ROWING.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 71, 26 March 1913, Page 3

ROWING.

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION

RULES OF AMATEURISM

DISCUSSED

A special meeting of delegates to the New Zealand Rowing Association was held in Wellington on Saturday evening for the purpose of considering reinstatements and alterations to rules Mr A. S. Biss was voted to the chair in the absence of the president (Hon. H. D. Bell), and there were present: Messrs B. A. Mams, J. E." Wiridop, a-d D- B- Menzies (Wellington), F. H. G. Galvin (Southland), A. Gray and G. Lauchlan (Wanganui), P. D. Kesteven and M. S- Gentles (Canterbury), R-^ w- M<^ Villy (Otago), R. J. Mason E. Innes, and* E. Coghlan (Auckland), and J. H. Morrison (Marlborough). N. A. Christensen, of the 'Union Club, Wangamri, applied for reinstatement as an amateur. It appears that he constructed a boat and sold it to his club, and a decision of the council made m 1910 made him forfeit his amateur status. The decision was to the effect that an amateur oarsman who repaired or built boats for payment lost his amateur status. . After consideration, the association granted ihe application. T Davis, of the North Shore Club, Auckland, - applied for reinstatement, as he had broken his amateur status in ignorance by competing in a professional event. ,*".-,.,. Mr Mason (Auckland) said that Davis had been warned before lie took part in the race, and he had entered for a second professional. event. The North Shore Club supported the application. After discussion, the application was refused. The chairman expressed, surprise than any application where there had been such a deliberate breach of the rules should be supported by an amateur club. The rules1 concerning amateurism were then considered. '; ~ ■ r '_ On behalf of the council, Mr AD. Bayfield moved that ■the words' "In any branch of athletic sports," be added to clauses a afidbin rulel (the definition.of an amateur). The clauses referred,to are: "An amateur oarsman or sculler is one who—(a) Has never entered or competed for a stake or money prize,, staked bet. or declared wager; <b) Has never derived any peouniary profit, directly or indirectly, from rowing or sculling, or from the funds of his or any club." Mr Bayfield said'i that the, idea was to prevent professional athletes in any other branches of sport , from competing >as joarsmen. At the present time he did ndt think,'it oould be said they w/er'e amateurs, and if the amendment was made it would bring the Noav Zealand definition into lino with that of Australia and further afield. If tihey, hud wanted to send a crew to compete at,the last Olympic gathering, they would not have been allowed to do so on account of the New Zealand definition. If an English crew/came out to Australia, New Zealand oarsmen would not ■be allowed to row against them. There seemed to have been a considerable amount of apprehension regarding the Northern Union game of football as affecting this matter, but there was no bar to a man playing football so long as he did not play with or against, professionals in. that particular game. , It was held by the council that oarsmen should not be confined to their own shores, and they should be able to go further-'afield-and conquer. It was a great pity,: to his. mind, that .scullers in' New Zealand could not go across the water and win tee Australian championship, but they were unable to do so as long as the rule of the New Zealand Association remained a® at present. Mr F. D. Kesteven ; on behalf of the Canterbury Association, opposed the alteration, as it would diminish the membership of a number of clubs and probably prove fatal to seme. The object of the association should be to broaden the rules and not to narrow them down. He instanced clubs, like Kaiapoi and Akaroa, in the district he represented, and pointed out that there were little sports meetings where probably members competed and these men would be classed as professionals: Furthermore, if a Ttiember had ridden in a bicycle race when a boy and received a money prize he would be debarred from member ship. The association was taking a wi'ong view altogether in regard te this matter. New Zealand was a long way ahead of New South Wales in running, and ( why not let New Zealand look after itself instead of worrying about Australia. Re-; garding the Olympic games, the controlling body would recognise New Zealand oarsmen as amateurs provided they conformed to the present rules. ; ;

Mr Gray (Wanganui) spoke on similar lines. .The association, he thought, would be making., a very false move if; they adopted the proposal. . ) Mr Mason (Auckland) said that the amendment would f seriously affect clubs in has district, especially in the Waikato, if adopted. Mr R. W. McVilly (Otago) pointed out that oarsmen in New. Zealand were laboring under a great- disadvantage owing to ihe present state of the rules. He was instructed by Otago to oppose the suggested alteration, and would do so; but personally be thought it was a very good thing. They wanted to stop professionalism, for there was a growing tendency among amateurs to-day to play what they knew was a professional game. Mr Morrison (Marlborough) was against the alteration, and Mr Galvin (Southland) said he would vote in. a similar way as instructed by his association; but it was against his convictions. ' The Chairman said that personally he was not in. sympathy with Australia in rowing or in oithers sports. He had been over there on many occasions, and they did not care tweir pence what New Zealand did. It was only when; they got beaten that they began to look about them, and f-ee who had beaten them. They had to consider the local clubs before they thought about Australia, and they must see that their membership was kept up. As long as they were careful to see that members of clubs did not receive any pecuniary benefit from rowing he thought they would be quite safe. He was inclined to think they could do that and get into competition with Australia if they went about it in the right way. In his opinion sufficient reasons had not been advanced to justify the change. The motion was then put. and lost by 13 votes to 5. Several other amendments which hinged on the previous motion were then withdrawn by Mr Bayfield. Mr Mason brought up the question of inter-provincial championships instead of, inter-club championships. He thought such an alteration would iesult in more interesting events.

The Chairman said that it was a matter that required a notice of

motion, and on his advice Mr Mason agreed to have it put on the order paper for the annual meeting. Mr Galvin said that he had been requested by the Southland Association to move that the weight restrictions on clinker boats be reintroduced. ,

At the suggestion of the chairman, he agreed to give notice of- motion regarding the matter, in order that it might be discussed at the annual meeting.—N.Z. Times._ .

Regulations governing the purchase of the fee-simple of a lease-in-per-petuity under the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1912, are published in the Gazette. The Act provides that the tenant of a lease-in-perpetuity may acquire.the fee-simple of his holding at the original capital value, plus one per cent, per annum on that amount during the period of his lease, and compound interest on the one per cent, during the same period. Lessees purchasing on the deferred payment system are required to pay within three months' of giving notice of intention to purchase a sum equal to ten per cent, of the price, together with all accrued and accruing rent under the lease. The balance of the purchase price is to be paid by equal instalments extending over a _>eriod of nine years. Lessees have the option of purchasing for cash.