BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13637, 5 July 1906, Page 5

BOWLING.

Br Rinker. Kaititna's meeting wa6 largely attended, and nearly everybody had a "chip in." Mr Wm, Taylor, the retiring president, in brief and modest manner, told members how highly he appreciated the honour they had conferred on him when they elected him president; paid groat credit to Captain Sundstrum for his endeavours in supervising the efforts of the caretaker to provide a first-class green during last season; and concluded by referring in feeling terms to the loss Kaituna had experienced in ths deaths of Messrs Rattray and K Cook. Mr W. Thompson is tho new president, and, judging from the applause which greeted him on faking, tho chair, is popular, if unobtrusive. Mr E. R. Smith is vicepresident, a position which, it goes without saying, will not suffer at his hands, for Mr Smith is a liberal and genuine sport—onei of tho very few, in fact—and just one of those gentlemen who should be oncouraged to come forward in association matters. Mr J. A. Haslefct, in nominating Mr Smith for the office of vice-president of Kaituna, spoke in no hesitating waj- of the practical and efficient work Mr Smith had performed for. the club.

Mr J. A. M'Eiunon, secretary Taieri Bowling Club, advises me that tho annual meeting (which was originally fixed fori Uio 3rd inst.) will now bo held on the 11th inst.

Word reaches mo that by next Easter there is a probability that four greens wilt bo available at InvereargilL In that event) Oamaru will certainly have a formidable rival. It may or it may nottaio a number of players south,; certain it is that so far as Dunedin is concerned, many o£ thoold "luvcrcargill" rinks vvill go back' again.

It willf I think, be generally coßce'dedi that tho programme for ttie Exhibition tournament (published last week) is a masterpiece, and 1 I have no hesitation in saying that Mr R. T._ Wheeler deserves the fullest meed of credit for bis admirable effort. It 13 to be hoped that theso bowlers who _ are not sufficiently yoreed] in the conditions of tournament play will make a study of tjie lav/6 governing the .tournament. Perhaps it will help .matters along if I glance through the conditions and emphasise upon intending ■ players the necessity of avoiding Rule 7 distinctly stipulates that."all New Zealand rinks must be compceed of players belonging to tho same club," which is equivalent to saying that three members of one club cannot pick and chooso the fourth man from 6omo other club. • Rinks formed outside the colony are exempted, and to me it appears just, for by so doing visitors may be drawn to our shores who otherwise would be unable to compete. As regards tho prize-list, 13 rinks will be prize-winners, or in place of tho usual 12 trophy-winners in the Championship •Rinks, 52 players will have something to carry away. In the Double-handed Championship thcro_ will be first, second, third, and fourth prizes; while for the Singlehanded Championship four competitors will meet with suitable reward. Tho entry for rinks is 10s per player; doubles, 2s 5d per player; and singles, 5s per player. Entries for tho rinks are due on January 3, 1907, and the tournament opens on Monday, January U.

According to an account received from: Christchurcu, the United Bowling Club lias experienced a successful season. In tho pennant matches the club put up good lights, but did not succeed in winning cither flag. During the season a champion) riairs match was instituted, keen contests resulting, especially amongst tho younger members, this form of play evidently mooting with general acceptance.. The final was won by Messrs Jacques and Barrowes. Tho amount expended so far on the new property is £1500, but there is a great deal moro work to bo done before tho four greens will bo in anything liko playing order. To enable, (ho club to carry out tho necessary extensions, it is the "intention of this authorities to hold an art union.

The Sydenham (Christcliurch) four-bowl! championship was won by Messrs Hickey and Jacques (tho former an old Balmain, Sydney, champion, and the latter a son of Mr Jacques, of the United). The twentieth annual meeting of the Wei-' lington Bowling Chili (Limited) was held on the 25th June. Thanks to tho courtesy of an cx-Duncdin bowler (Mr G. E. Brown), who has forwarded to a friend.a. copy of the annual report, I am enabled to glean that, the club opened the 1905-06 season with a balance in hand of £163 Is lid, and by the close of the season this substantial sum had increased to' £177 7s lid. From a membership of 171 Iho subscriptions accounted for £358 Is. while entrance fees amounted to £16 5s 6d. During the year 35 new members were admitted. Prominence is given in the report to tho success which attended the electric light, display during the course, of the January tournament, Ihe procccds-£l6 15s 6d-boing given as a donation to the fund for the aged! and needy. Tho balance sheet makes interesting reading, the receipts (£BB4 16s 2(1), amongst other ilenis, showing that besides the subscriptions above-stated, contributions total £291 14s 6d and match entries £33 fo. As against those, sums, there aro on the expenditure sido some itoma worthy of notice—viz.: Caretaker's salary, £117 6a 8(1; refreshments, £167 4s 8d; sundries, £25 12s Id. That the club is a flourishing concern mav be imagined from fEo following :-Tho liability is £2456 lis 9d. but on the other hand assets show that tho estimated value of the property is £1990; plant, £54; deposits, £223 3s lOd; stock on hand, £12; cash at bank, £177 lis 9d. Lord Plunket is patron of tho club. The principal officials for the past season were:— Sir A. Veitch, president; Mr N. MXean, vice-president; Mr A. Hamilton, lion, treasurer; Mr W. T. Grundy, hon. wotetary. Mr A. Hamilton, mentioned in tho preceding par, is the genial and ablo bowler who made his appearance in Dunedin last January, and who, when on the way out to Green Island to play in tho doubles, being asked, promiscuously like, by a prospective opponent " what sort of a player h« was," answered quickly and modestly: "Oh, I'm just ono of tltoso evcry-day sort oE players—that's all." Lafer in tho day Hamilton met his early-morning questioner, and gave him a great ding-dong game, at tlio conclasion of which Hamilton's opponent remarked: "By thunder! ho Eiid he was only an everyday player. I thought I was going to waliop him wholesale, butr-look here (in a whisper)—that fellow knows a lot about this game!" Mr G. E. Bennett was tho means of raising many a laugh at tho Valley meeting on Friday night. He had evidently reached the mooting with a budget of "shots." They were mostly all touchers. Someone made the insinuation that he was lucky to get away with last season's trophies, anil Mr Bennett threw ov.t a challenge to "play. for the whole bang lot of the prizes again.'"' No one }m so hi asejilod the challenge