OLYMPIC SPOUTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16566, 2 June 1914, Page 8

OLYMPIC SPOUTS.

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA

MEETING OF NEW ZEALAND ATHLETIC COUNCIL. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, June 1.

A meeting of the New Zealand Conn- j oil of the New Zealand Amateur Ath- i lctic Association was h :kl this evening, Mr A. Marryatt pv,.skiing. Mr C. E. Bridge, who with Mr G. P. Keddell, had attended as delegates of tho New Zealand Olympic: Council a meeting of representatives of Olympic Councils in Sydney in January last, reported wie result of the deliberations and the action of the New Zealand delegates. ‘‘Prior to leaving for Australia, said Mr Bridge, ‘'l was instructed by your president. Mr A. Marryatt. to oppose any movement having for its object the formation of an Olympic Council for Australasia if the composition of such Council wore to consist oi delegates from the Commonwealth States and the dominion and particularly so if it were proposed that each Stale and dominion were to be placed upon the same voting basis. Mr Marryatt instructed mo further to urge that the system then obtaining of control by the secretary be adhered to. After the election of the chairman and tho formal opening business of tho conference a motion was brought down by the New South Wales delegates proposing that an Australasian Olympic Council should he formed on identical lines to those which your delegates had been instructed to oppose. This motion Mr Keddell and I vigorously opposed but without avail. In the opinion of your representatives the effect of the motion was to place the New Zealand Olympic Council ' and Olympic matters generally in the dominion in a position that called for most emphatic protest, if only from tho fact that the New Zealand delegates on a Council formed as proposed would have no more voice in Australasian Olympic affairs than say the Tasmanian and West Australian representatives and that (although the right of the dominion of preserving her entity had been acknowledged by Mr R. Coombcs, the international committee’s representative, by Ins action in moving in the direction of altering the name ‘ Australasia ’ to ‘ Australia and New Zealand ’), her voting power was to he equal only to that of the smallest of the component States of Australia. In tho courso of the debate your delegates emphasised this point and protested strongly against its (to them) manifest injustice and stated that should the motion be carried they would record their protest on behalf of the New Zealand Council by withdrawing from tho further deliberations of the Council. However the motion was carried.

“Your representatives, being the only dissentients, and in accordance with their expressed resolve, then left the meeting. In 'taking this extreme step your delegates fully realised that their action laid them and your Council open to adverse criticism, but it was felt it was tho only possible course to follow. The remainder of tho business before the uConferenco was the framing of a constitution and set of rules, and it appeared to your representativas that it was illogical and in no way desirable that they should assist in framing a constitution for a body tho formation of which was in direct opposition to the wishes of your Council. Your delegates emphasised tlie fact that the Dominion Council was not only willing hut anxious to cooperate with the Commonwealth Executive in Olympic matters, but that such co-operation should be upon an equal partnership basis with Australia, not upon a sixth share basis.” A motion was passed unanimously thanking Messrs Bridge and Keddell for attending tho Conference, and endorsing their action in tho matter. Mr G. S. Hill gave notice, of motion : “That tho local governing bodies of sport in each centre he communicated with ns to sotting up Olympic committees which will select likely athletes and assist in the raising- of funds.” A vote of thanks was passed to tho New Zealand Rugby Union for its action in stipulating that in a proposed New Zedland-Australin match in Sydney the proceeds should bo devoted to the Olvmpic fund, and that in the event of Now Zealand sending separate representatives to the games, half tho proceeds should be devoted' towards defraying the expenses of the New Zealanders.