PROPOSED BOWLING TOURNAMENT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1194, 18 January 1895, Page 16

PROPOSED BOWLING TOURNAMENT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — “Long- Drive’s” letter on this sabject in your issue of last week gives expression to a feeling which appears to be pretty general among the bowlei-s of Wellington. It is not so much apathy that prevents action being taken to give practical form to that feeling as indisposition to take the initiative. This initiative, I humbly think, properly devolves upon the directors of the Wellington Bowling Club as the oldest and admittedly the leading organisation of the kind in Wellington. The first step that requires to be taken is the convening- of a general meeting of bowlers by the president or secretary of the Wellington Bowling Club to decide if action shall be taken in the direction indicated. If the decision is favourable, then the necessary arrangements can be put in hand at once and a committee of management set up. I think an Easter tournament in Wellington is bound to be highly successful if only Captain Edwin can be induced to assure us fine weather. Take the last tournament held here by way of illustration. It was a pronounced success in every way. At the present time the conditions are even more favourable. We have three local clubs instead of two, and consequently ample facilities for carrying out the matches, while the mere fact that on any fine Saturday fully 100 persons are engaged in playing bowls on the greens of the three clubs justifies the confident hope that the affair would not perish for lack of support. The expense involved, as your correspondent points out, need only be a mere bagatelle when divided among so many. Wka* would it mean ? Merely the cost of entertaining the visitors—no great amount surely—and the further cost of providing prizes, which a few pounds would cover. If the bowlers of Wellington are afraid of putting their hands in their pockets to furnish the comparatively small means required to compass these objects then little can be said for their- enterprise. In any case they would derive the full worth of their money in the enjoyment of a series of well-fought matches, and they would be enabled ro measure their skill against that of the representative players of other districts. Bowling too would receive a fillip in Wellington and the local clubs might expect to gain accessions of strength to their membership as a consequence. It is no use talking idly of the thing. The time has come for action. If any effort is to be made to hold a tournament this year it must be set about at once or not at all. Delay only invites failure.—l am, &c., Short Head.