BOWLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14528, 20 May 1909, Page 10

BOWLING.

Notes bv Jack.

The Council of the N.7..15.A., at jis hist meeting, fittingly recognised, in the resolution passed, the splendid work carried out by the Bowl-testing Committee appointed nearly two years ago, with Mr J. .1. Harlow as chairman, and especially the generous and unselfish manner in which Mc«is T. G. Young and W. A. Scott gave their prolonged experience in howl-testing for tho benefit of bowlers generally. It would hardly be overstating the case to say that no bowler or bowl-maker living has devoted so much time and attentiin io bowl-testing and the study of the effects produced by the shape and make of the running surface of bowk ag Mr Young. That knowledge and experience, as well as his apparatus and private green, were freely placed at the disposal of the committee of which be was a member. Mr Scolt ha-, also devoted much time and attention to the matter, and it may be remenilsred designed some years ago a testing machine. The results of his experience were also made available. At .an earlier stage of the proceedings assistance was given by several ether gentlemen including Mr M. Sinclair. The outcome is that the council is now in possession of a chute which in the hands of a capable and reliable man will enable a trustworthy comparison to be made between the draw of any make of bowl aud a standard bowl. The council has now to decide on a standard bow!. It. is understood that after much pressure from the members of the council and the, members of iho Bowl-testing Committee, Mr W. A. Scott and his son have consented to undertake, for one year at, least, the duties

of bowl-testing. Mr Scott was strongly opposed to taking up tho work, primwilv because of the time that would bo t«kon up, and secondly lweause he hail gone into the matter of bowl-testing to gratify his curiosity and amusL 1 ' hiiuseli, and had from the first determined to keep aloof from anything that savoured in the loa-st. of being to his pergonal advantage. When it was pointed out, that it was essential to haw someone in whom all bowlers had perfect confidence to deal with the matter at first, and that no bowler would for a moment imagine any guin could accrue-to liim, but that on tho contrary it would be generally recognised ho was going still further with his self-sacrificing work for tho benefit of the game, Mr &ott weakened, and after consideration agreed to the urgent and unanimous request lo take the position of official bowl-tester, provided his son was associated with him in the work.

Beyond tho matter of bowl-testing, which was considered in coininilice in a fairly exhaustive manner, not much business was transacted at tire monthly meeting of the Council of -the N.Z.B.A. Consideration of the request of the J&uthlaikl Centre lo l» given the con'-iol and management of the next association tournament, ami that it ho held at lnvercargill, was dofcrre;! pending the report of the committee dealing, with the financial requirements of the council on which nocessanh hinges the policy to be adopted in future by the council, both as regards the annual tournaments ami other matters. For the same reason the request of the Soulbla.nd Centre for a. donation in aid of its Easter tournament was postponed. The holding of tho tournament at lnvercargill next' February is a. matter requiring caieful consideration. Notwithstanding the accelerat-rd railway service, it has Wn made fairly evident that Wellington players will not enter if the tournament, is held in the southern loun, whilo tl:erc will ho a huge decrease in the entries Irom Canterbury Clubs. Tiw fact of Southland being to poorly represented at Christohurch this year is pointed to as slmwiliu that tho longtli of the journey is an actual bar. Diniedin bowlers have not cared to make any repnwnlalion.s whicli might he misunderstood by the soat'ienieis. but many of tiic.se who u.-uallv take part Ml (ha big gathering freely declare that until more green accommodation is available the Southland Centre cannot reasonably expect, to be able to do juslico lo the function. The suggestion that (iore. Mateinu and Hlulf greens should be utilised is coii-vdercd impracticable. It is understood that several of the members of the council are very anxious to accede to the Southlande-rs' ropiest if they could convince themselves that to do so would be in the best interest* of Iho game and would not be passively opposed by a majority of followers of the ga-ine.

There is overy likelihood of a strong team from the Auckland Provincial Association coming south next season, and, b-\sid«s playing against the various centre.;, faking pak in the association tournament. 'Ufa adds ('. tee diiiicult-v of holding the tournament in lnvercargill.

Mr Rail altered his motion to consult tin centres about doing away with the tinin limit at asocial-ion tournaments to making the time limit tlnce hours for rink game;, a; ho reeojfiiitcil that if a tournament ha.; to bo concluded in a certain space of titip it is absolutely necessary to fix some limit to the names, so ihat a certain sbgo must !:<• reached at the clow of each rkv's plav. After some the motion was withdrawn by eoi!::>nt. It cught to be evident to bowlers thai no one is desirous of curtailing the time to be devoted to plavinjr a rink same for the- mere sake of doini wlia't many hnvlers do not approve of. There is only ok alternative- to the fin* limit, and that h io cvtmid imNitiileiv tho lim« in iniprai-l-cdjle. ... n d might result in the bulk he devoted to tournament, plav. That would mean some players having to idle away the lime on the banks while two or three rinks were playing t„ a fi„; s h and holding ••imiuost.s" after each bowl plaved. Mr \\. Waddell is still sanguine that'the number of bonders visiting tho Home Conntry will be suHicienf to constitute a fairly Mnrcjoulative (flam, and that if preliminary arrangements wore made a visit could be liiado to Camilla and the invitaiion extended by the Ontario Asocial ion to play matches accepted. The Dunwlin Club closed down for the season on Saturday. Despite the damp condition of the green a number of enthusiasts turned up, but not in numbers sullicient to permit, of the Ancients v. -Moderns fixtuio I Mug gone on with. Sixteen pairs wciy formal, and played fulsome time. In declaring tlie green closed the acting president. .Air Georcre Crow, paid a- v,ell-desMv-?d compliment io Mr Tavlor, tho greon-kcepor, for the excellence of the grrai tlirougiioui the s.nson. lie mentioned that Mr Austin, the president, had written io say that he hoped to be present at the annual meeting of i.ho club. Mr Crow i!<l<!.'d that, despite the fact, that their loam had been l»:.:iten by the Tcieri players, in the four-rink championship, it would be generally conceded tlw LHir.cdin was still the premier club of the centre. Thanks to tlie assistance of two mcmtais of the club, the directors would l>e in a position to go on with the building of the now pavillion almost immediately. The prospects for next season were bright, as quite as many-new mombers wore offering as they could find accommodation for,

Taking a retrospective glaiip; over the 6C.WGU just cloesd, no one tree [ram prejudice will deny that splendid work lias boon dene b v the Duncdin Centra, which has more tlnm justi(ie<l i(6 exist.ejire, ns alia luvo tho Chrisk'hurcli, Invorcarjill, and South Otago C9ntrc6. Tho limited number of club in the South Canterbury Centre, and Urn distance »3parattii(r them has been a bar to much activity, but "where there's a will tlirre's a way," as is shown by Ihe Ssutli Otago Centre. The limited immlwr of clubs is a drawback in North Otago also. The Easter tournament was carried out successfully, but by a Tournament Committee, not by the centre, although most of tlie members of tlw centre were on the Tournament Committer. Whatever channre the future may bring forth in bowlinj; matters, it i« not likely that bowlers will consent lo doing away with the centres as local governing l»die.=. Though never keen on cliani|)ion.ilii|i inter-club rink games, it has tobo admitted that their introduction gave a real fillip to the game, awl infused an amount of interest Into tho play that was rapidly liecoming non-sxistcjit in the friendly interclub games. There was, as was 10 bo expected,' Borne grumbling over the limited numlxu' of players ensured in the games, but the pemedv for this lies with the clubs themselves. Tlioy may instruct their dele-' gales to (support tlie original proposal of the centre to have, in addition to the fourrink championship, a three or two-rank championship, and thus increase the number of players engaged, or they can introduce, several new players among t!i» rin.is in every match played. Another method that has worked well is to invite the players desiring to play in tlio championship games to hand in their names early in the ecason. The selector could confine himislf to thrx-o wliceo names wore so handed in, unless ho desired to strengthen tJio rinks, and tho.% who had not liaiidod in their names would have no ground for dissatisfaction. The. champion of the champions tournament was also a decided success. _The Baltnacewon Club's social and presentation of prizes was a- most rmjovablc function, as that club's gatherings alwnvs have been. These social gatherings at t.ho close of the season servo to bring members and outsiders into closer touch with each other, and frequently provide pleasant surprissa nt the talent discovered among the ranks of those who follow the game. The speaking up tho hill was abovo the average, while the. programme was well arranged and the musical items lirst-class.