MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily MONDAY, DEC. 7TH, 1903. AN AUTOCRATIC ASSOCIATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7714, 7 December 1903, Page 4

MANAWATU EVENING STANDARD POHANGINA GAZETTE. Circulation, 3,000 Copies Daily MONDAY, DEC. 7TH, 1903. AN AUTOCRATIC ASSOCIATION.

The main topic of interest in athletic circles just now is the trouble that has arisen between the New Zealand Association of Caledonian Societies and. the Feilding Athletic filub. It Js as well to point out, at the out jet, that the Association, for the past four years, has been dormant, but recently fresh life was infused in it, and with a view to showing its " strength and importance," it commenced operations on the strong, est unaffiliated body on tkis coast—the Feilding Athletic Club—to compel th c latter to come under its wing. Had the Feilding club given way. the Association would easily have frightened clubs of lesser importance into affiliation. This was, no doubt, the ;dea held by the officers o£ the Association, but the result has only served to illustrate that the best-prepared schemes often miscarry. The FeildiDg Club has been in existence f:>r twentyseven years; its sports meetings have always had the support of the best runners and cyclists in New Zealand, and the management, by endeavouring to prevent anything in the nature of crooked running or riding, have earned a reputation which they may well feel proud of. The Club has been conducted on such excellent lines that several Club in the North Island are running under its rules and ia all probability they will continue to do so, no matter in what position the Feildmg Club may ba placed. The latter has several reasons for not affiliating with the Caledonian Association. First and foremost it is alleged that the Association has been grossly mismanaged in the past; an admission to this effect was made by its delegate at a meeting held recently in Feildmcc. Secondly, the Association refused to disqualify a runner named Chas. Hutton, who was disqualified for life by the Feilding Club for alleged misrepresentation in a statement of his performances. This in itself was quite sufficient to debar the Feilding Club from having any connection with an Association which " winked the other eye " at the shady tactics of a runner. Among other reasons why the Feilding Club will not affiliate with the Association are the following V—Entering into a reciprocal agreement with the N.Z. League of Wheelman; attempting to boycott athletic Clubs not affiliated to the Association by advertising their meetings as unregistered ; endeavouring to coerce competitors by threats of disqualification should they compete at unregistered meetings—this in direct contravention to their rales which make no provision for this contingency. "We consider that the Feilding Club has good grounds for the stanlithas taken; the treatment it received from the Association regarding Hutton was alone quite sufficient to prevent affiliationBut in spite of this treatment the Club had not taken up an antagonistic position. On the; contrary it has been desirous of arranging terms with the Association, having offered to enter into a reciprocal agreement for the registration of runners and mutual disqualification of offenders, which practically amounted to affiliation. That proposal was objected to by the Association which showed itself to be an arbitrary ! body, determined that its will should be law. But it has struck a snag: in the Feilding Club. The latter, is well able to protect its rights, and are confident that it will win in the end. The sympathy of athlotes in Palmerston is with the Feilding Club, and we trust they will demonstrate it in a practical manner by nominating freely this evening for the Feilding sports.