BOWLING

Evening Star, Issue 17079, 25 June 1919, Page 2

BOWLING

[By Measures.] Increased! activity in matters social is being displayed by bowlers, and now that the real finish of the groat world trouble is at hand a revival of the enjoyable pre-war gatherings may-confidently be looked forward to. A special meeting of St. Kidd a Club was hehi on Saturday evening to consider the reinstitution of their Winter Club —a quite successful concern before circumstances compelled it to lapse last season. There was a strong desire shown at the meeting for resuming the club’s activities, and the following officers were appointed to carry out a programme of three ladies’ evenings and three gentlemen’s gatherings before the game starts next season.:—President, Mr W. Thompson; vice-presidents, Messrs M. J. Hade and H. Hinton ; secretary and treasurer, Mr M. J. Hade; ■committee— Messrs S. Barr, J. Elvidge, A. Pitts, and G. N. Moffatt Caversham Club broke new ground by inviting others than purely bowlers to enjoy an evening with them. The club’s guests last Friday night were a score or more employees of the ‘ Evening Star ’ office, who were entertained in real hearty fashion by the bowlers. The larger proportion present engaged In card" games, while six a side tested their strength on the billiard table. How the card games went nobody seemed to know, but the newspaper men certainly found mors than their match at billiards. The bowlers won four of the six .games, and had a lead of about 150 points on the aggregate. The visitors acknowledge the handsome treatment received, all agreeing that everything possible was doifb for their enjoyment. They also appreciated President D. M. Pastier’s complimentary remarks concerning thorn. The billiard match Dunedin v. Gale; donian proved close and exciting, with a narrow margin in favor of Dunedin at thq finish. Naturally, with such good sports associated, the game was enjoyable, and at each pavilion visiting players and others were generously entertained. Boslyn Club Committee, in their annua] report, express what other people have felt —s-urpnso at their want of success in the intorclub fixtures They played 110 rinks, and were ahead in only 6? of them. On paper this should not be so. Looking over the names on the dub roll it might reasonably bo expected that the old-established Roslyn Club would be well up in the list. But such things are inexplicable. We will see what happens next year. The membership (62, until two life members) is- smaller than it should be. Their green {one of the very host) is worth more than that. The committee seem to he doing their best to advance the club’s interest, as they have enlarged the pavilion and installed a full-size billiard table. '

Kaituna Chib's report, while in a fairly optimistic strain, shows that better things might easiiv be. The fhembership roll of one life, 65 active. 10 honorary, and 19 lady members might well be nearly cbubled. There are a good green, commndiou® pavilion, and good companions awaiting these who decide to link up. Finances, though better than they have been, need strengthening, and a reasonable proposal is to be brought, forward that tho subscription should )>g increased. Wo cannot have things without paying for them. The report has another growl at the number of ir.terchib matches decided upon bv the -centre. Kaituna have always wished for more free Saturdays. Contentment, however, is expressed with the four-iink games Acknowledgment is made, also, of the continued interest taken in tho club by an old member, Mr 0. H. Hughes (now of Melbourne), who has denoted prizes for club contests. The dub arc doing their part in promoting the social side, lady friends, especially being catered for. North-east Valley Club’s concert last Saturday night achieved its object. A flrstcluse entertainment was provided, and the large attendance should result :‘n a profit for the club-. Writing on the 10th, hast. from, Sydney (where he has been detained for two months past by the shipping restrictions). Mr Mark Cohen states that play was still on. and he had spent cne- or two enjoyable days on the local green®. That afternoon he had played <*i tho City Green with a New Zealand team comprising himself, a Christchurch, and two Wellington men, and the Dominion team won by 27 to 9. At- one -period they were 15 to nil. There is nothing definite as yet about Mr Cohen’s return.

Last week, in quoting the remarks of Mr J. P. Smith (of Napier) on the subject of green-levelling, as opposed somewhat to the ideas published by Air W. Jacobsen (of St. Kilda.) the former’s views were set out pretty fully. Perhaps it would bo only fair to give tho local man’s opinions equal publicity. Mr Jacobsen, in his article, states: - “Every green, no matter how perfect, should be surveyed every year, and the survey pegs ao arranged that the sides of tho top-dressing machine may rest on them. A green top-dressed on those lines should como out perfectly level. Topdressing by wires is antiquated, and topdressing with a machine without surveying is almost as bad. To survey a green is not costly, and it is the best money spent in the’long run to get a perfect draw on either hand on every rink. Before tondressing, the surface should be thoroughly raked so as to open up the soil and let the air in. A good plan for the bare places is to use a wooden ram with spikes in it about 3in apart, and the surface perforated with this lets the air in with good results. If possible, a loaded roller should never bo used on a green ; it hardens the soil so that the roots of the grass cannot penetrate downwards, and a green with a hard surface, when there is play on it in damp weather, more easily loses its grass by having it skidded off, whereas if kept iii a softer state little harm could bo done.”

Tho annual report of Timaru Club, occupying a column and a-quarter of the local ‘ Rost,’ shows a good state of affairs. The membership of the club is : —life members 8. honorary 10, playing 90. A novel use of the banks of the green is made by golfers, who hold putting competitions thereon with the club’s permission. The question of granting returned soldiers free membership privileges was considered at the annual meeting oL the Can- • terbury Bowling Club. The Chairman (Mr IM. F. Barnett) said that the Bowling i Centre had considered the matter, and had decided to leave each club to decide the question for itself. The subscription for ordinary members was £3 a year, and it was open for the members to decide if they would grant special facilities to the soldiers. Mr Jacobs said that it would be a bad precedent if returned soldiers were admitted free. They all recognised the good work done by the soldiers, but with regard to bowling ho thought they should pay the same fee as other members, or else get a green of their own. He did not think the soldiers wanted any charity. Mr 0. T. Aschnjan said that, in order to show the good-feeling of the club towards the soldiers, he would move that undischarged returned soldiers should bo entitled to the free privileges of the green. _ This would, of course, include all hospital patients. Mr B. Finnegan seconded the motion. Mr R. Tait thought that the soldiers should pay something. They did not want charity. A- member pointed out that the Beckenham Club had advertised that it accepted returned soldiers as members free of charge, and only one had made use of the privileges. Tie did not think many soldiers would bother about the matter. The motion was carried.