ATHLETIC BODIES

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11454, 26 February 1923, Page 8

ATHLETIC BODIES

DELEGATES CONFER. RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL. A conference of delegates from the various amateur athletic centres of the Dominion was held in the Y.M.C.A. rooms on Saturday, Mr A. T. Davies, chairman of the Council of the N.Z.A.A.A., being in the chair. Others present were: —Messrs M. Ivl. Ballin, O. S. Thomas, R. Beattie G. G. Lockwood, and W. Paterson, of Canterbury; A. Tilly, of Auckland; A. 38. Sievwright and G. Lusk, of Wellington ; A. E. P’orritt, Otago; J. G. Watson and F. Campbell, Wanganui-West Coast. The chairman, in welcoming the delegates, explained that the business brought forward would not be binding upon the council, but it would be in the form of recommendations. Thevarious matters would then be discussed by the centres, and the delegates to the council instructed accordingly. Mr A. B. Sievwright, chairman of the Wellington centre, also welcomed the visiting delegates, and expressed the hope that their stay in Wellington would be a pleasurable one. Mr Ballin moved than an annual conference of delegates, to be called by the council, be held each year during the time of the New Zealand championships. The mover pointed out that as at present held the conference was practically a negative one. His intention in bringing the matter forward was that in future the conference should be formal instead of informal. The motion was seconded by Mr Sievwright and carried. A recommendation, proposed by Mr Beattie, was that the entrance fees for each competitor be reduced from 5s to 2s 6d. Mr Lusk seconded. Mir Sievwright explained that the reason for the entrance fee of 5s was not primarily for the purpose of revenue, but in order to prevent a surplus of competitors from the district in which the championships were held. The championship programme was a full one, and a surplus in the number of competitors created difficulties. If any decision were made to reduce the number of competitors, it should not be applicable to the athletes visiting the centre where the championships were being held. Mr Lusk suggested that the advisability of restricting the number of entries from every centre for any particular event might be considered. It was advisable from the point of view of competitors. Mr Thomas stated that the 5s became a hardship in view of the fact that in some cases the arrangement of the events on the programme did not enable competitors to compete in all the events for which they were entered. Mr Ballin contended that the fee was a hardship on the centres. The amount of the fee would not stop athletes from competing. The proposal was adopted. The adoption of a system of handicaps was urged by Mr Ballin. It should be carried out according to the standards. An instance of the unreasonableness of the present method was given by another delegate, who stated that at Christmas time Taylor, of Canterbury, was handicapped in such a way that in order to win in Wellington he had to put up something near a world’s record time over the half-mile.

The position created by overseas athletes competing in championship events was raised by Mr Ballin and other Canterbury delegates. It was unfortunate that the best New Zealand athlete could not hold the New Zealand championships title if he happened to be beaten by an outsider. The need for the presence of overseas champions was fully recognised. The following motion by Mr Ballin was carried: —“That it be a recommendation to the council that section (a) of Rule 13 be so amended, or a new rule be adopted, as to provide that where competitors not eligible to represent centres start in championship events, the interests of centres engaged in tho championship shield contest shall he fully safeguarded in both heats and finals by the placing of such outside competitors being disregarded, and the relative placings of centre representatives being given their full value in the shield competition.”