ATHLETICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18747, 28 December 1922, Page 6

ATHLETICS.

THK CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING. REPLY TO OTAGO’S COMPLAINTS. (From Cub Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, December 27. Interviewed by <i Post reporter to-day regarding the Otago complaints' with reference to the date of holding the New Zealand championships meeting, Mr A. T. Davies (president of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association) said that at the annual meeting of the council held on November 20 the application of Otago to hold the New Zealand championships meeting was granted, and it was suggested (not decided) that the meeting be held in February. “Otago chose February 17, which date the council confirmed,” said Mr Davies. “It was also at the annual meeting that word was first received that the Americans had accepted our invitation to visit the dominion, provided that they arrived at the end of January. Subsequently a cable was received stating that they must come a month earlier, and the council had no option but to accept the change. This necessarily changed our plans, and the date of the championship meeting had to be altered. It was perhaps unfortunate for. Dunedin that the circumstances demanded that the itinerary of the American visit submitted to the centres was headed ‘proposed itinerary, thus leaving it open for such alterations to be made as might be deemed expedient. The date sot for Otago (January 20) was, however, not changed, and it was stv gested that they might hold the New Zealand championships on the same day. After receiving protests from other places, the council came to the conclusion that it would l>e impossible to hold the New Zealand championship meeting during the currency of the Americans' tour, and advised Otago to that effect. “ The whole trouble seems to be the posh polling of the date of the New Zealaiio championship meeting from February 17 to March 3. The date submitted for the Otago meeting with the Americans has not been altered. To show the absurdity _of holding the New Zealand championships meeting on February 17, it is only necessary to point out. that the Americans wul lie performing at Wellington on that date. Iho present difficulty was encountered in arranging the American itinerary so as to avoid clashing with racing,' cricket, and other fixtures/ and under the circumstances (he council has done the best possible for all concerned. While we regret the necessity of postponing the championships meeting, Otago must surelv he reasonable, and recognise that it is solely due to the i of the Americans, and that such a visit has been arranged, not to annoy Otago, but to benefit and encourage athletics in all parts of the dominion. . “Should Otago not lie willing to accept a later date for the New Zealand championships meeting, the council will have no alternative but to hold it elsewhere. It hardly becomes Otago, to raise a dust about this rheeting. seeing that at. the last, championships meeting held at Christchurch they were represented by one solitary competitor, who, it is understood, paid his own expenses to get there, while at the previous gathering held at Auckland they were not represented at all.”