Athletics.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 16

Athletics.

By "Equitas." Fixtures; To-day.—Test rao© at Miramar (5 miles.) August 12th— N.Z. Cross Country Championship, ' Auckland. January Ist and 2nd. 1912. —Australasian Championship Meeting. Tho team to do battle in tho Cross Country Championship next Saturday is to be selected after tho test race to-day. The team \v*iJ! leave by the Main Trunk express on Wednesday. The Auckland - Rugby Union is to entertain tho visiting competitors at a dinner in tho evening after the race. An Auckland correspondent mo with the following interesting paragraph regarding the Auckland competitors: "A trial mm in connection ■with the forthcoming New Zealand cross-coun-try championship' wTas held by the Auckland. Amateur Athletic Club at, Ellersue on Saturday. The ground was in a very slippery condition, and rain foil in torrents throughout tho race. The competitors wero: Hj.ll, Eeid, A. Omstedn, C. Orrrstein, Rogers, McOallmn, Gray, Hansen, Farrell, D. . Black • (Dunedin), and Pry. Tho_ course chosen was around tho main- racecourse and over tho hill, tho runners going the cdrclo three times. On the •first lap the two Crust cans were leading, and about a hundred yards behind came Hill and a group of others. The haziness of the atmosphere made it very difficult to distinguish the runners the most of the time. At tho finish Hill came in easily first, his tAnue being 27m. SQsec., C. Ornstein followed up second, a few yards behind, and seven or eight yards behind Mm came A. Omstedn. MjcCullum - was next about thirty yards in the rear. The* remainder, with tho exception of Block, who was well up, were - a long way behind. The distance 'traversed was about four miles. Bead fell, and knocked himself about a bit, land did not finish.

W. A. Gray, Into of the Coburg Club, Melbourne, and D. Black, of tho Dunedin Pacific Harriers, -will take part in the Auckland Championships next Saturday.

Tb© date of the Australasian Championship meeting is to be settled_ definitely by tho council on Monday night.

Tho standard caps and badges won at tho last / New Zealand Championship meeting have not yet been "supplied by tho conned!. It is understood that the “standard" list will be approved and tho badges issued at an early date.

Tho Wednesday section of the Brooklyn Harriers is now flourishing, and the weekly runs ore becoming more popular and better attended. Nest season it is proposed to apply to tflio council for affiliation as a separate club.

Someone lias blundered! X rras very mudh surprised to loam during too •week that no application bad been made to the council by tio Canterbury centre that tho performances of L. McKay in the hop, step and jump, and A. Bissctt in the hammer tbro-wing ot the last New Zealand Championship meeting should be recognised as records. This is very unfortunate indeed, both for_ the Wellington. centre and the competitors. The Wellington centre will loso the Queensland Shield, and tho irony of it' is that Jit will go to Canterbury, Whoso officials •aro responsible for the blunder which ■ deprives Wellington of tho honour of holding it for another year. It will ho reciAUed that a fault was Pound in the tape used for measuring, the field events, bat Captain Batchelor, who was a field event judge, and who with his confreres should have seen to every detail, assured tho visitors at tho dinner in tho evening that everything was alright, and that there should bo no difficulty in •having McKay's and Bissett's performances recognised as ‘'records.” Who is responsible for neglecting to make the applications to the council? Did the Canterbury officials prejudge the matter, and think application not worth while? Chtr Canterbury friends surely owe Messrs McKay and Bissett and the Wellington centre some explanation.

Mr Boas has given notice to move at tho meeting of tho council on Monday night: “That the attitude of Mr Chaffey as chairman of the council meetings is inimical to the best interests of tho council and likely prove disastrous to the proper control of sport.” Wfiat Mr Boss's object is in bringing forward this motion is hard to say. Mr Chaffey has only been recently elected president of the council, and be has the confidence of tho majority of the members of the council. One can imagine the personal bickering and recrimination that will result from the discussion of such a motion, which tho council, to best preserve its dignity should reject firmly without discussion.

From recent developments in the council and otherwise it would seem, that tho new rules will not bo available for •'some considerable time yet. The Wellington centre, which has made 1 two strong protests against the delay in the passing of tho new rules, has decided, after hearing Mr Boss's, one of its delegate's views on the; matter that it considers that it would be in the best interests of sport if the question of the amendment of tho rules was re-opened, and tho council decided to hoar and consider Mr Boss’s proposed alterations. The council is to bo urged by the centre Mr Boss the op-

porrtrmity to bring forward bis suggestions.

The wblolo trouble 90 far as this scribe can see is that Mr Boss considers lie ! bas never bad a chance of expressing bis opinion on the rules when they wero before the council, and before tlio annual meeting of the council in November of last year bad not been supplied wiiffi a copy of the proposed rules in order that be might "digest" them and bo in a position to discuss them at that meeting, at winch they wore, be states, simply road through. The other members of tho council were supplied with copies, and it is unfortunate that Mr Boss’s copy miscarried, but ho nevertheless had tho opportunity of discussing the rules. When, the council passed the rules in December it should have gem© straight on with tho printing, and its mistake has been in trying to please one centre, to the detriment of the others. The conference of centres asked •the council to consider the Otago suggestions, it being understood by the conference that they had never been considered by the council. On this representation from the conference, it was agreed to hear any fresh Otago suggestions, and to consider them at a later meeting of the council. At that meeting Otago stated that its suggestions were those which had been forwarded to the council in December. These the council had fully considered, and because there was nothing new to consider from Otago the council re-affirmed its decision to print the rules as passed, at the meeting in December. If the rules os passed at that meeting are to bo further revised, finality may be long delayed. Tho council had affirmed its approval of tho rules as it has now revised them, and when the question is further raised on Monday night, let it settle the question once and for all by reaffirming its previous decisions.

Referring to the 100yds. invitation scratch race at Crewe on June 18, Opae just defeated D'Amcy and Murphy in the first heiat in 10 l-ssec., whilst Stewart always held tho measure of Bice, of Beading, and Paterson Brown, another of the Australians, in tho second heat in 10 2-sscc. The final produced, a grand race, _ Stewart was tho quickest into kit? running and looked all over a winner, only, to see Opio finish with great power and win by inches, wMlst D'Arcy was only just beaten for second place. The time was again 10 l-ssec., and it was then, considered that Opie would have a big chance in the Empire championships a week later, for the Crewe contest was practically hie first race since! ho came over. However, the Canadian, Hatbaus, won tho Empire championship.

The following, -taken from tho "Sporting Life," will interest athletes in Australasia : "Mr B. Coombes, president of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australasia, is already with us, and in a few days Mr J. G. Morric©, president of the Canadian Amateur Athletic Union, is coming along. The question of an agreement between tho A. AA. and the Colonial governing bodies has been mooted before, but has not progressed greatly. Now is the time when a great deal could be done to bring the Mbtheroountry and tho Colonies into closer touch, and I venture to suggest that it would be most advisable for the AAA, to havo proper arrangements with Australasia and Canada. The divergencies in the rnles might be modified, and it should bo reorganised that certain margins are allowable at the Colonies which aro unnecessary and perhaps undesirable here.”