NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 33

NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Mr C. H. Croxton has tendered bis resignation of the office of hon. treasurer of the Amateur Athletic Association.

Though it does not come within cooeo of the £249 taken at Wellington at last year's championship sport?, the " gate " at Carisbrook on Saturday was eminently satisfactory, and when the returns have come in for all tickets that were out it is probable that the meeting will be found to have comfortably paid expenses.

The pole jump is a pretty event and one in which the public take a good deal of interest, but the contest last Saturday became decidedly tedious. It would be an advantage if provision was made for limiting the number of baulks a competitor may have. The competitors at the championship meeting were present, by invitation of Messrs Howe and Spong, at the performance of ' ' Harbour Lights " at the Princess Theatre on Saturday night, and on Sunday they were the guests of the D A A.C., by whom they were taken by water to Portobello. The majority left for their homes by train on Monday.

Kingsley was unquestionably the best vaulter on the ground and under more favourable conditions would probably have broken the record, but the ground was on the soft side, and when he was going for the record the take-off was distinctly against him.

The only tie at the meeting was that for second place in the Pole Jump. It has been arranged to have the silver medal cut in two, one half going to Upfill and the other to Smeaton. Some amusement was caused by Pram's wriggling in the air and shaking his leg at the bar in his efforts to get over at the height at which he failed/

The presence of Batger at tho meeting was one of the great attractions. The great hurdler acknowledged that he was as fit as he could be, but confessed to a preference for the sprint hurdles. His running in the Quarter-mile event was certainly disappointiog and, as mentioned elsewhere, he should have been defeated. The " frost " among the competitors last Saturday was Gurr, whese plucky running and determined finishing gained for him last year (be championships over both a quarter of a mile and half mile. He started in these two events again this year and finished last in each case, The explanation Ib that he has been un« Well and unable to train properly.

The one great surprise was furnished in the mile walking race. Dunedinites suspected that Findlay was good enough to break the record and would have nothing but him. They were right in supposing that he c mid beat thrt be9t time previously registered, bui; no one expected Alex B*iu, fresh from Colac B iy, whore he had been traiuiog on tho beach with Maoris of all nges and both seies as pacemaker.-*; could aho lower the record for all Australasia aud beat Fiudlay into the bargain.

The victory of Baia was as popular as it was unexpected; Before coming up to Dunedin for the meeting he was premised by the Natives at Colac Bay, where he is engaged on a contract, a great reception on his return if he should win a championship. While the success of Bain was so well received, a great deal of sympathy was expressed for Findlay, who had trained specially for the mile and would, as the result proved, have won in any previous year.

The D.A A.C. were poorly represented in the sprints, and the expectation of one of the competitors that the three engage d on behalf of the local club in these events would " not get half a point between them " was fully realised. The Wellington and Canterbury Clubs had the finals of both the short distance races between them. Before the final for the lOOjds race was run the banner board — an institution which the public greatly appreciated— showed that the D. A.A.C. had 16 points to their credit, Wellington 6. Canterbury 4, and AuckUnd 1. Iv another hour, however, the board told a very different tale.

The meeting of Hemplon and Reeves once again in the sprint race 3 wat one of the great features of the meeting. The pair have not competed together at a championship meeting since the Exhibition year on the Caledonion ground — that memorable occ=wion on which Hempton, Batger, Shaw, Kiug, Reeves, Grierson, and M'Kelvcy, amongst otherfl, were among the competitors. Through all these years Hempton has been facile princeps over 100 yds — true, he did not meet the mighty Macpherson in 1890, but the flying New South Welshman's time was equalled by Hempton next year — and again he has proved his superiority. He has talked time after time of retiring from the track, and as he is now 31 years old or thereabouts it is not improbable that he will not be seen at any more championship gatherings.

The contrast between the styles of running which Hempton and Reeves have was very noticeably and very prettily shown in the final for the 250 yds Race, in which the pair fought out a desperate and exciting finish, the former leaning forward as he runs while the latter holds himself very erect. Those who know how Reeves has been going in his trials expected him to win and, as the event proved, they were correct in their estimate of his powers. Reeves had not much to spare — " two inches " was the judges' verdic 1 ; ; ju9t enough to swear by — bub he reckons he lost four yarda through having to run on the outside.

From the point of view of the public, the most pleasing incident of the meeting was the double success of Low in the middle distances. The absence of Stuart, of Wellington, and the fact that Gurr was not in form left him an easy thing in the Half-mile, but he had a sharp tussle in the Quarter. At the home turn it seemed impossible for him to get through between Reeves and Fitzpatrick. His squeezing through was done in a flash, and then the race proper — that between him and Reeves — began. The latter was persuaded, against his own inclination, to compete, as it was not long since the 250 yds Race had been run, but he made a rattling good finish of it.

Morpetb, who came down from Wellington for the long-distance events, was far the fittest man in those races. I say this without any desire to disparage his victories, which were well deserved as well as easily achieved. He has a nice style of running and was capable, I think, of doing much better time in the Mile Race, while his performance in the Three-miles event stands out as a conspicuously good one, for the wind was very troublesome. A splendid race was run by young Bennet, whose pluck and determination were loudly applauded. Under the circumstances his running was very meritorious, but bow that he has won his spurs I would suggest that ho should give racing a rest for a year or two, until he gets properly set. Otherwise he may strain himself and do himself permanent injury.

A fine long stride and a good healthy pace brought Creamer home in the Three-mile Walk. Galloway was the only other competitor who had any say in the event, and he has not the spurting powers he once possessed, the result being that when Creamer put on the steam in the last round he went right away from the local man. The two Christchurch walkers were out-classed, but I should like to add my tribute of praise to Toshach for the great pluck he displayed.

In the Hammer-throwing Martin and Wachsmann both failed to come near their exercise performances and M'Cormwsk maintains the title of champion, which he would bear quite as worthily if he were leas inclined to attempt to dictate to the judges. M'Cormack also won the Stone-putting, though his victory in this event was not so easy, and it was rather a surprise that Doull got second place. The long jumping was noteworthy for the fine performance of Mendelson, who nevertheless failed to do as well as on the previous day, when he made a splendid leap of 21ft 4in, while Gaudin, of Auckland, at all events justified the long journey he made to take part in the meeting. There was no one in the High Jump to comG up to Bailey, of Wanganui, whose leapiDg was accomplished with an ease that was quite out of the common.

Before concluding these commentson the meeting, which are only intended to supplement the somewhat exhaustive report given elsewhere, I desire to compliment; the execu'ive of the D.A A C. on the manner in which the meeting was c inducted. The arrangements were more cotnp'ete than they have been at any sports meeting in Dunedin. I am aware that the week or so prior to the gathering was a period of anxiety to the executive, but they may now take credit to themselves for a singularly successful meeting. The delay in finishing the Pole Jump was unavoidable and, so far as they could manage it, punctuality was observed. The measures which they took to suppress betting were, I believe, as effectual as they were prompt, and I commend to some northern club 3 their example in this respect. Both the • Christcharch weekly papers insinuate, and one asserts, that the resolution of the D A.A.G. committee protesting against the accaptance of W. M. West's entry for the Pole Jump championship was uncalled for, the point they make being that the entry had already been refused. If it was actually the case that the entry had been refused the D. A. A O. were not apprised of the fact ;— all they knew was that their lecretary was asked be wire if there was any objection to receiving West's entry, aud on his replying that he had personally no objection and that if Mr Cuff, as secretary of the association, accepted the entry he would inolude West's name in the programme, he received a telegram stating that the Wellington and Auokland clubs would be communicated with and asked if they had any objection, That wag the last advice the

D.A.A.C. committee had prior to the meeting at which tho resolution passed which the Christnhnrch papers express resentment. A more reasonable resolution was never pissed. On the following morning tho Brat intimation of Iho refusal of the entry wan couveynd in tho following telegram from Mr Cuff to the secretary of the D.A. \.G. : " West's entry refused ; quite agree with your committee." By the way, I have heard it hinted that W. H. Martin's entry for the two hurdle races did not reach Mr Caff until after the due date.

The final heat of the D.A. B.C. 220 yds Running Handicap took place on Saturday evening. Those qualified to start were : — Brodie 3yds, Bushell 4yds, Chiffey 6yds, W. Lynch 7yds, Mackenzie 6yds, Barnett 10yds, W. Clarke 12yd8, and Suow 13yds. A splendid race, which resulted in Snow and Clarke running a dead heat, with Barnett a few inches away, beating Lynch, Brodio, and Chiffey by less than a foot. Time, 23 3-ssec. Mr Hunter was timekeeper.