BOWLING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15664, 18 July 1914, Page 5

BOWLING.

NEW ZEALAND TOURING TEAM. ANOTHER VICTORY GAINED. By Telegraph— Association— (Received July 17, 9.30 p.m.) Brisbane, July 17. The New Zealand bowling team defeated Maryborough to-day by 162 points to 117. —— MEETING OF VICTORIA CLUB. The annual meeting of the Victoria Bowling Club was held this week. Mr. Geo. Woods, president, occupied the chair. The balance-sheet, showing the expenditure at £33 12s OJd, and the receipts at £35 3s 9d, was passed. The following officers were elected — President, Mr. Geo. Woods; vice-presi-dents, Messrs. Geo. Raynes, Gray, Urquart, Somers, Mahony, and Bush; secretary, Mr. Geo. Stephens; treasurer, Mr. , W. Somers; auditor, Mr. R. Gray; General Committee, Messrs. Ross, Ryan, Martinson, Sargent, and Allen; Match Committee, Messrs. Draffin, Raynes, sen., Somers, and Waterhouse; press steward, Mr. John Mahoney. The club played seven inter-club | matches during the past season, winning five. The following prizes were won dur--1 ing' the season:—Championship, S. Draffin; handicap singles, H. Ross; pairs, J. Mahoney and W. Somers; buckles, Waterhouse and Stephens. RAWHITI CLUB'S MEETING. The first annual meeting of the Rawhiti Bowling Club was held in the club pavilion, Remuera, on Tuesday evening, and was fairly well attended. The report and statement of accounts for tho year, which were adopted, showed that the club has pursued an active and progressive policy; its assets are worth £1823 and its membership totals 70. There seems little doubt that before long it will take its place among the leading bowling clubs ; of Auckland. , . As there is a considerable amount of work still in progress under the care and supervision of the old committee, it was thought desirable to reappoint many of I its members for the coming season. ' The following officers were elected:President, Mr. A. C. Woo cot,; vicej presidents, Messrs. J. G. Rutherford, J.

H. Jackson, 'R. M. Wilson; secretary, Mr. D. Long; auditor, Mr. F. J. Worthington; treasurer, Mr. F. C. Leea; committee, Messrs. J. B. Patterson, F. W. Stonex, J. Stoneham, D. Wilkio, A. V. Burcher, F. Roberts. Owing to the lato stage of tho season at which the green was opened last year, tho club did not join the Bowling Association, but has decided to do so this year. A number of trophies were promised for the coming season. The colours chosen for the club are gold and brown. NOTES AND COMMENTS. The annual meeting of the Devonport Bowling Club will bo held on Wednesday. The president of the Mount Eden Club, Mr. R. Walton, has issued invitations for a social evening, which will bo held nest Saturday, and at which the prizes won in the club contest during last season will be presented. The first of a series of progressive euchro socials being held by the Dominion Road Bowling Club, took place in St. Albans's Hall on Tuesday evening. Notwithstanding tho wet weather, a largo number of the members and their friends, upwards of 100, were present. Progressive euchro was played until half-past ten o'clock, when refreshments were partaken of, and tho rest of the evening spent in an informal social way. The function proved most successful and enjoyable, and augers well for the success of these reunions, which will be held fortnightly during the winter months. Miss Mallott was successful in winning' tho ladies' prize, and Mr. Coupland the men's.

The proposal to amalgamate tho New Zealand and Australian bowlers under the I title of the Australasian Bowling Council was one of tho subjects discussed at the j luncheon tendered to the New Zealand bowlers at Waverley. Mr. Bush, the man- i ager of the New Zealand team, defended the attitude taken up by the president of the Dominion Association in declining to j entertain, at the present juncture, the sug-1 gestion of the president of tho Australian Bowling Council to affiliate with that body. He doubted if such an amalgama- j tion would bo of any benefit to either j country. j

The newly-created Dominion Association, he said, was on its trial,' and at present governed 11,000 bowlers from 200 clubs, whose property was worth a-quarter of I a million. A further argument he put forward was that the distance between tho ■ two countries would lead to a considerable delay in the settlement of disputes which might arise in the Dominion. In respect to the rules, he thought it possible that something like uniformity could be reached without any amalgamation, and ventured the opinion that within two years the New Zealanders would adopt the Australian rule, which insisted on a bowler having both feet on tho mat when delivering a bowl.

The president of the N.5.W.8.A., Mr. John Spence, when responding to the toast of that body, said that when Mr. Raffan left as manager of the Australian team, he asked him to act as a missionary, and endeavour to induce the New Zealanders to join the Australian Bowling Council, and so make it the Australasian Bowling Council. He assured his hearers that this council was no bogey. If the amalgamation was:(-brought about there would be no interference by Australians with the interna! {f'Oi kings of the Dominion Association. have home rule just as it obtained in,; the separate Australian States to-day; the only difference would be that all would play under uniform rules.

Mr. Whitehouse, one of tin New South Wales members of the A.8.C., in responding to the toast, referred to his recent visit to New Zealand, and confessed that he failed to see any benefit either country woufcl derive in amalgamating. The main thing, he said, was to secure uniformity in respect to the rules. In the matter of the Australian rclo which insisted on a player having both feet on the mat when delivering his bowl, he contended that New Zealand should agree to its adoption, else they had no basis of play. In another rule on which there was ft conflict of opinion, that referring to touchers forced over the side lines, he thought New Zealand was right, and that the Australian Bowling Council should alter their rule and declare such bowls dead.

When discussing the question of New Zealand's representation at the nest Australian carnival, which is to be held in Sydney next Easter, Mr Bush said that when in Melbourne recently he had conferred with Mr. Nathan, president, and Mr. Munro, secretary of the Australian Council, in regard to the position of New Zealand in the event of the Dominion Association declining to affiliate with that body. Mr. Munro had informed him that it woidd be necessary to refer the question to the Australian States' Association. With pardonable pride Mr. Bush declared that in New Zealand they had always observed the open-door policy, that Australians and bowlers from any other part of the Empire were entitled to enter and compete for their championships, and if they won they would find New Zealanders ever ready to congratulate them and invite them to come again.

Mr. Spence assured the New Zealanders that under the constitution of the Australian Bowling Council they were entitled to enter for tho championships at the A.B.C. carnivals, and on behalf of the New South Wales Bowling Association he offered them a very cordial invitation to do so. "If New Zealand throws open the door and invites Australians to compete, surely Australians will do tho same, he said, amid cheers.

Tho grounds of the newly-formed Rawhiti Club comprise an area of upwards of one and a-half acres, and are vory prettily situated at the lower end of Rangitoto Avenue, off Orakei Road, Remuera. At present the club has one eight-rink bowling green, and it is the members' intention to proceed as soon as possible with the formation of a second green of the same size as the existing one, the idea being to use it as a croquet lawn for ladies in summer and for bowls in winter. The warm, sheltered position of the club's grounds makes it particularly well suited for that purpose. In addition to its bowling green, tho club possesses one asphalt and two grass tennis courts, which aro rented to the Rawhiti Tennis Club. A neat pavilion has been erected, which will answer the requirements of the bowling and tennis club for some time to come. It will thus bo seen that the new club has lost no time in getting its grounds in order. The work was undertaken by Mr. George Scarborough, of Ayr Street, P?.rnell, and the members of the club express themselves well pleased with the manner in which it has been done, particularly as regards the bowling green.