NEW ZEALAND AMATEUR ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 58

NEW ZEALAND AMATEUR ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of delegates of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association was held on Friday evening, when Mr J. F. Grierson (president) was in the chair. The annual report states that during the year ended on September 30 two new clubs were affiliated, making the number on the roll 27. The system of centre government had been on its trial, and the result had been satisfactory, the council being able to assure itself that the new system would be beneficial to sport. The annual championship meeting, held in Wellington on January 9, 1904, was one of the most successful ever held, a very substantial profit resulting. Tho council's share of the profit was ±153 4s. The association was represented at the sixth Australasian championship meeting in Melbourne by Messrs F. Ross, W. H. Pollock, G. W. Smith, C. C. Laurie, and W. F Simpson, th© team securing three championships, and one of its members (Mr Smith) established a record in th© 440 yds Hurdles. Negotiations were carried on during the year with Mr Jam©s E. Sullivan, secretary of the Amateur Athletic Union of America, with a view to securing a visit from a team Gf champion athletes after the Olympic Games at St. Louis. The co-operation of the associations in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, was invited, but the necessary guarantees for the expenses of the team were not forthcoming, and the scheme was abandoned. At the end of th© year, however, arrangements were made for securing an early visit from Messrs A. H. Shrubb and A. F. Duffey. The first New Zealand cross-country championship was held at Christchurch in th© early part of the year, tout though the championship race was a fine one, the meeting failed to attain success financially, a loss of about £20 resulting. A considerable amount of time was spent on the consideration of matters connected with amateur cycling. A proposal that the council shotild undertake the control of that branch of sport was not entertained, and the agreement existing between the association and the League of New Zea-

land Wheelmen was ratified. The question of amateurs competing- with professionals in cycle road races was unde. consideration, and the coxincil hoped to come to a satisfactory agreement with the league. One record, Mr H. C. Murray's time of 56mm 15sec for 10 miles, was passed during the year. Financially the association was x\nusually favoured in securing a substantial return from the championship meeting, but it had to incur heavy expenses for th© conduct of the oross-country championship, and the sending of representatives to the Australasian championships. The council was able, however, to :arry on satisfactorily, and tho season closed with a credit of £13 2s lOd. The balance sheet shows that th© receipts were £201 lls Id, inclusive of a balance of £43 Is 4d from the previous year, £53 4s as the profit on the championship, and £44 12s as donations towards th© expenses of th© Australasian team. The expenditure amounted to £188 8s 3d, th© chief items being th© cost of the Australasian team, £86 12s, and of the cross-country championship, £39.

The report ai?d balance sheet were adopted.

The following officers were elected : — President, Mr J. F. Griereon ; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr C. East; hon. auditor, Mr W. Tonks ; Reinstatement Committee — the president, secretary, and Mr J. R. Green.

An honorarium of £15 15s was granted to the secretary and treasurer. A deputation from the Canterbury Centre waited on th© council anc3 asked whether the centre should control the championship meeting,, and if so, whether the whol© of the pronts would gc against the guarantee giver by the centre, or half the profits be igiven to the council, or if the council was to control the meeting, and apply the centre's ihare of the profits towards the reduction of the gurantee, or the council and the centre run the meeting jointly. The council resolved to take over the responsibility of the visit of Duffpy, Shrubb, and Morton to Canterbury. It was also decided to urge thf> centres to adopt a proposal that the receipts and expenditure in connection with the meetings should be pooled, and? that the profit* or lcsces should b© divided equally between the centres holding meetings at which the visitors would compete. /The committee appointed to arrange for the visit of Shrubb, Duffey, and Morton reported that Shrubb and Duffey would com© to th& colony, but so far no reply had been received as to whether Morton was coming. The following programme for the tour had be ndrawn up: — Leave London December 30, arrives Melbourne February 8, compete Victoria February 18 and 25 ; leave Melbourne March 1, arrive Duned.'n March 8, compete Dunedin March 11, Christchurch March 18, Wellington March 25, Auckland April 1; leave for Sydn&y April 3, arrive Sydney April 7. Mr Alexander Linton (of Auckland) and Mr W. F. Claxton (of Wellington) applied for reinstatement. The second application was granted and the first rejected, on the ground that the applicant was not eligible. An application for affiliation made by the Victoria College Amateur Athletic Club was granted.

The Secretary of th© Otago Centre wrote regretting that the council had seen proper to do away practically with payments for licenses without consulting the various centres, for by such action the- council had deprived the various centres of a considerable portion of their incomes, and consequently ->f their usefulness. The centre thought that the council should reconsider th© matter with a view to the continuance of annual fees, and! was most strongly of opinion that the licenses should be issued annually instead of for all time, whether the fee bf charged annually or only once. The council resolved to rescind the motion making the alteration, and to reinstate the former rule bearing on the subject.