ATHLETICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14382, 27 November 1908, Page 10

ATHLETICS.

■ , Br Amateur. It is a deplorable fact in Duncdin that no matter what efforts are made by enthusinsts of amateur athletics to eater for ■tho schoolboys,' but little enthusiasm " is evinced irf the boys' athletic welfare by tho school teachers, who, ono would be disposed to think, would take an intelligent band in any movement which has for its | objcct tho .betternient of the schoolboy! athletically. 'This lias always been & serious | trouble witlr athletic workers in Dunedin, I and has handicapped tho schools chamr j pipnship very materially. Tho j ■ called for the purpose of forming' a ; Schools Athletic . Association the other i was sparsely attended, So poorly ] representative was it, indeed, of the " pro-' fession." that one. gentleman expressed tho opinion that,- the meeting being eo small, they should mrt commit the teachers to forming an association! However, I am pleased to note that although the motion to form an was not carried at the meeting, eftorts are being made in that direction. What is required is-to instil enthusiasm into the responsible' people and those who sit in.high places. 1 The Ashburton Amateur Athletic Club is endeavouring; to have a Marathon. Kace in Ash.b'uttdri, iiii'tl has applied lor permission i • to' hold such an event. It is proposed that' the first.prize shall be £25, and tho others in proportion, arid it. is expected that athletes. from all over the Dominion will compete, and also sonic from Australia, i ... In connection with thd.suggested l triungu-! , lar xace .beljv.con Burt; Trcmbath, and Bas-1 kins, BurJc stales that lie is unable to spare i the tithe toi train for running this season, ■ and that therefore lie will not be able to 1 ■compete against.'lla-skins and Trcmbath in ; Timaru at■ .Now. .Year. ■ ■ ' '■The, South' Canterbury Caledonian Society • has agreed to put on two/amateur races, au 080 Yards' Scratch on January 1 and 1000. Ytii'ds^Scratch on January 2,.iuwhich Guy Haskins, the American champion, and l'. -lrembath, of.Gore, the Australian champion, .have signified their willingness to compete. A £10 prize is provided for each. race. .'AHhur Marryatt, one-time president! of tho Otpgo. Centre, 'and a keen worker'in the- causo ; of , amateurism, passed through .Dp'odin en . route to Wellington on Friday last. -.Mr- Marry att is taking up. amateur ,(Übieties in Wellington with, the same eagoizest as: lie exhibited in ■ Amateur athletes and enthusiasts will be . pleased .to hear, that }*';• M'Donald, the, 'popular.... handioapper, who has been seriously ill for some time, is now recovering, and trusts to be out and about'again uv a few days. . Dr-..■.Guj v t -.ltaskins, the . young New-- Zea- . lalid. champion middle-distance runner," who hiw. biit recently returned.- from ■ America, tntetyjs, competing, at. the next New Zealand Championship .'meeting.- , ; -Apropos, of this, 'in all probability the Championship meeting will be heUl. in Duncdiii this season.' ■ As stated ill last .week's issue, efforts are being, 'made .to arrange a meeting between Huskins and Trembath; of Gore,, over half a. Ilililp , at - the South ' Canterbury -.sports. Trembath is willing to compete. Haskins ■suggests that a series of races over halfmile, i three-quarter, and one mile be arranged between. Trembath,. Burk, and himself, .one .distance of each - to Iks-. run at Dunedin, Tiiiiaru, and Christchurch. R. G. Anderson arid J. tireaver, two enthusiast and, ojir.nest work-el's on behalf of amateur athletics, .returned to Dunedin -Sa.tar%. after spending- a moitth's holiday. on- ,tlie Australian side. •At the annual meeting of the council of the N.Z'.A.A.A. a letter was received from the Wjllingt'on Centre appealing against the; council's rumig _ in refusing the seven Wdlmglo.li aiominatioiis which wore* niatlo oivtwo ago. Wellington- asked that t-he.-appea} be forwarded to .the -Amateur .Athletic' Union of Atuit-ralasia, -but' a-fter a ; great deal, of discussion it was decided 'to inform .t-ho •Wellington Centre that, the 'council-was-,o! opinion that under the constitution of the Australasian Union it had no deal with -the internal affairs of any ;ifKliated - Association, and, that; t.heroforo the council would not .forward' tho appeal. k . . ' At 'the meeting of the English A.A.A.on Odtobor 3' many 1 records were passed, aud J. C. Garponter was -permanently disqualiSod. Tho following paragraph is 6f piytie\ilar ' interest :-r" Application having been made by .the Amatour Athletic -IJnion of.Australia for a working agreement withthe A.A.A., the committee placod on record their -regret- that they wore unable to accede to- tiid request, inasmuoh as their Titles and the constitution of the Kuglish - governing body did not allow, them lo enter into an agreement with any organisation outside Uia United Kingdom." . 1 ' As lias boon expected by,many who were in close touch with him, says an American exchange, John J. Hayes, of tho IrishAmerican A.0., has forfeited liis amatour status in, older to take advantage of biisinees engagements which would conflict with tho ethics of amateurism. The little victor of the Marathon Race in London'has been besiegwl wjth offers to appear in vaudeville' and give exhibitions in armories,'fairs, and athletic meets, for which lie was promised more money than he had evor possessed liefore in his life, and, as he is a ixwr lioy, ho could not see fit to decline. He will appear'in vaudeville for a salary said to bo £100 a week, which is practically'as-nwch as he over made in a year before his great victory in the blue, ribbon event of the Olympic championships. CASH AIIiLICTICS. Br Sport. I am - pleased, to bo ablo to infornv my leaders that there lias been "a. decided improvement ,iti, W. M'Donald's health, so that he is now on the road to renewed and vigour. Inquiries are being made daily for the championship programme, to bo held in Dunedin at-New Year time, in connection with the Otago Caledonian Society's sports, far as I can ascertain none-are yet available. It ■ seems . to mo that if the gathering is to be properly advertised throughout the . Dominion and Australia it is time -tile public had something beforo them, as it is oiily five weeks from' Friday next to New Year's Day. annual general meeting of tho N.Z. Sports Federation was hold in Christchurch °n the 16th' inat. The chief business, tli4 election of officers, resulted Executive W. U./Atack, C. T. Asohman, K. Nordon, Kirk, Vincent, Smith;, secretary, Mr O, L. Hawkins; auditor, Mr A. Donaldson. Christchurch was agreed upon as the federation's headquarters. Mr Asclmian gave notico to move that the affiliation fee bo reduced to £1 Is. ' • The South Canterbury Professional Athletic Club held their first annual sports at limariilon tho 9th inst. ill flue weather, but before a very sparso attendance, only £23 odd being taken at tho gates, Pino fields were the order of the day, and some particularly good racing resulted. The chiof event was the Sheffield Handicap, over 135 yards, for which 23 had entered, and no loss than 21 .started—a deserving tribute to tho handicappcr, Mr J. P. Kniaughcr. The preliminaries were well contested; but it was evident that tho final would be a battle between C. Gallagher, of Oamaru, and W. Wooidgor, of Wellington, who, it will.be remembered, came south with that well-known walker, Potor M'Coll, last New Year,) but who did not have any luck at the local sports. At the Timaru gathering vVoodger was a much-improved runner, as his recent success in the Sheffield at the Wellington Labour Day sports might suggest. The four left in the final of the Timaru Sheflield were L. Wood 9iyds, W. Woodger 10yds, H, Wright 14yds, and C. Gallagher 15yds. The Wellington man "broke," so was penalised. Gallagher kept his lead all tho way, and won by a little over a yard from Woodger in 13scc, with Wright third .and Wood fourth.. Had

Wooilger not broke, a dieffrent. placing migh( hove resulted. Prior to tho Anal the foul contestants agreed to the prize monoy boinj - reduced by £10, as follows£2o, £10, £5, £2—a very .sjjortfcmaulike action indeed. The other rnocs resulted:—7s Yards Ilandicap, J. N, Gallan |7yds), 1; ,\V. Sarginson, (6yds), 2;' 11. ■ Wright (Byds), 3. Time, 7 3-ssoc, Half-mile Handicap: A. Gimson(lsyds), 1; W. J. Wilds (scr), 2; W. Taver- i ner (10yds), 3. Time, Zmin 1 1-Ssee.. There wer« 12 starfcore, and the race wits a ver/ fine one. Mile Handicap: W, Tavcrncr. (lbyds), 1; G. T. Smart (scr), 2; W. Gough (45yds), 3. Time, 4min 34 l-560c;.' ' ..The Clifton, Woodend, and Bluff Alhletio Society hold their annual sports this year on Boxing Day, whilo the Wihton Caledonian Society have been granted Wedri'es-day.-December 30, as, their date. Tho principal gatherings in .Southland run in a circuit, and competitors are sure'to Appreciate the change. . At the Metropolitan Athletic Club's meeting held on October 29,, Miss Ivy Evans and Miss Ktmel Page (of West ; Australia) contested the Championship,- 50yds, aiullho Australian champion won comfortably by 'i'i "ho. time recorded was 6 4-Jsec. ' 1 lie \\ aikouaiti Caledonian Society 'are l out. with their usual attractive programme' of events for their annual sports on Boxing W- The chief running events £ rir' Handioap, ,30s, 10s, 7s'6d; 100 ar !„ a " (l,ca I ) ' J ° 6 > 15a ( .7s 6d: 150 Yards,' Ws,. 20s; 220 Yards, 30s, 20s, 10s; 44Q Yards, 40s, 20s, 10s. All events : are post entry.