TOM MEAD

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1937, Page 7

TOM MEAD

A GENIAL CALIFORNIAN. “This is ti place I like,” remarked Tom Mead, who tomlght wrestlas Don Mclntyre here. “One gets a friendly mid from anybody, and one does not fee! a stranger.” Yet in his- twenty, fourth year, Mead is a fine. physical type, his regular fea. tires and wellmoulded figure rather concealing the fact that he scales- about sixteen stone. Interested in the social question, he di cussed things American, remarking that he had yet to form impressions cf this country. To a query about newspapers, he replied that though one mi.gp.it not subscribe to its polices, the Hearst press certainly commanded great attention from the general run of Americans on account of its elever, i.e is in display, the wide range of its topics, and the close touch kept by its leading contributors with tCie pulse of national life. One New York writer -could make anyone w dely, and not unfavourably known whom he might make the subj et of comment in his regular column for the Hearst papers. “Don’t, however, imagine Ameiica is overrun by gunmen.” said Tom. “I’ve never seen one yet! It is just the newspaper <, splashing headlines to catch the eye, which give outside people such an impression.” Mead sa d he. had been wrestling for four or five years past, and knew all the leading exponents. He had travelled a lot m the United Stat(s ; in the ourse of his engag meats, and trusted now to see a good deal o f dhio country, and later of Australia.

“The ball game is the greatest sporting attraction in our territory,” he said. “Baseball is more a means for ball players’ to uniimber. At the Rose Bowl, in Los Angeles, where I come from, 125.000 people assemble on New Year’s Day to 'ee the best ball teams of East and' West decide supremacy.” Mead was referring of course, to American football, wherein it is largely a man-to-man encounter, with the reserves frequently in demand. “The Universities provide the crack football teams, and their competition is the principal one ’' he- continued. “Rugby is played at Leyland-Stanford', and at the Southern Californian Universities, and the game • ate keeir and fast. “San Francisco,” he said, “is famous as a port, but Los Angeles is a region much more attractive. In an hour there, you can go either t'o the snow, line, the seafront, or the desert. Los Angeles has grown faster than any other city whose rll~<? is recorded in history. It has a great fishery, and the fruit output is well-known to you here.”

Asked about American conditions, Mead said President Roosevelt had the solid backing of the whole republic, and his work was well appreciated. The workers required his leg.slation, although in good times more of them were in the category of good spenders than in that of good savers. The. movies had a wonderful vogue. Belonging to Los Angeles, he naturally knew a. deal of the leading film favourites, but the public everywhere seemed to know as least as much of those performers as they did of the most notable figuies in politics, literature, art or bus.ness.” Mead, wh 0 ha s already created a verv favourable impression on his first appearance in New Zealand, when he won, will, at 7.30 o’clock this evening, be heard in a broadcast from Station 3ZR. Greymoutn, his subject being that of wrestling. From a remark of his, as to training here out of door.', .it might be. suggested that the Wrestl.ng and Boxing Association might for future visitors, provide some gymnasium facilities. Mead is very conscientious in training, but does not believe in going to extremes. He certainly prerents in himself a favourable criterion of his methods, for he seems t 0 be in perfect condition. Tom Mead will be heard in a special “Wrestling- Sports Programme,’’ being presented by 3ZR f- ‘•"'•m 7.1." until 7-30 o’clock this evening-