NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 50

NOTES BY AM ATEUR.

The Board of Control which met in Melbourne during the progress of the Australasian Championship meeting refused to pass George Smith's 15 1-5 100 for the 120 yds hvirdles, principally on the grounds that Smith's pace-maker had jumped one hurdle short of the required number. A reason not altogether clear to my iinden'standing.

A conference of tho Amateur Athletic Union of Australasia, held in Melbourne last week, approved the sending of a team tr the St. Louie Exhibition. The matter, however, is one of finance.

The Kngli&h Amateur Ath l eric Association will not be officially represented in the Olympian games and world's championships at St. Louis (America) this year.

The dead heat in the 100 yds championship at the Australasian meeting was run off between HtJnter (Vic.^ and Barker (N.S.W.) on Wednesday. Hunter, jumping off smartly, won by inches m 10 l-ssec. Final results for the premiership : Victoria, 7 ; New South Wales, 5 ; New Zealand, 3.

P. J. English, the winner of the High Jump at the recent Australasian championships at Melbourne, is a member of the Newi .South Wales Police Force. He stands well over 6ft, and weighs nearly 14 stone.

If there ie to bo an athletic revival, such as will restore cultivation of running and jumping to the place which it held 20* years back, the impulse (says the Feild) will perhaps come from abroad, since on the Continent, especially in France, this branch of eporfc is being taken up with increasing enthusiasm, and international rivalry may possibly exert a reflex action on British ambitions.

At a meeting of the New Zealand Axemen's Association at Elfcham on February 2, L. Berg's performance of chopping an 18in ctanding block at Masterton in lmin 55seo was passed as a New Zealand reeoid, but not as a ,world' 9 record.

The Manchester Athletic News notes with satiaTaction that a new Australasian record has been put up for 10 miles by H. C. Murray, of Otago, of 56min 16sec. The previouo best wa-s 56min 57gseo.

The annual athletic contest between Oxford and Cambridge Universities has been set down for decision on March 25.

The 10-mile cross-country championship of the Salford Harriers, decided on December 19, was won by W. H. Whittingslow in 55m in 33seo.

News has come through from America that James Hennessey', 72 years of age, has beaten Edward S. Rand, aged 69. in a mile frot race in the Salem (Ma*s.) Po^o Rink, in B£mm. Hennessey, a Kilkenny-American, previous to defeating Rand, accomplished a feat that was rather remarkable. He raced an electric ear from Salern to Peabody, a distance of two milse, and beat the car. which, of course, h<ul all its stops to attend! to, by 100 yards. The sight of the old man, hio coat-tails fluttering in the wind, and his white whiskers blown awry, created considerable enthusiasm. And now he is open to run anyone over 65 years of age.

Discussing the New Zealand team selected for the recent Australasian Championship meeting, "Prodigal" says: "How any selectors who knew and had studied Australian form could have picked Madill before Laurio pasaes^my comprehension, and mind I am in no way disparaging the prowess of that good fellow and fine athlete, W. H. Madill. The best possible scoring team for New Zealand, all fit and woll, as I have before mentioned, "would comprise George Smith, W. F. Simpson, D. Wilson, C. C. Laur-e, and L. B. Webster — and Smith, Pimp-on, and Laurie wit! actually compete." Included in. the Temuka Bicycle Club's Easter Monday programme are the following running events :— looyd® and 220 yds fiat (£4each), 440 yds and 880 yds fiat (£4 10s each'-.

At the A.N.A. sports at Sydney on January 26, owing to the various tracks being ineorrpctly marked oiit by the local authoritifs, all the A. A A. evente other than the 150yd<3 handicap, were decided over short courses. The Hurdle Race (says " Prodigal ") was more or less a farce, as the "hurdles" were not hurdles at al3, and were far below regulation height. The public were sorely disappointed at not seeing the Queensland and Now Zealand athletes, ao expected, an.l many commented unfavourably on their absence. — [The fault lie^, ruth the New South Wales authorities, who entered the New Zealanders without first, consulting thc> men themsehes or the N Z A. A. A. — Amvleub.]

Tho kind of affeotionato familiarity which New Zealanders display towards Mr Scddon was {writes our Melbourne correspondent) strikingly exemplified on board the Mocraki during tho time of excitement at Hobart. In tho saloon a mock trJoqram. wap po=tfd which read: — '"To King Dick, Maonland, — Moeraki's passengers threatened quarantine. Kindly order otherwise.' The amateur athletes who were on board — there \i ere only two of them, Simpson and Ros- — did actually send him a telegram urging him to intervene against their being quarantined m Melbourne, in which ca c e they would have mi«s-ed the sports meeting here. Thousrh they had not received a reply when the Monaki reached Melbourne, I am sure they are firmly convinced that Mr Seddon arranged for the unrestricted landing entirely in their interests. And possibly they are righ<\ But m Victoria we cannot imagine a ooi'ple of pedestrians taking the liberty of telegraphing surh a message to our Mr Irvine, v, ho is as cold as an icicle and 06 haughty as a hansom-dmctp-

T Tho fifth evening meeting of the D.A.A.C. took place at Carisbrook on Friday ovening. The sport provided, was excellent, and keen competition was witnessed in all events. Owing to a slight delay in getting off tho first e-ient the Quarter Hat was run in semi-darkness, making it a difficult matter to pick out ths competitors until nearmt> the finielung post. As on tho previous Friday, Burk's running J was a feature of the evening. He traversed , the distance in 4-min 37s.ee, beating tho club's standard by 30seo. At the com- . moncement of the last lap Campbell seemed to have a mortgage on the race, but Buik set out after him determinedly, and a great i race homo &aw Burk the winner by a yard. ' It is nvuoh to be regretted that Burk was 1 unable to attend the championship meeting at Wellington. His performances in Duiicdin mark him as one of New Zealand's very best runners. Campboll, of the Civil Service Club, improves at every meeting, and ran a \ ery game xace in the Mile. In the Two-mile Walk both Eomeril and Owen showed much improved form. The Long Jump resolved itself into a struggle between Stalker and Hcare, the former finally winning with a. jump of 19ft 6in, Hoare being second with 19ft sin. The 440 Yards Flat proved a gift for Christie, who won easily. Hoaro and Hamami endeavoured to catch him, but had to bo content with second and third places. Stalker has not done much training so far, but should be in his best form by the annual meeting of the D.A.A.C. Hoare is a greatly improved runner since last season, and is in capital form at present. j The final evening sports meeting cf the D.A.A.C. takes place on Fiiday next at Carisbrook. The programme will be altered j from that appearing on the syllabus. As the j evenings affe beginning to draw u\ a ilart 1 will be made at 7 o'clock sharp. I So far the series of evening meetings has bean an unqualified saicceas, and the final meeting should be no exception. ! The programme of the D.A.A.C.'s annual 1 sports meeting has now been circulated throughout New Zealand. The Sports Comt mittee are pushing matters well forward, and the club expect to have a record meeting this year both in entries' and attendance I of the public. It is expected that competitors will bo picsent from Ohristchurch, Ashj burton, Timaru, and Oamaru. The Duuj edin men will have to look to their laurels. i Evidently they recognise the necessity of | constant training, as witness the number at | Carisbrook every evening, j The action of the D.A.A.C. in making every event on their annual sport 3 pro- , gramme open to all clubs affiliated to the i N.Z.A.A.A. should be gratifying to sister | clubs in Dunedin. The Civil Service Club j will probably enter largely. They would I especially, like to turn the tables upon the D.A.A.C' in the Relay Eace. Mr W. Macdonald, the handioapper of the D.A.A.C continues to give general saiis- ! faction. His only mistake on Friday ap- | pcared to be in letting Christie out rather i far in the 440 yds. The two bicycle races placed upon the programme of the D.A.A.C.'s meeting on the 12th March should commend themselvsa to cyclists, el the prizeo are well worth winning. t The North Otago Club are getting well ! under way with their annual sports meeting which is to be held afc Oamaru on tho 10th March. Dunedin clubs will probably 'be largely represented, and some of our best men purpose making the trip. Dunne's time in the 100 yds at the Post Office sports (10 4-ssec, off 6yds) was a capital performance. I look to him to keep up his reputation at the D.A.A.C. meeting. Dear Amateur, — After commenting on th& various performances at a recent evening meeting of the D.A.A.C. you state thst a regrettable feature of these meetings has been the poor support given by the Dunedin Harriers, and you ask. "Is this club dormant in the summer?'' This merely requires a slight explanation. It must be borne in mind that a very large majority of the Dunedin Harriers (and of all harrier clubs) are non-racing men, and one of the primary objects of the club is to cater for such members, and this is done with entire satisfaction to all concerned during the winter months. On the other hand, there is the racing element, which is bound to find iis own level, and no one can say that tho Dunedin Hnriicrs has not also cit^recl for these. In tho last balance jheet it is shown that ovei £20 was spent in trophies during 1902. It is naturally expected that the racing men will uphold the honour of the club in outside events on all possible occasions, and they have done so to their own and their club'? credit. Regarding the e\cnin°; meetings, I notice that in the one hf^d the wee-k before !a?t there were five members of the Dunedin Harriers competing, all of whom more or less distinguished themsehe«. I quite recognise that all the clubs should work for the good of athletics pfrncrallv, and in this connection it is, to my mind, a debatable question as to where tho honour? lie. In closing, allow me to remind yon that a couple of years as^o the Dunodin Harriers promoted a long distance race on Forbury Park, and for the last two years have successfully conducted a load race, both open to all amateurs. These were not supported outside the ranks of the harriers. — I am, etc.,

Hakiiieb. A Melbourne cable states that a conference of tho Amateur Athletic Union approved the sending of a team to the St. Louis Exhiibition. The matter, however, is one of finances.

D.A.A.C. EVENING ATHLETIC MEETING. The fifth of a series of evening athletic meethgs piomoted by the Dunedin Amatcmr Athletic Club was held at Cansbiook on Friday evening. The weather was fine, -but the attendance was meagie. The feature ot the meeting was th? splendid liinnmg oi H. Burk m the Mile Flnt, which he covered from scratch in the exceptionally good time of 4mm 37gec. None of the other events call for speoial menlioj. Hesults — One-mile Handicap. — H. Burk (scratch) 1, Campbell Ulsyds) 2. Also stirtcd • F. Williams 60j-ds, A. Melville 80yds, Titchener 115 yds, A. Romeril 115 yds, L. M'Curdy, 115 yds. 'lhe men were sent away together, JM'Cmdy being the first to show out, and leading the fiolcl iox a round. The s^co^d round saw the mmi l 'iu:b' ou,, v,ith Omi-bu'i m -V: lend, clos-.'y followed by Titchenor, M'Curdy, and Romenl. The middle-distance men — Williams and Melville — weie 20yds away from the leaders, and Bulk, taking things easy, several yaicls an the lear. Going roui'd for the thud time Wulhanis retired. Bmk was now vapidly overhauling the leaders, and going lound the back Mrctch foi the last hp lan into second iiUce. Entering the straight a great lace ensued be-

tween Buik and Campbell, the former gradually drawing away and winning by 2yda. Time, 4niui 37soc.

Two-miie Walk.— P. E,omeril (150 yds) 1, A. Owen 190 yds) 2. H. Divers (scratch) plso started. The mon maintained a steady gait for tho fust tluee laps, strung out in the order of their handicaps. At the fourth lap Divers retired, leaving the lace to be fought cut bstween Romc.nl and Owen. Entering the straight for tho nfth lap, Romeril was treading on the heels of the limit man. This order was maintained until the last round, -when Romeml passed Owen, and won all out by syds. Time-, 16mm 3 3-ssec.

440yd3 Flat Handicap.— A. B. Christie (24yds) 1, A. Hoare (2yds) 2, J. Hamann (syds) 3. Also started: .7. Stalker scratch, J. Mooney 16yds, H. Fianklin 17yds, T. Murray 20yds, A. Don; 23yds. This race was run in semi-darkness, making it a matter of difficulty to distinguish* the competitors. The limit man — Christie — was never headed, and led all the way, winning easily ; 2yds separated second and third. Time, 54 !2-ssec.

Long Jump.— J. Stalker (10ft 6m) 1, A.. Hoare (19ft sin) 2, Paiata (17ft 10ln) 3. A Don also competed, jumping 16ft llin.