WHEELING

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1678, 27 April 1904, Page 56

WHEELING

(By “Austral.”)

L. Oorbett, who was placed first by the judges in the Sydney Thousand and afterwards deprived of the prize of £750, through being disqualified, together with other riders, for alleged collusion, and the first prize awarded to A. E. O’Brien, the second rider,does not intend to quietly submit to the ruling of the league’s council, who disqualified him. Ho will make a big effort to recover the first prize whioh he won by being first past the post, and has served the promoters-of the rajoe, the Summer Night’s Amusements, Limited, with a writ. The promoters, although they have received a letter from Mr Hugh D. MTntosih instructing them to pay the prize to O’Brien, do not intend to do so, and will hold the prize money in abeyance pending the decision of the Court on the matter. O’Brien, although anxio'Us to obtain the prize awarded him, will not go to law, and will have to await developments. The case is arousing great interest in cycling circles. The list of disqualifications recently imposed upon cyclists by the council of the League of Wheelmen has just had two additional names added to the number in the persons of Soheps and Pye, of Victoria. It appears that both these ridel’s did not take their proper share of pacing at the Adelaide meeting in the Wheel Race, and for this fault each has been suspended for six months. The general impression here with regard to the recent suspensions is that there willl soon be very few first-class men left to compete. At the present moment over a dozen picked champions are prevented •from competing in races for terms running from three months to three years. Included in the long list of disqualifications are Floyd lAlacFariand, Ivor Lawson, and H. Downing, of America; Soheps and Pye, of Victoria; Sutherland and Connell, of New Zealand; and Corbett, Bathie, Keith, Gordon, Plunkett, Cameron, and others, of New South Wales. A tare well cycling meeting was begun on the Adelaide Oval track on Saturday April 16th. The attendance, was under 4000, and the racing was not of a high order. To those who followed the proceedings closely it was easily apparent that there was a strong combination against Major Taylor. Trouble began in the fifth beat of the Norwood Handicap, a first-class half-mile event. Here Taylor had to bridge a gap of 80 yards to catch the limit man. He got started splendidly, and had caught his immediate antagonists, Pye, Murphy, and Rolife, in a few kicks, and paced to the bell. Considering lie had done his share of piloting Taylor swung out to allow his colleagues to lead, but apparently they were not disposed to do So. Taylor eat up and waited. He then made another effort, and again sat up and watched the leaders flash over the tape. The spectators thought the champion should have won, and appeared hostile to him. This feeling was strengthened when Taylor was called before the referees, who decided that there was no evidence of stiff riding against the American, who retired to his room. In the second heat of the Easter Wheel Race of two miles Taylor had nine opponents. Prior to the start .he requested the referees to keep their eyes open, as he believed there was a plot against him. At the conclusion of the event Soheps and Pye, in consequence of their conduct in not taking turns with Taylor to force the pace from the rear, were disqualified for six months. The spectators observed Soheps anekPye were hanging back whiile the gap between the trio and the front men was widening, and some hooting and dissatisfied remarks were indulged,' in. Results were: —• Norwood Handicap, half-mile.—First heat: Marshall, 65yds, 1; Waldie. 50yds, 2. Time, 59' 2-sthis sec. Second heat: Gordon, 30yds, 1; MTDonald, 10yds, 2. Time, 58' 4-sths sec. Third heat: Don Walker scr, 1; Farley. 25yds, 2. Time, 57seic. Fourth heat: Fillsell, 15yds. 1; Stevens, 10yds, 2. Time* 58sec. Fifth heat: Sawyers, 70yds, 1 ;■ Thomas, 80yds, 2. Time, 58 2-st.hs'-seo. Final: Walker, 1; AFDonuld, 2; Farley. 3. Time 56sec. ; Easter Wheel Race, 2 mile®. —First heat: WaFxker, scr, 1; Gordon, 100yds, 2; Filsell, 60yds, 3; McDonald, 30yds, 4. Time, 4min 43sec. Second heat: Waldie, 160yds, 1; Farley, 80yds, 2; Houston, 220yds, 3; Palmer, 100yds, 4. Time; 4min lOseo. Third heat: Gilbert,

320yds, 1; Lenthall, 340yds, 2; Sawers, 280yds, 3; Afarsbail, 260yds. 4. Goodwood Stakes, 1 mile, scratch. • First heat: Stevens, 1; Farley, 2. Time, 2min 9 2-sths sec. Second heat.: Palmer. 1; iSymonds, 2. time, 2min 20 3-sths see. Third heat: APDonald, 1; Taylor, 2. Time, 2min lOfcec. Fourth heat: Payne, 1; Goodson, 2. Time, 2m in 13seo. Final: M'Doiiald, 1; Farley, 2; Taylor, 3. Time 2min 4 l-sth sec. The arrival of motor cars in Australia was not long since looked upon with doubt' and misgiving, and there were not a few well-known authorities who predicted that this form of vehicle would turn out anything but a, success. At the present time one sees how ill-found-ed were the pessimistic views then expressed. Throughout our own State there are scores of oars used by up-to-date firms as the most suitable means of •conveying their goods to their customers. These cars are capable of carrying big loads, and taking oven the stiffest gradients, and as a consequence customers are enabled to get their food buoh sooner. Outside the commercial importance of these vehicles there is the pleasure-giving capabilities of motel’s to bo, considered. When cue recognises that there are scores of motors in Australia at the present time capable of doing an average of 20 miles an hour, over fair roads, the importance of automoblies cannot be too dearly defined. For with a ‘motor one can travel throughout the nicest parts of our States, and accomplish journeys of 100 miles or so in an afternoon. As evidence •that motoring is growing by leaps and bounds in oair midst the recent big turns out by the Victorian Automobile Club and the Christchurch Club afford conclusive proof of its present, popularity. At Melbourne in a recent run, over 60 cans and cycles put in an appearance, and it is worthy of note that no breakdowns occurred. The craze in Maorikind is even greater than in Australia ais regards motors. From latest exchanges the Christchurch Club intend laying down in their city a fiaic-simile of the great Canning Town track in England, and with this in view have cabled to their Agent-General in London asking for fulll particulars and specifications of that celebrated course. It is satisfactory, to learn that in the question of automob ilism Australia has lately been going in for nothing but the best types otf motors, and this poilicy is mu'oh to bo commended, as many other young countries, when smitten with a popular craze, have made the mistake of ordering on the basis of cheapness rather than on the reliability and general! efficiency of cars as turned out by well-known •makers.