ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2157, 27 June 1895, Page 33

ATHLETICS.

NOTES BY AMATEUB.

W. G. George, the once famous long-distance runner, has sought the protection of the Bankruptcy Court in England. The second frpriug mto'iog of the London Athletic Club, held oa May 10, prodnced some splendid performances. The first event was for the one mile Challenge Cup, and H. A. Munro ran W. E. Lutyenu to a standstill and finished alone in 4min 20#seo. This very fine piece of running was immediately followed by A. R. Downer, the Scotch athletic, winning his heat in the 120yi3 Handicap, from scratch, in 11 4-s.ee, and whea the six heats had been run eff the spectator 'were treated to another magnificent piece of running on the part of E. C. Bredin, who, notwithstanding that owing ta the crowded path he had to run very wide round the last bend, won tho Half-mile Handicap from rcratch in linin 55sec— the best time made by him at this distance. The final he*t of the llOyds Handicap cieated great excitement, Downer being within a yard of winniDg though the time was as fast a? 11 3-sjec. A 200 yds record race, with a handicap limited to lOy d 3, was included in the programme for the express purpose of enabling A. R. Downer to make an attempt to lower the record of 19 4-ssec. He won by several yerds in time which according to the various watches was somewhere between 19 3-ssec and 19 4-ssec. For the pnrposs of the moment the judges adopted the expedient of announcing 19 7-10 se c, on the board as beiDg the time for the event. Tb.9 claim to the A. A. A. Records Committee will, however, be for 19 4-ssec. A deputation of representatives of the various athletic associations waited on Mr Seddon on Monday and asked that tae Government should have drafted and introduced as a Government measure a bill (I) to enable any amateur athletic club to register for a small fee and thereby become incorporated and capable of holding property ; (2) to enable any association of such clubs to become similarly incorporated, to as to possess property and recover their funds from defaulting officers, and to sue and be sued. Mr Hoben, who acted as spokesman, said that the deputation represented 40,000 or or 50,000 members of athletic bodies. The Premier, in replying, expressed admiration for athletics as a factor in the welfare of the nation, but was afraid that in Ne.w Zealand athletics were being carried slightly to extremes, and that young men were sacrificing to athletics the more serious concerns of life. He admitted, however, that there should be some legal protection for property and funds of clubs, and said that if the bodies interested would draft a measure he was prepared to give it favourable consideration ; in fact, he would place it before the House and ask the House to pass it. The Government could not undertake to draft the bill, as it w-uM «•»• tun co many details with which only uu; ies interested were conversant. •

AN UNKNOWN MAN: One who has tried Frossard's Cavour Cigars, at 8 for Is 3d, and id"not -satisfied.