BOWLING

Evening Star, Issue 19763, 13 January 1928, Page 13

BOWLING

. [By Measured.]

Despite the absence of official fixtures, local howlers have had a good time this past week. Tho lovely weather conditions have allowed every opportunity for friendly games, and all the greens have been filled with players actuated by the “sans souci ” feeling, which is a relief from the severe strain of competition. We have all been watching the doings of our own men at the Christchurch tournament. They have held their own fully well so far in the singles competition. In the last eight survivors two Dunedin men figure. John Scott, of Caledonian Club, is one of them, and if ho happens to be in form he will be very hard to beat in the final stages. T. Ferguson, of Balmacewen Club, has put up a surprisingly good performance. What a reception he would get if ho could last it out to tho finish! Other local men who did well were W. Carswell (Taieri), J. M'Curdy (St. Kilda), E. Harraway (Dunedin), J. D. Smith (Dunedin), A. Smellio (Green Island). At time of writing the rinks games 1 ~vo only just started. Taking advantage of the official inter regnum several friendly games have been arranged for to-morrow. St. Kilda Club members are entertaining Balclutha visitors (ladies and gentlemen) oii their green. Caledonian and St, Kilda will also engage in four rinks at Caledonian, Dunedin Club teams will play Leith and West Harbor opponents. All this goes to show that, if there were no official engagements, the game would still go on. A coming match, fixed for late next Wednesday afternoon on St. Kilda green is exciting mucht interest among those concerned. It is between three rinks a side from 1 Daily Times ’ and ‘ Evening Star ’ players. Each office

considers that it has many potential champions in its ranks—and who would deny it? Anyhow, a bowling treat is E remised to those fortunate enough to e present. There will be no charge for admission. ANOTHER INJUSTICE. ‘Southland Times’ writer voices a grievance felt by Invercargill bowlers as follows It has been learned that the team of Victorian bowlers who are to tour New Zealand shortly are to come over in the Manuka. On this particular trip the Melbourne steamer will make Bluff its first port of call, but, despite this, the New Zealand Bowling Association blandly goes on its way and decrees that the visiting bowlers will land at Dunedin and commence their Now Zealand tour from that city, with the obvious result that Invercargill, or really Southland, will be cut off. _ The reason for this inconsiderate action remains unexplained. This repeated overlooking of Southland must be brought to a stop sometime, and the sooner the better. Courtesy itself demands an explanation, but the Wellington officials are evidently very deficient in this respect. The centre secretary has sent on a letter to Wellington, but it is anticipated that the usual formal letter will be received in reply full of “regrets” and “next times.” They should remember that it has been “next time” on several occasions. Southlandershave been content with_ this in the past, but on this occasion it appears to be nothing less than a calculated and deliberate insult. It was thought that a better day was dawning when the dominion president visited the province, but the executive has slipped back into its old one-eyed, slip-shod, self-satisfied groove, and has neither the inclination nor the energy to bestir itself. NOTES. Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P., paid a visit to Cavorsham green one evening this week, and was received with cheers and “For he’s a jolly good fellow.” He deserves all this.

Many old friends of Mr J. G. Duthie, late of Dunedin Club, who shifted to Wellington a year or two ago, were glad to see him in town this week on a holiday trip, looking well and hearty. Probably not many people are aware of the fact that somewhere about the years 1879 and 1880 a howling club, run by the Dunedin Athenmum and Mechanics’ Institute, had its green at the rear of tho present Athenreum in the Octagon. So far as can be ascertained from a look through the old annual reports, the club was not long in existence. Possibly the ground was urgently needed for building purposes. Can any of my readers give me particulars of this green? Mr W. Crawford writes that tho time for the holding of the Civil Service bowling tournament has again come round, and the committee met last week to consider the working of the gathering. It was decided that the tournament bo hold on Friday, January 27. Mr Crawford (tho hon. secretary) will bo glad to receive entries now or up to the morning of the 23rd inst. Mr W. J. Barclsley lias thoughtfully passed on to me a letter received by him from Mr Robert Lawson, of Glasgow, who was a member of the British team which visited u» a year or so ago. Mr Lawson has since visited Canada with a British party, and, as the New Zealand team will likely travel much the same ground, extracts from his letter may ho of interest to them. Mr Lawson writes; “I set that New Zealand intends sending a team overseas in 1928. I was one of the British team that visited Canada this year (1927). Wo left Glasgow on July 8, and arrived in Montreal on the 16th. There were thirty-two bowleis and eight ladies in the party. Wc visited every State in Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, also Detroit and Buffalo in the United States, and back to Montreal, leaving on September 16 for home. AVo bad a great, time all through tho tour. AVe played thirty-eight matches, winning twenty-six.” A copy of a London club’s annual report and balance-sheet (the Southern Railway, Ashford, Bowling Club) which has been supplied to me shows that clubs in the Old 1 Country are run on similar lines to our own. They have their pianos and gramophones (the latter an item in which they are ahead of us); in the winter they run card parties and socials; lady friends give valuable assistance; and the selectors have the same old difficulty in filling rinks for club matches. At the close of the season they have a dinner, at which prizes are presented. The cost of tickets for the club above mentioned was 4s Cd. The balance-sheet showed some peculiar items. It is evidently a small club, for members’ subscriptions are set down at £33 4s 6d; yet there is an item, “Sale of refreshments, £599 0s lOdl” On the expenditure side is “Refreshments, etc., £499 5s 7d.” Christchurch ‘ Star ’ writer is sore over the action of Wellington players in regard to the annual match arranged between Christchurch and AVellington for a trophy presented by Mr M. F. Barnett. He says; “The failure of the AVellington Centre to get together an eight-rink _ team for the Barnett Tiki match, which was arranged to be played next Saturday, is regrettable, and it seems to indicate that tho northern centre is not very keen on the continuance of this annual fixture. The history of the Barnett Tiki competition does not reflect credit on the AVcllington Centre. The competition was inaugurated three years ago, when a Christchurch team of eight rinks journeyed to AVellington and won the match. The following year it was AiVellington'a turn to send a team to Christchurch but they could not get one together, and the match was abandoned. Last year a Christchurch team was sent to AVellington again, the match being won by AVellington. This season the date—Saturday, January 7 was mutually agreed upon by the two centres as being suitable for players coming to Christchurch for the dominion tournament; but Wellington could muster only five rinks instead of eight. A proposal that the match ho one of five rinks only was not acceptable jto Christchurch, and after several telegrams were exchanged it was decided to postpone this year’s contest indefinitely. As this is the second occasion on which AAtellington has let us down in regard to sending a team to Christchurch, the question of whether tho fixture should be continued may have to be faced. Up to the present Christchurch has had to make all the sacrifices. It seems extraordinary that Wellington _ cannot find thiny-two players willing to make the trip to Christchurch, especially as the time occupied is so short.”