SOWING ITEMS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 9292, 22 December 1890, Page 2

SOWING ITEMS.

Our Auckland correspondent telegraphed on Tuesday:—After considerable discussion the Auckland Eegatta Glob has decided not to carry out the championship events for the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association. There is no doubt that the too hasty disqualification of the Waitemata crew had a considerable effect upon the minds of the members of the Committee, but I am spsaking on good authority when I assert that their decision was come to upon altogether broader reasons. These championships were first offered by the Association to the three Clubs here, and these at .once decided that they could not carry them out, giving as a reason the lack of funds for prizes, and the almost entire absence of competition that there would be ,from this port. It was felt by the Eegatta Committee that, particularly as it had been decided not to include gig rowing in the regatta programme, if the affiliated Clubs thought “it was not good enough" to conduct the championship, it was certainly beyond the Eegatta Club’s province to promote races with publicly subscribed money in which no local man had qualification or material to compete.—lt was decided by the Auckland Bowing Association, after a very lengthy discussion, that two members of the Waitemata champion crew, E. Moore and M. Keefe, should be disqualified for six months, on account of having contravened the rule regarding amateurship.

In its report of the recent Intercolonial Race in which Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales took part, the Melbourne Age says:—ln strength and good condition the New South Wales craws have always been equal to the Victorians, but they hava not mastered the science of outrigger rowing, and their many defeats have been attributable to this cause. As soon as they acquire the true outrigger style, Victorians will certainly have to turn out even better crows than has been done hitherto to win.

The Victorian Bowing Association (says j the Australasian) acted wisely when it appointed a deputation to wait on the Finance Committee of the Harbour Trust regarding the contemplated action of that body in preventing boat races taking place on the Lower Yarra, and prohibiting crews training ia the vicinity of the shipping. The deputation pointed out that there was no other course available near Melbourne on which to hold intercolonial and Championshin races, where a tolerably straight course of three miles was required. Tho Trust recognised this, and its Chairman, Mr Thorn ley, said that that body did not 1 contemplate prohibiting those events taking place on the Lower Yarra.but it feared that the constant training of crews near the wharves and on the Goode Canal, as well as near the mouth of the river, would, unless it were checked, become an obstacle j to the navigation of the stream, and soma fatality might occur through tho boats being swamped by the wash of passing | steamers. He suggested that tho crews should confine their training to that portion of the river on the North and Western sides of Coode Island, which waa not used by steamers now that the canal waa open. It was pointed out, however, by the deputation that tho boathouses were nearly all situated above Princes-bridge, and the crews could not reach that portion of the river without passing through the shipping. To cause the clubs to erect boathouses in the vicinity of Footacray, and to compel their members to travel from the city to that suburb every evening for the purpose of rowing, would be simply to destroy the sport, as it would be so late in the evening before they could return to their homes in the city or in the eastern suburbs. This objection to the proposal that the training of the crews should be confined to the unused portion of the Lower Yarra was fully recognised, and Mr Thornley remarked that tho Trust having called

attention to the danger of scullers and oarsmen being drowned while training on the Lower Yarra considered that it ought now to be relieved of any responsibility should unfortunately any such fatality happen. The result of the matter is that rowing men who prefer to train on the Lower Yarra do so at their risk. Land and Water says it is reported that W. J. O’Connor may visit England next season to row W. J. "East, who is now_ regarded as the best sculler there. Certainty no one seems inclined to tackle the young Isleworth sculler. A year ago East would never have thought seriously of a raca against the Canadian, who - was then regarded as very nearly too good for anyone to row against.