MR STRUTHERS AND BOWLING TOURNAMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1945, 4 June 1891, Page 29

MR STRUTHERS AND BOWLING TOURNAMENTS.

TO THE EDITOB.

Sib,— l am not over anxious to thrust my opinions on the bowling public, but as Mr Struthers has just given his I thought if he were not answered by some Southern bowlers he might consider we were treating him with disrespect. Now, I have the highest respect for Mr Struthers as a bowler, and consider him a perfect warrior at the game, yet I certainly disagree with his proposals. It is said that the tournaments, as at present oarried out "by the association, have become unpopular with numerous members." Perhaps so ; but the members of the association can never hope to please everybody. Neither will they try. What the association tries to do is to please the great majority, and this they have done, which is proved beyond doubt by the absence of any complaint from the clubs interested. As to whether tournaments shall be oontinued, there is absolutely no question whatever. If the association is not pleasing " numerous members " it is the duty of clubs to elect men who will. The association is what the clubs make it, and tbe only drawbacks in the past have been that the clubs have not kept tbe delegates posted as to their wishes. This is not altogether unsatisfactory from one point of view, beoause it proves that bowlers have confidence in the administration.

Mr Struthers wants to restrict the games played, and also to restrict the bowlers as to number, and to one event (a most suicidal proposition), became it is hia opinion that " some old members have lost interest in the game." If that is bo their looks and actions very much belie them. Have Messrs Struthers, Thomson, Manning, Dr Thomas, and others of the Ohristohuroh Olub lost interest in the game ? Have Messrs Hale, Toomer Brothers, Taylor, Oakley, and others of the Canterbury Club lost interest in the game ? If so why do they enter for every event that the association ban orowd into a tournament, and throw into each contest an amount of zeal and enthusiasm, that is a treat to witness ? If there are any who have " lost interest " in the game it is after they are defeated, or they are poor players, or they have become fossilised.

The asaooiat'on in the past have arranged a series of interesting events, and they have left it quite optional for any olub or bowler 1 to enter for same— any amount of freedom here — and if any oannot stand tbe strain of two orthVee contests they can confine themselves to one. Mr Struthers has been giving us the opinion* of a few bowlers on the tournament as at present oarried out, and I hope he will pardon me if I give one only. Seventeen months ago the Exhibition Tournament waß held in Dunedin, and there was a gentleman by the name of Robert Struthers who complained to me '(as president of the association) that he was forced to give a bye in the singles, being engaged in rink contests. Now this gentleman was already' a prize-taker by being skip of the runner-up rink for the championship, and was then engaged in the final for the match North v. South (whioh he won), so that I did not sympathise with him, but told him that it was not the wish of the tournament committee that any bowler should win more than one prize. "Oh," says Mr Struthers, " the association have arranged certain events, and they ought to frame their programme in such a way that one bowler can win them all if he is able." Now how on earth am I to reconcile what Mr Struthers said then with what he says now ? Your correspondent wants each club confined to one full rink, two half rinks, and four single players, entirely ignoring the fact that some clubs have three times the playing members that others have. By the above three events only being mentioned Mr Struthers wants to throw over' the North v. South matoh — a most important oontest; and evidently the Ohristohuroh bowlers thought bo, or they would not have made the occasion a " ladies' day." Now, if there is any cause for complaint, it is by having too many events ; but Mr Struthers wants to introduce an extra one, a two-handed four- ball game— an interesting match, no doubt, but it should be left to be played at Easter, the same as was done at Oamaru.

My friend also introduces a word which grates upon my T ear — slavery — and says his suggestions, if oarried out, would prevent it Now, no doubt Mr Struthers is an excellent authority on slavery in bowling (if there is such a thing), because he is the only bowler I know who makes hard work of it, by travelling the wholo length of the green and back again each time he delivers a bowl, making his game last nearly an hour longer than the average game of 21 heads. I don't mind this habit of his, but I take leave to remind him that he ought to be the last person to complain of the tournaments lasting so long, when be contributes so much to make them so.

Now, as one who has had a good deal to do with drafting programmes in the past, I oannot admit there is very much wrong, but there is room for reform :—: —

1. I would have three ties of the rink tournament played off before entries are taken for tba single handed match.

2. No person should be allowed to enter for the latter who is in the former at this stage. This would be sufficient to prevent men playing a single-handed match in the morning early at tho risk of losing the rink match at 10 o'clock. I would " protect " the singlehanded players who are members of one club from playing against one another, tbe same as is done in rinks,

3. I would make it plain in the conditions that no " burnt head " oould be claimed simply because the jack iB driven into the next link or beyond it, provided it does not interfere with anybody playing on the green ; aud those highly-ci'lonved sticks placed between the rinks should be disallowed, as they are an innovation. Bowlers can taka their own green without having small barbers' poles stuck up to guide them.

4. The first prizes in rink tournaments should be money instead of an expensive cup, and should be devoted by the club who wins it to the improvement of their bowling green. A first-claaa certificate of award might be given to hang in the bowl house, and there is no barm in the individual members of tbe rink getting a trophy.

There are a few other points in your correspondent's letter I could notice, but space will not permit ; but I will say this, that because a game is fought keenly it should not make it less sociable, and I cannot admit that club matohes are more friendly fought out than tournament games or that they are better enjoyed, though there may, of course, be a little more harmless larrikinism indulged in. My experience is that the keener the game the greater the enjoyment. — I am, &0., W. OABiiTON. P.S. — I will leave some one else to deal with Mr Dodds' letter.— W, O. Roslyn, June 1.