the team' competing in Auckland in January. : ..'. . . '.'. ."..''. ■Mr. T;M."Hinkley said that the New Zealand Rowing Association proposed inviting an" Australian ' crew to compete, either at the • championships in February or in the interprovincial eights at Easter. No doubt Auckland would be interested in such a visit •ven-'if it did not occur during the Centennial games. Speaking as the representative of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr. A. C. Kitto said he thought there was not the' slightest doubt that the union would be agreeable to putting on a special match during the winter games in Auckland. As regards the summer games he was sure Wellington athletes would be quite willing to help. :• On behalf of the -Wellington Cricket Association Mr. J. H. Phillipps suggested the possibility of arrangements being made for Wellington to visit Auckland-fo-r a special match. ; Mr. Fee-thanked Mr. Phillipps but said that it was just a question whether it would be wise to, concentrate attention on cricket for several days to the exclusion of other sports. Mr. Melling-eulogised the work of '. Mr. Usmar "in connection with the Auckland Centennial games. , He said that Auckland was anxious that the • celebrations throughout New Zealand should be a success. . "Mr. J.W. Heehah, Under-Secretary of the Department. of Internal Affairs, sai4 that it was gratifying and heartening to see the" way the provinces had accepted'the scheme for their ec-opera-tion to make a truly representative display at the Exhibition. It was also very pleasing to find those interested in sports events imbued with so keen a desire for co-operation and mutual help. A true spirit of national cooperation had been shown at the meeting, and all that now remained to be settled were really individual items. Mr. Heenan added that he thought the big display in Auckland might imprbye the prospects of the national associations getting teams 'from over--geas. • --:.'..::.. :..-: -.. :.. ..\ • Mr. Campbell assured the deputation feefore it .withdrew that nothing would

be done by the Exhibition directors to hinder the Auckland games. "It will be a great source of satisfaction to us to report to Sir Ernest Davis,. chairman of the Auckland Provincial Council, the attitude of the sports bodies represented here," said Mr. Usniar. "We shall not let you down any more than we shall let you down on the Centennial itself. RESOLUTION PASSED. After- the deputation had left Mr. Heenan moved that the meeting " recommend to the various national associations concerned that they should co-operate in every possible way with the Auckland Centennial Council in the holding of the series of Centennial games in Auckland and that the national associations holding their New Zealand championships in Wellington be recommended to fix their dates as far as possible for these championships outside "the period, January 6 to 20. The-resolution was carried unanimously. '