BOWLS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 193, 30 July 1932, Page 4 (Supplement)

BOWLS

TRIPS OVERSEAS PAYING EXPENSES OH PLAYERS CONSERVATIVE CHOICE OF OLD SKIPS. It has oflten been suggested that a fund should be inaugurated for sending representative bowlers teams overseas, to take part in Empire Games and similar competitions, so the Wellington Centre decided recently to test public opinion on the question of a levy of sixpence on all bowlers throughout the Dominion (writes “Trundler in the Auckland ‘‘Star”). Naturally they began with their own 21 clubs, and the replies will be dealt with at the annual meeting of the centre.

The promoters of the scheme seem doomed to disappointment, for at every club annual meeting so far held the proposal has been turned down. The parent club defeated the proposal by the narrow margin of two points, opinions being expressed that the idea would introduce an atmosphere of professionalism. Otaki softened the reply by adding that ‘‘he time was not opportune for sending a team to Australia,” but the others simply decided not to support the scheme. It seems unlikely that the promoters will sound the other centres after such a pronounced rebuff in Wellington, so the matter of financing touring bowlers may be considered settled for the present. The only immediate interest in the subject is in connection with the next Australian bowling carnival, which is to be held in Adelaide at Easter, most likely next year, but possibly in 1934. It is fortunate that the carnival in Brisbane was timed for last year, and not for this winter, for instead of tho usual winter temperature of 70 to 80 degrees, which makes that city so popular, it was down to 42 degrees the other day. On one day, about a fortnight ago, there was actually a slight fall of snow in the city, and quite heavy snow on the border of Queensland and New South Wales, while further inland sheep were perishing through the intense eold. Messrs. Grocott, Binns, Jenkin and Parker will be thinking that they have lost their way, and that they should have steered for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where the summer weather never plays tricks on the calendar.

The Olympic Games begin to-day (Saturday), and as it may be half a century before they are again conducted as near to New Zealand it would have been very interesting if a rink or two had gone from New Zealand and Australia. Eleven greens will be available, seven in Los Angeles itself, and four at Pasadena, a few miles away, so there would be plenty of accommodation for all-comers. However, as the International Bowling Board declined the invitation to compete, it looks as if the tournament will be confined to American and Canadian players, and this will limit the interest taken in it by New Zealand players.

Expenses of Compel/ -ors. As regards the general principle of paying the expenses of competitors in bowls, the advocates very correctly argue that because it is done in other sports it must be quite legitimate in bowls. The opponents argue that the game differs so materially from all others that this contention does not apply. In the first place, the competitors are older men, in spite of the common mistake in supposing that the “young fellows” are now taking it on, for the average age is higher now than ever it was, although to all of us individually the general run of players look younger than they appeared to us when we were twenty or thirty years younger. Another point of view which suggests that bowlers are older than those who engage in other sports is that for every one who leaves bowls to engage in another sport there must be close on a thousand who leave other sports to play bowls. Golf may be an exception, as two or three have actually left bowls to play only golf, but all the rest of the bowlers who have taken on golf have adopted it as an additional game, and not as a substitute.

A greater average age naturally implies possession of a larger share in this world’s goods, and this consideration alone would probably be quite sufficient to deefat any concerted effort to finance players who can usually very well afford to pay their own expenses. Finally, whether it is deemed theoretically advisable or not, the collection of the actual cash to cover the expenses—in the absence of any possibility of raising gate money —seems likely to block the scheme whenever it is proposed, for the average player displays a pronounced reluctance to assist in any shape or form the firstclass players who in their opinion already get more out of the game than anybody else. Youth Must Be Served. Much tho same line of thought in opposing the privileges of “the man on the box seat” probably inspired a letter protesting against the method