COURSING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 58

COURSING.

OFFICIAL CALENDARThe "New Zealand Mail" is the "Official Calendar" of the New Zealand Coursing Association, and notices appearing: under this beading are published for the information of affiliated coursing clubs. FIXTURES, 1905. Wellington and Suburban. C.C.—April 22nd and 24th. Dunedin C.C. —April 26th, 27th, and 29tli and August 2nd, 3rd, and sth. Oamaru C.C. —May 3rd, 4tli, and sth and July 27th and 28th. Wairarapa C.C. —May 16th, 17th and 18th. Hutt Valiev C.C.—June 3rd, sth, and 6th, and August 17th, 19th and 21st. NOTES, (By “Go-By e."l Being in Pet one o-ne day last week, I called in to see Mr J. Byron, whose bitch Fairy Tale (Licorice —Tell Tale) is the first in New Zealand to whelp to the crack Australian sire Kilmainham. There are seven in the litter, four dogs and three bitches. Whelped on December 21st, they are the largest whelps that it has been by lot to see for a fortnight old. I should certainly have thought that at least a month had passed sinoe they came into the world. Mr Byron will have five of the Kilmainham —Fairy Tale litter to dispose of at weaning time, as it is his intention to return to New South Wales in a month or two.

Rosette 11. (Confidence —Gold Rose) whelped on December 30th to Oliver Goldsmith (Goldsmith —Tire Witch). There were twelve in the litter, and Mr H. W. Davies, who could not obtain the services of a foster mother to assist his bitch., nad to sacrifice four of the litter. The Wellington and Suburban Coursing Club, forwards a programme for its first meeting of the season to be held at Trentham Park on Easter Saturday and Easter Monday next, April 22nd and 24th. The programme consists of The Wellington Gup for an unlimited number of dogs and bitches at £2 10‘s nomination, the first payment of 10s being due on the 20th inst; £SO is guaranteed to the winner in addition to a silver cup value £2O, presented by the President Mr J. H. Price. During the recess the coursing ground at Trentham has been ploughed, levelled, and sown down in English grasses, which will make the ground as good as any there is in the colons.

By telegraph from Oamaru comes the sad news that Mr George Leslie (a prominent supporter of the sport) has been accidentally burned to death at a fire that occurred at his tobacconist establishment. Mr Leslie was an enthusiastic member of the Oamaru Club. He acted as C hairman at all the card callings at Oamaru, and was lion. Judge to the Run gi tat a. Coursing Club. He also imported several dogs from Australia dining the past two years; Susie 00, ;pnl Romp, etc., being his latest importations. i~e sympathies of all coursing people wilL be extended to his widow in her great calamity.

DEATH G’T AiN ulp SPOIIT. I regret that the occasion again occurs for me to chronicle the removal of another, of the old coursing identities in the person of Mr James Forward, who passed away at his residence in Christchurch just prior to the Christmas holidays. Mr Forward, who had been ailing for the past twelve months, was one of the oldest coursing men in New Zealand. For the past thirty years he has always taken the greatest interest in the sport, and AA-as one of the most consistent nominators we had in the colony. His figure AA-as met with at all the meetings, and I doubt- whether a coursing gathering has been held during the past few years at Avhicli Mr Forward Avas not present. The Avriter has in Ill’s recollection an instance of Mr Fonvard’s fondness for the sport, Avhicli no doubt hastened his end. At the Wellington and Suburban Coursing Club's Derby and Oaks Meeting last season, Air Forward got out of a- sick bed in Christchurch, boarded the steamer, and landed in Wellington and journeyed then straight- on by train to Trentham Park. This Avas the day before the meeting. He had to go dire#ly to bed and a -doctor Avas sent for that night, to the Lower Hutt, about eleven miles aAvay. Air For\A r ard persisted next- day in getting up and seeing the coursing, when one of the dogs bred by him Avon the Derby, and his bitch Saucy Girl ran up for the Oaks. Pie attended the rest of the meetings down South last season, and for the Leeston meeting he again left a sick bed and drove from Christchurch to Leeston, about tAA-enty miles, to be present. He Ava-s too ill to get out of the trap, but watched the courses from that standpoint. Something or other startled his horse during the day Avhicli caused it to career around a large paddock, and Air Forward received a severe shaking from which he never properly recovered. At tin's meeting Mr Forward’s Vagabond and Saucy Girl divided the stake. If my recollection serves me correctly, Air Forward twice took a team of dogs over the other side to compete for -some of their rich stakes, but wit’ll no success. He has left his mark in Australia, as I believe he AA-as the breeder of Kildahl (late Sussex), by Chester—Tot, Avho.se name appears in nearly all the Avinning strains at present racing in the Commonwealth. I am sure that the sympathies of the whole of the coursing fraternity Avill be extended to Airs Forward in her sad bereavement.

NEW ZEALAND COURSING ASSOCIATION.

The usual monthly meeting of the Association was held at the New Zealander Hotel, on Friday evening last. The following representatives were present :—Mr R. E. Bannister (President), Mr G. H. Lethaby (Dunedin), Mr R. McNab (Akaroa), Mr F. Biel (tlutt Valley), Mr W. H. Rule (Oamaru), and Mr H. W. Davies (Wellington). The sub-committee set up by the Association to go into* the partnership dispute between Messrs B&ttersby and Gawne, of Dunedin, reported that they had only been able to hear one side of the question, owing tO' Mr Gawne refusing to give any information to the committee, at the same time quesioning the jurisdiction of the Association. The Committee reported that the latest pha ,se of the question was that Air Gawne had been written to, informing him that unless lie placed his side ot the question before the Committee the dispute would he determined on the evidence at present in hand. Air W. 11. Rule's name was added to the Committee. The programme Committee reported that it had passed the following club’s programmes for the season :—Wellington and Suburban, Hutt Valley, and Dunedin (after amendments required by the rules).

A letter was received from Air A. Nixon, a relative of the late Air J. Forward, of Christchurch, informing the Association of his death; also stating that Airs Forward was desirous of disposing of the greyhounds at present located at Christchurch belonging to her late husband. A vote of sympathy and condolence with Airs Forward in her bereavement was and the Hon. Secretary was instructed, to convey to* Airs Forward the Association’s sympathies, and also to state that the Association would assist her to dispose of the stock.

The Dunedin Coursing 'Club wired, asking that the dates alloted them, viz., ApriL 26th, 27th and 29th, be altered to (May 10th, 11th and loth. Resolved that the Hon. Secretary write to the W airarapa Coursing Club, who have the dales of Alay 16th, 17tli and 18th, asking them if they will alter their dates to a week later to permit tlie Association to grant tho alteration asked for from Dunedin. It was pointed out that should the Association grant the Dunedin Coursing Club’s request, there were only three days between the two meetings, which would scarcely give owners time to nominate with, both clubs. Should tho Wairarapa Coursiug Club agree to alter their dates, the Secretary was instructed to grant the Dunedin Coursing Club’s request, but in the

event of the Wairarapa Coursing Club refusing, the original dates are to stand. The President, asked by Air G. H. Lethaby for a ruling as to Rule 38—■ Ruled as follows:—‘That "its” in lino three refers to a new club, and the rule should .read as folloAvs: —“In dealing Avith a neAV club, the Committee shalL have the power to suspend the operation of any or all the said new clubs rules, if it be considered that the interests of coursing in general, and of the club in particular will be advanced.” The Wellington and Suburban Coursing Club foi'Avarded an appeal from the decision of the Association in refusing to grant the Club the dates of June 2nd and 3rd applied for by them. Considerable discussion arose 011 the subject. One delegate stated that the Hon. Secretary of the Wellington and Suburban Coursing Club had written a circular letter to the whole of the clubs in the colony, stating the case, and he took exception to many parts of the letter, Avhicli had been forwarded back to him from lus club. He suggested that the writing of such letters to club’s should not be permitted. Another delegate accused the Wellington Club of plaoing the matter in a wrong light and only giving one side' of the question, stating that the Wellington Club has quoted. Rule 44, entirely ignoring Rule 38. The Wellington Delegate, Air H. W. DaA-ies, who is also the. Hon. Secretary of the Club, stated that he considered that his Club had been don« an injustice, and that it Avas perfectly justified in circularising the different clubs, and placing the matter before them. He had received three replies from different clubs, one instructing their delegate not to vote on the appeal at all; another stating that their delegate had been instructed to -support the appeal, and the other one leaving it in the hands of their delegate to- use his -own discretion. Replying to the delegate, Avho stated that the Wellington Club had ignored Rule 38, Air DaA-ies said Ill's interpretation of Rule 38 had been the same that the President had ruled that evening, and that the rule applied to new clubs’ rules, and not as several of the speakers had interpreted it; that the Association should suspend its own rules for the benefit of a neAV club. He contended that according to Rule 44, Avhicli says that “if any of the dates submitted be found to clash, and it be deemed necessary to alter them, the Club having a prior right to the date through ft being a recognised annual fixture shall have the prefenence,” his Club Avas honestly entitled to the dates, and that it Avas the only rule in the book that applied. After further discussion, which at times Avas rather heated, the President ruled that the appeal of the Wellington Club Avas not in order, as there was no machinery in the rules to hear an appeal; and the proper method for the Wellington Club to pursue was to apply for a rehearing. * Thereupon Air H. W. Davies gave notice of motion :—“That the New Zealand Coursing Association grant a rehearing of its refusal to allot the dates of June 2nd and 3rd to the Wellington and Suburban Coursing Club at the next meeting.” Mr G. jff. Lethaby gave notice of motion: —“That the next meeting of the Association be held on February 4tli, 1905, to give delegates a chance to communicate Avith their Clubs’ in connection AA'itb the proposed rehearing of the Wellington Club’s dates. Mr w. H. Rule gave notice to move: “That all affiliated clubs aa'lio have not sent in their lists of members and officers, and amount of annual subscription be sent in by February 4th, 1905.

Alademoiselle L., about to be married, has discovered, on taking steps to publish the banns, that she is married already (says the Paris correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph”). It must be >so, as it is set down in black and white on the town clerk’s register. Her elder sister, at the same time, made an equally startling discovery. Though she had imagined herself to be the wife of the man to whom she thought she was wedded some years ago, and by whom she has several children, she now finds that, far from being married to him, she is her supposed husband’s sis-ter-in-law, as he is legally united to her sister. How the unfortunate family and the careless registrar will worry out this inextricable situation is not known. Tlie elder sister could be married again, this time in due form, to her husband, but the younger sister must previously be unmarried, and how is that to be done? It is well known that heaven and earth have to be moved before an error on a register can be corrected, as in the example of a child to whom a wrong name has been given, which can never afterwards be altered. The family of Alademoiselle —or. rather, Madame L.—are seriously thinking that, instead of attempting to prove that she is not her sister, and vice-versa, it will bo simpler for her to divorce her brother-in-law, _ after which the latter will re-marrv his wife, who is now legally bis sister-in-law, while Alademoiselle will take unto herself a second husband, without having ever been married before. It is to be hoped there is a playwright in the family to turn ihe latter’s tribulations to some account.