BOWLING

Evening Star, Issue 15916, 23 September 1915, Page 2

BOWLING

[By Aleasdber.j St. Clair Chib (they are making a habit of it now) will make the first move. Invitations are out by President H. S. and Mrs Cole to the ’'opening, of their green next Saturday. It is claimed that the improvement ‘of the turf evident since better drainage was installed is more noticeable than ever this year, and that visitors will be surprised at the fine playing surface provided. No doubt, given a fine afternoon, plenty will attend to see for themselves.

A fair number of clubs intend to open the season next Saturday week. Among these are Dunedin, Roslyu, Caledonian, and Mornington Clubs. Those greens which I have seen promise exceedingly well. The oldest of all, Dunedin, is maintaining its reputation, and looks a perfect picture. Mr Taylor (its caretaker) should be proud of it. Another old-established plot, Caledonian, is in great form. Caretaker Hocking had given it a first cut last Saturday, and it looked almost fit to play upon. There is plenty of grass, and by opening day visitors should see their bowls running truly enough if properly laid down. A great deal of interest is taken in the St. Kilda Green by others than the club’s members. The unusual vicissitudes of this club in the matter of a good playing surface have attracted attention, and bowlers generally want to know how it is getting on. After inspecting it last Saturday it is fairly safe to say that the prospects are encouraging. The green had just received a rough cut, and looked fresh and bright. The bare patches which caused the trouble last season were covered with new growth, and the caretaker (Mr Alex. Gardiner) is of opinion that play may safely start about the middle of next month. The club deserve a run of luck in the shape of a good green. Other greens I have not seen so far.

At the last Meeting of the Centre Executive a communication was read from Mr Mercer, secretary Dunedin Club, which is of general interest. It was as follows; “ One of our members wrote to ns as follows : ‘There is one matter of interest to players concerning which I would suggest that the club make some recommendation —that is, the matter of compelling all players taking part in interclub matches and tournaments to have some distinguishing device on their bowls. If only one player in a rink is using bowls 'without any engraving mo mistake can be made, but when players on both sides are using them then mistakes are made. In one game last season we lost two points by this means, the head having been disturbed before the error was noticed.’ We are placing a notice on our pavilion requesting all players to have some distinguishing mark on their bowls, and will be pleased if your Centre can help in the matter.” The Centre decided to request players to put a distinguishing mark upon their bowls. It may become necessary to insist, upon it, for there is no doiibt that plain ivories are a pronounced nuisance. At the same time, the distinguishing mark can be overdone. Have you noticed some bowls marked with a circle of crimson? The owner can pick them out easily; but so can the opposing skip if they happen to be in his way. To my mind the lightcolored bowl has the same objection. It does not pay to bo too prominent sometimes. The executive have fixed Saturday. November 6. as the opening day for’ interclub matches. Bowlers are requested to take part in a memorial service promoted by sports bodies to be held on the Carisbrook Ground next Sunday, at 5 p.m. The second annual meeting of the Council of the Dominion Bowling Association, held at Christchurch last week, will not please those who follow matters closely, and many will begin to doubt the wisdom of federation. Not a single North Island councillor bothered himself to attend the meeting. Colonel Collins, of Wellington, the vice-president, w'as the only representative from across the strait. This is a poor compliment to the South Island section when the tournament happens to come their way. The only absentee from the South Island members was Mr J. J. Marlow, of Dunedin, and be bad to remain in town to welcome home his son returning wounded from the Dardanelles. The members present felt strongly on the matter, as is shown by the following resolution, adopted on the motion of Air Steans: 1 That the attention of the outside centres be directed to the fact that so many councillors found it inconvenient to attend the first meeting of the new council, and that a recommendation be made to them that only such persons as can make it convenient to attend the meetings regularly be elected.”

. What makes the lop-ended representation regrettable is that matters on which opinions differ widely between North and South had necessarily to be decided by southern members. For instance, greatest opposition to the two-feet-on-mat rule comes from the North. When President M. F. Barnett, in compliance with request* moved pro forma that the rule he rescinded there was no seconder. A grievance may be made out of this. The following paragraph appeared in the annual report The laws of the game have met with general approval, with one exception—viz., ‘two feet on the mat.’ This rule was more observed in the breach than in the observance during the association tournament held iu Auckland last January. In consequence of this a circular was sent to all the centres asking for an expression of opinion on the'rii!e° The replies were so few- that the council decided to recommend the incoming council to reconsider the rule. and. if possible, place it ’on a more satisfactory basis.” Tins i eport w r as issued bv the executive of the council in Auckland without being submitted to members in other parts of Now Zealand. At the meeting last week Mr Smith took strong exception to the manner in which this important matter was dealt with in the report, and had a motion carried that in future the annual report should be submitted to all members of council before publication. Ho said it was well known that the Auckland members of last year’s council were all opposed to the new rule, and the fact that it “ was more observed in the breach than in the observance” at the last tournament was largely due to the encouragement which discontents received from these councillors. Centres were circularised asking for an expression of opinion on the subject, and the report stated that " the replies were so few that the council decided to recommend the incoming council to reconsider the rule, and, if possible, place it on a more satisfactory basis.” At the same time two of the new councillors for Auckland who did not attend the meeting wrote stating that they would support the rescinding of the rule. Surely the reason put forth by the Auckland Executive for the reconsideration of the rule was of the very lamest description. The fact that centres had not replied to the circular appeared to bear an entirely different construction to that put upon *it in the report. Centres, as a rule, do not bother much about matters of which they approve, but if they disapprove they are quick enoimh to let their be known. Unfortunately, the minute book and papers of the association had not arrived in Christchurch from Auckland in time for the meeting last week, and the new council had thus no means of knowing the nature of the replies from centres, but if the decision of the Christchurch and Dunedin Centres was any criterion, then the feeling appeared to be practically unanimous in favor of the retention of the new rule. Out of 40 clubs in the Christchurch and_ Dunedin Centres only four voted against it. It is understood that the rule i will be enforced at the Christchurch tournament.

The president and the Christchurch Centre entertained the visiting councillors handsomely—on Thursday morning a motor trip, in the afternoon a game of bowls on the United Green (Council y. Centre), and in the evening a dinner. The matter of the deletion of the words “Dominion of” from the name of the association was mentioned at the council meeting, and there seems every probability that in the near future these' nnnecessarv words will be dropped. Let ns hope so. ‘