BOWLING NOTES

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6154, 11 August 1921, Page 3

BOWLING NOTES

By Toucher

THE COMPETING RACES. The unrest that affects the world is causing the consideration of many serious questions. One question* is as to the permanency of our race; another ae to the aerformance of our race. On this subject, Sir Robert Stout lias been airing; his views in a recent issue of the New Zealand Bowler. ' He holds that at root they are perhaps one and the same question, because, if the white race declines civilisation will fall with it. The coloured races have a civilisation of their own. This is the case so far as China is concerned. China was civilised perhaps thousands of years before there was much civilisation amongst the white races. Its old philosophers, whose writings are now known to us, show that they were thoughtful, intelligent, intellectual Chinese. One cannot read Confucius, or Licucius, or Laotze without being impressed by the high idealism of their life and by their literature, and we know that in all nature there is continual competition and continual warfare. We see it even in the case of plants. One plant is continually fighting to get command of the soil against another plant. We see it in the case of animals, and we see it in the case of men. There is competition amongst the members even of one race, besides competition between races, and the race that will persist is the race that* is physically strong, intellectually able and morally great. The race that is poor in physique, weak in intellect, and immoral will not succeed. What race will then survive? We know that there have heen races in the world that' are now no more. Some of them have been absorbed in adjoining races, but some have perished utterly without leaving any representative. That has happened in a race that lived quite close to us in New Zealand, namely, the Tasmanian race. They have been obliterated. Why did they fall? Because they were not equal to the competing race that surrounded them, namely, the whites who came to Tasmania.

The unrest 1 of the world has shown us that the coloured races are rising. The intelligence of the coloured races is greater than it was 100 years ago. Many of them have attained considerable intellectual skill and ability. They have paid great attention to health. Perhaps no nation has paid more attention to health than the Japanese, and the Chinese are following in the same direction. There is. therefore, competition between the white and other races, and many autliors are pointing out that, considering that the coloured races are more numerous than the white race, the white race can only exist if they are able to maintain the position they now hold in social and industrial life.

These are questions that we cannot blink. They are questions demanding solution What ale wo to do? We will have to defend the white race against more numerous, races destroying them. But destruction may not he worked by what is termed innocent penetration, and there are' several hooks that have recently heen published pointing out the difficulties ahead of us. One may refer to two works: First, "The Passing of a Great Race,” by Grant and Osborne, and "The Rising Tide of Colour Against World-wide Supremacy,'” by Stoddart,

HOW BOWLS AFFECTS TEE QUESTION.

Wliat. ym: tuny ask, lias all this to do with howling ? Is there any relationship between the playing of the game of bowls and this racial contest to which reference has been made? From one point of view there is no relationship; from another point of view there is a relationship, and the relationship is this: Everything that tends to weld the white race together tends to make the members of our race live in peace with each other, tends to create a feeling of fellowship amongst its members which will be valuable in tlie fight that is ahead. What has bowling to do with this? It lias this to do with it. though it i 6 a small matter: The fact that bowlers have gone from New Zealand to England to engage in their favourite pastime, and that bowlers from England are coming to New Zealand to engage in their favourite pastime, this coming and going will have one effect; it. will tend to create sympathy between different parts of the Empire, and if we can get sympathy and fellowship between different parts of the Empire we are making the Empire strong, we are making our race strong, and we am doing - something to build up its strength so that it may exist and ,not be obliterated. Every little, it is said in an old proverb, helps, and considering the state of unrest, the state of quarrelling tliat exists among the white race, anything that tends to make time fellowship between the members of the white race, peace between its members, tends to create love amongst its members, cannot be treated as a light affair; it will save some effect. Thomas Bracken, in perhaps his ablest poem, called ''Not Understood," pointed out that disagreements and misunderstandings arise because one human being does not understand the other. That has been the trouble in the Empire in the past. BETTER UNDERSTANDING. ' How can we get a better understanding How can we get greater fellowship? How can we get greater love piomoted amongst the citizens of o.ur Empire P There are ■ many ways in which this may he accomplished, and if bowling tends to good fellowship, .if howling tends to create a feeling of Empire amongst us, .a feeling of loyalty amongst us, a feeling of fellowsacrifice amongst us, and a feeling of citizens’ duty amongst us, even bowling is not to be ignored. When, therefore, we encourage the going of bowlers to Britain and welcome gladly those who come from England to see us, do not let us forget that though we are meeting each other about a pastime we are doing something more: we are helping in a small way, perhaps in an, infinitesimal way, to bring the citizens of the Empire into unison, and help our race to persist and not be obliterated by more numerous races that exist on the face of the earth.

INTER-IMPERIAL COMPETITION. It is understood that this visit- of .New Zealand bowlers to the Home Land will be the commencement of inter-imperial bowling competitions, and that New Zealand in its turn will be the centre of such an. annual match. It. is practically certain that bowlers will arrive towards the end of the year from South Africa to play in the Dominion tournament to be held in Dunedin in January, 1922. It is also felt that bowlers from the Home Land will return the visit now being made by our team, and will also take part in the Dominion Tournament. Steps are being taken to bring about this most desirable and historic , event. Anything that tends to foster Imperial unity must be of value to the Empire, and the management of inter-Empire sports and .competitions will. undoubtedly be of great assistance in this direction;; Such a scheme would do nuich to foster , the closer relationship ?of -the various parts .of the Empire and

THE PASTIME AND ITS PLAYERS

so help to bind more closely together the ties of kinship eo essential to the unity of our Imperial Commonwealth. The courteous interchange of opinions, the kindlier relationships the game itself is likely to inspire, and the more intimate knowledge our bowlers are sure to obtain of the condition, of things within thq Empire, cannot fail to be helpful in promoting more genuine feelings of attachment to the Mother Country, thus further strengthening the bonds of loyalty and affection that bind us to the land to which we owe liberties and the heritage we have so long enjoyed under its benign sway and protection.

AN AMUSING COINCIDENCE. Reports of the doings of the New Zealand team in the Home Land are daily being reported to us by medium of the cables, and they appear to he winning a good proportion of their games. A warm civic reception awaited the visitors at Tunbridge Wells. The Mayor and members of the Kent representative team entertained them at luncheon at the Spa Hotel. Here an amusing incident occurred. In* replying to the toast of the visitor's, Mr J. D. Sievwright said that the name of the town reminded him that in New Zealand they had a popular Police Commissioner of the same name. Much to the surprise and amusement of all, Commissioner Tunbridge himself called out, /‘Yes, I’m here.” Mr Tunbridge is at present living on the South Coast, and had come up that day to witness the match. The game was a well-contested one, the New Zealanders winning by 13 points—l3l to 118. CARD TOURNAMENT. The only event in the bowling world of Gisborne during the past week of outstanding interest was the card tournament held by the Kahutia Club as a return to the members of the Gisborne Club for the evening provided by them to the Kahutia members a month ago. The affair was a very enjoyable one and terminated at 10.30 p.m. sharp. Euchre was the game indulged in, anti the result was a win to the Gisborne Clxib by the narrow margin of two games—3l to 29. On the previous occasion on which these clubs met, a, tie resulted, each club winning 37 games, so it is evident these sides were well matched. The evening was thoroughly enjoyable from every point of view. Another contest between, the clubs will take place at an early date. PERSONAL PARS. The Ariki of the Kahutia Club, Sir James Carroll, was missed at the card tournament the other evening. He is taking a holiday to Christchurch to witness the Grand National. Mr F. Ardern, of the Mount Albert Club, Auckland, was a visitor to the Gisborne green last week. It is some years since he was in Gisborne, and the progress mode by the town struck him very forcibly. He enjoyed his roll-up and returned to Auckland on Saturday. . N.S.W. PENNANT FINAL. The final of this year’s N.S.W. pennant competition is history. The City Club (Sydney) survived. This event has just taken place, when the winners of the Northern District Corn petit, mil (Cessnock) met the winners of the Metropolitan section at Waverley, and were defeated by 30 points —108 to 78. In this competition .each club is represented by four rings. For halr-an-hour the matter of' superiority was very much in doubt. The visitors at least held their own and were riot favoured with luck. With the scores ]9 —18 against them, they fell back during the next five ends. At the termination of an hour’s play the figures had reached 47 —29. The hoard showed SG—sl when two horn's had elapsed, then the home side went on to win, as stated.