ATHLETIC NEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1911, Page 2

ATHLETIC NEWS

LAWN TENNIS.

THE DAVIS CUP CONTESTS,

ARRIVAL OF AUSTRALIAN TEAM

AUCKLAND, Tins Day

.Messsrs Brookes and Heath, two members of the Australasian Davis Cup team, arrived at Auckland from Sydney yesterday. They are accompanied by Mrs Brooks and Mr J. Koch (secretary of the Victorian Tennis Association). The party leave by the Main Trunk train this evening and" arrive at Christchurch on Thursday. Rice and Dunlop are the other members of the team. Rice left Sydney yesterday • and arrives at Wellington on Wednesday. Dunlop arrives at Auckland on December 17th. The team is the strongest Australia could send, excluding Wilding. Interviewed, Brookes said that Wilding cannot be expected to devote the whole of his life to tennis, and I think he. is quite right in deciding not to come to New Zealand. He promised if we lose the Cup to help to win it back. We have just played in a championship meeting so we are in good form. He opined that the determination to play in New Zealand was a handicap to them. It is neutral ground to both teams, so that must be a slight disadvantage in its defence. In Australia there is no doubt they would have been in a slightly better position. Heath stated that the Americans were not invincible. He recognised that they were up against it. If he didn’t win it would not be for want of trying.

BOXING. IS BOXING IMMORAL? SYDNEY, Dee. 4.-—A deputation of the Evangelical Council asked the Hon. J. S. S. Me Go wen to legislate against boxing contests, which they declared were nothing more nor less than prize fights. They argued that Sydney was being made the dumping ground of pugilists who did not add to the mo') at tone of the place. In reply Mr. McfJowen declared he was ignorant of •he modus operandi of these tut anything that was tabooed in Groat Britain should not he tolerated in Sydney. If they possessed the power to prevent the contests developing into brutal exhibitions or anything o’her than exhibitions of skill, he was determined to do it. The question of the money element would be considered by Cabinet. The Herald has taketn Mr McGowan to task for his spineless reply to the deputation against boxing contests. It adds ‘‘A boxing contest conducted to a knockcut on gentlemanl ylines is not a draw. A more gladiatorial sp'ectaele is more likely to draw. We sire not among those who try to force refined morality by legislation, but the limit is reached when socalled sport becomes a foul ulcer infecting many who are unable to protect themselves.”