ATHLETICS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 26 February 1909, Page 1

ATHLETICS.

The "Referee" states that the Y.M.C.A'. Easter athletic tournament will be one- of the biggest affairs Syd-n-.'y has seen, THE CRISIS. l.ndoub*ed'y there Is a crisis in New Zealand at present. The trouble between the Wellington centre of th? N.Z.A.A.A. and tlie N.Z.A'.A.A. it-seJr J k a most seiious affair, Ths trouble has | \x>rn blowing for n long time, and i the action of the Christchurch buJy !■ largely l'ft-ponsiblo. At a ronffreiu'-e <.f in? membfers of the Catiteruury • fnlr? it was deculsd to approach the Wellington Council of tho K.Z.A.A A. with a view to sinking dift'f-iei.. > - for 111- iim-5 hriti%, so t hit both fiil?? w.iiJfi unit;? for th? purpose of holding only one championship meeting on Mar oh SO instead of rival meetings, as piopo:;---<-d. So f^r £O good— the idea is worthy of all commendation — but Mr Alack quickly proceeded to iip.-ct. the harmony of affairs by,' if correctly . reported (and i' have before me the "Canterbury' Times" report), making singularly injudicious remarks. Hero is a sample: — ' Mr Atack said that the' Centre should try to arrange a championship meeting, as the Council's efforts would have no weight. If the Wellington men were as honest as they professed to bo thev would try . to arrange an amalgamated meeting for the good of T" the sport. And again . — After furthev discufsiori, .Mr Atack : d that the Coanqil would be willing to approach the Wellington body if the Centre wished it to do so. If tho Council made a rea»>nabl<V offer and it was rejected, the Wellington people wonld show that they were W lion >st. It was not a matter of loss- of dignity, but one in the interests of sport. i By 6 votes to 5 Mr Ataek was deputed to approach the . Wellihgton Coun cil — a. not too happy /choice in the circumstances. ' ' „, Well, he duly wrote to , tie Wellington people, and nifi letter was duly cY>- HMwdl. iThe Wellington 1 CoiMci'i arrived at, -the following decision : — That it is no<> tie; intention of this Council to give up the' control of tho champion^hip' meeting to "he held in Ota^o. TKat if the late Oonncil will place the whole of the. l unils; at preseiit h«!d by the late secretory aiid traasun-i' of the lat^GdonciKtoja trust account, this Executive is agreeable to deal with its share of the profi£s~. of the championship meeting at Dunedin in tha same manner. ■.'.• ■* ''