ATHLETICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14357, 29 October 1908, Page 10

ATHLETICS.

By Amateob.

From the secretary of the Diincdin Amateur Athletic Club I have received a copy of the annual report and balance sheet, both of which make excellent reading. There is no athletic club in the whole of the Dominion better managed than (.lie D.A.A.C. Tho committee, and particularly tho energetic secretary, Mr J. T. Hamann, must be proud of the position in which they find themselves to-diiy. The club has a credit balance of £85, and the prospects for tho coming season arc unusually bright.. I was pleased to note a.t the annual meeting (hat the chairman made spccial reference to the good work done bv Mr J. T. Hl&majui, the secretary, during t.he yoai. The D.A.A.C. lias much to be grateful fc.r, but particularly far a secretary of the ability and energy of Jack Ham asm.

Amateurs arc reminded that entries for the Tapanui Amateur Athletic and Harrier Club's sports, set down for November 9, closo with tho. fscretory on Saturday, next, October 31. Largo entries arc anticipated, and, given a fine day, an excellent afternoon's sport is assured.

Tho North End Club brought their season to a close cm October 21. It was intended -hat. a run should bo. hold, but owing to the nature of the weather it was not gone on with. At the kind invitation of Mr and Mrs Sparrow, a serial gathering was held indoors, presided over by tho club's president (Mr A. K. Barclay). After justico tad been doira to tho excellent, tea provided, the president took tho opportunity of presenting a. massive silver cruet Bland t-o Oapiain Sparrow, to celobratc his marriage.

At- a committe meeting held later it was decided iliat the presentation of prises bo held an November 4. A subcommittee 1112.S been appointed to make arxatiisjamerats for the function. Tho list of prizes for the races held _ during the reascn have been allotted satisfactorily. Secretary Thomson reported that five mcmbsrs have qualified for the club's attcaido.noc badge. The annual presentation of prizes to mark r.he closing of tho season of the Cavers.hani Harriers took- place last Friday evening, ami proved a most enjoyable event. The President. Mr T. Iv. Sidoy, M.P., presented the. pl-i7.es. o.ud in. doing so congratulated tho club on the most successful senKill ever held. He was prcud of its members. as they had at the present timo three of the foremost long-distance runners in their ranks. The young members we.ro proving themselves worthy representatives. Special refer?,nee was made to the excellent _perform'incos of Messrs Beatso™, .M'Knight, a.nd F. Frew during the srason, who proved themselves champions in cresscountry and road racing. A word of praise is due to Mr T. fiehofield, the popular secretary of Vliie. Guversliam HarriCTß, for the energy and attention displayed in tho ca.rriy.»g out of his duties during the past season.

Messrs L Sanderson, J. Wilson, and .T. Brown, vice-presidents of the Caversha.ni Harriers, were present at, the social, thus showing their continued interest in the club. 1

Harry St. Murray, of Christchurch. who was 0110 of Now Zealand's representatives at the recent Olympic Games, has left Eng. his return to the Dominion. DoYando, the Italian long-distance runner, and hero of the Marathon Koad Race, is alleged to have succumbed to an offer from an American music-hall manager, and is to bo seen on tho American vaudeville stage shortly,

At. a meeting of the Southland Centre, N.Z.A.A.A., the principal business was consideration of the ruling of the president of tho N.Z.A.A.A. that the Wellington nominations for tho council were out of order. The Chairman (IJr Snow) briefly outlined the position. lie cliaracierieed the action of the president as high and arbitrary, and he failed lo see how tho CJuristehuroh deJegatu; who had been declared elected could hold office, as they were really representing only Christchurch. Wellington and Otago and Canterbury had protested by nominating the Wellington men so that the action which had been taken .had practically disfranchised the majority of the amateur athletes of New Zealand. The action of liie pros-dent was the Wrongest argument which could he used in favour cf having the headquarters of the council removed to some other centre.

The following resolution was unanimously adopted:—"That i.liis centre outers its emphatic protest at t,)io action of the returning officer submittintr the nominations of lilt; Wellington candidates to the president of the ceti.ncil, ami also at i.ho action of the president, riding that the said candidates art! ineligilila o |l the "round thai they are not Chrisichuroh rctiidwifs; such a decision being pitro.lv the.' opinion of the president, ami being unsupported hv any rule; and, further, that the returning oflicer immediately proceed with the election," A further resolution. was adopted to the 'effect that the centre favours the removal of the council to Wellington, and, failing the returning officer proceeding with the election as provided by the rules, the Wellington Centra bo rwiucstcil to appeal to the Australasian Athletic Union! as provided by rule 2, section g. The Southland Centre is willing to go tlio length of advocating secession from the N.Z.A.A.A. if the matter complained of is not settled in accordance M'ith what .i! believed to bs the rules of the association.

The policy of tho New Zealand Council in its action over the election of officebearers is Hireling with very little sympathy, even in Ohristchurch. " VauJtcr," in the Weekly Press, says:—" Reports of the meetings of the Olago and Wellington Centres of tilu> New Zealand Amateur Athletic Assoc'ctmh make it rlear that, those bodies are prepared to dispute very filrongly the ruling of the chairman of the council that none hut residents of Christchurch are eligible for nomination to that, body while its headquarters are situated

iioro. This is not surprising, seeing that those centres had the support of Southland thai, a change from Christehurch to Wellington was desirable. Consideration of the subject compels one to admit (hat the chairman's action was not calculated to improve the relations existing between the council and its affiliated centres, but seems almo.it certain to provoke a breach and act, detriment-ally to the sport. If his ruling is correct, the chairman may, in effect, assume the responsibility of making new rules, a state of affairs that could hardly have boon contemplated originally. As I remarked fast week, if the centres wish to have the headquarters removed to Wellington, by nil means let them have it. Three of the live centres have expressed tliemsclvm in that direction, and seeing that the council only exists by virtue of the centres, there is nothing to be rained by insisting, by means of technicalities, on retaining the headquarters in Christchurcb, whatever opinion one may hold as an individual as to t.ha effect of the change. If Mr Ataek's opinion is io be regarded as a precedent, the chairmen of bodies Similar to the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association will he vested with powers considerably wider than thc-o with which they have hitherto been credited."