NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 58

NOTES BY AMATEUR.

The ISOS harrier season will be opened

In Dunedin on Saturday, when a combined

run -will be held from the North Dunedin ■ -Drill Hall. The following clubs will be re.presented:— Dunedin. X.M.C.A., Civil Service, Univer^'ty, and Port Chalmers, while the .new clubs at present in course- of for-

mation-will, it is Jioped, also take part in

r the .run.' The throe first-named clubs are acting. as "bosss on the occasion, and extend a "hearty- welcome to all members or in- ;-^ tending members of harrier clubs. The run ""? -wllOake place- at 3 p.m. sharp, and a record „ - -number is looked foi: ~ " Congratulations to Mr W. H. Musker on tis re-election as president of the parent club, the Dunedin Harriers. Mr Musker is - an enthusiastic worker for athletics, and the CBT. appreciate him. The sports at Gore, which had been postponed from the 23rd ult., came off on the 29th ult. The two amateur events brought out good fields — the postponement, however, adversely affecting the- number* of starters. .. In the Relay Race three teams made the - trip frooi Inveroargill on the first- occasion, •but only one was able to attend when the ~ event was, held. The Invereargill Club was represented by a good ""team, consisting of fW-_ Anderson, J. Miller. J. Corbett,-<=and A. jLyon; while^the recently-formed Gore Club thad two teams, No. 1 being made up of

C. 1.. Smith. W. Ross, J. Tosswill, and R.

'E. Bust', while in No. 2 there were G. "terownlie, E. Ward, G. Inder, and C. Turnbull. The race resulted in a. win for the

who ran from scratch,

Gore No. 1 team."

with Invercargill (lOvds) second, and Gore , r : jSFo. 2 (75yds)- third. Smithy of Gore, who - ran first for his team, finished 15yds ahead

of Anderson, -and this lead was increased -to 50yds by Ross. In the third lap Tosswill alsoinereased the lap, leaving Bust to win,

pulling up, -by 40yds. " The Gore Club is naturally very elated over its win, and intends making every \_«Sprs_-to send -same strong teams to In--jpercargiU at Easter. The Invercargill Club "• jwill.make a determined attempt to retain _*h? prizes in Ihvereargill, while it is underthat, profiting by last experience, the Civil Service^-Glub intends taking -— down some good material.

,-3n -ihe-Halfrxnile Steeplechase at Gore nine men faced the starter, J. Tosswill and SA. jLyon' being on scratch. A very good pace was- set from the start, with tha result that only three completed the distance. •Brownlie (50yds) led to within 200 yds from thome, when he was caught and passed by iToeswill, and Bust, the last-named, drawing oat and winning comfortably. Bust was on

tho 20yds mark.- He ran in Dunedin at the D.A.A.C. meeting in February, but was' 'then short of work. He is a promising runner. The time for the race was 2min 19sec. The Gore Olub hope* to be strongly repiesented in the Interprovincial Cross-coun-try Championship at- Invercargill this year. Several runners are in active training? at (present, with an eye .o inclusion in the. Southland^ team. ." The different annual meetings of the

various harrier clubs have this year again ibeen. marked with great enthusiasm. The - CDunedin -elected no less than 25 new memjbers this year, and competition for office iwas .extremely keen. Mr A. Bonnin was elected secretary, while Mr Frank Webb iholds the position of captain, with Don Melville as his deputy. The Y-M.C.A.H. have also made a good

Over 14 new men have already been

elected, whilo more are expected. Mr JSeorge Mcreton is again captain, and under 3hs -leadership there is no doubt the' "Young

Men's " will have a good season. - The Civil Service Club expects to again

have a good year. So far 11 new members -liave been put through by the committee,

jand large number of nominations have %>een received, and will be realt with before -the,, opening run. Mr Orchiston, who has flbeen president for two years — in fact, ever since the inception of the club. — retired from office this year owing to having removed his residence from the city. Mr Orchiston has taken a lively interest in the club all along, and his efforts have been much appreciated. In his stead Mr J. B. ■Dall will fill the position of president, while iMr A. Clothier has been added to the list of

.vice-presidents. Mr A. Melville is captain Ahis year, while Mr H. Mackintosh is deputy. Mr R. G. Anderson is again seere-

.tary. At the annual, prize-giving of the Civil Service Club Mr Orchiston, in acknowledging the toast of his health, announced his 'intention of donating to the club this year two books, Professor Kirk's "Flora and (Fauna 'of New Zealand." Mr Orchiston /ihumorously suggested that the books might J>e given to those runners who finished last %s naturally they would have more time to JBtudy the flora and fauna passed en routeI Those intending to make the trip to the L^jcemen's Carnival at Inveroargill at Easter s are reminded that entries will close on April fthe 15th. Mr A. A. Paape has been at {considerable trouble to get a generous provision for amateurs, and his efforts 'ehonld .be rewarded by large entries. In [addition to the Relay Race, of one mile, /there is a 440 yds, Half-mile, and Mile. A special trophy will be given to the winner *)bf most points in the. three handicap events. Several local athletes have signified their intention of being present at the Pioneer 'Athletic Club's sports at Christchurch on {Easter Monday. Reported that Morton, the English ohamtoion sprinter, who defeated Arthur Duffey last .season, purposes visiting Australasia next year.

Tb.£ secretary of the Dunedia Amateur

Athletic Club anticipates a profit over tho annual athletic meeting of the club. A sum Of abotit £40 will be carried forward, over the season's workings. The evening athletic meetings, of which 12 were held during the season, were a great success.

Tiie death is announced as having taken place in Auckland a week or two ago of Mr T. Kerr, who was the first N.Z. A.A.A. one-mile walking champion representing the Dunedin Amateur Athletic Club in 1887. Mr .Ken- was afterwards transferred to Christchuroh, and subsequently to Auckland. Hia friemds in this city will regret to hear of hie death.

A northern writer is of the opinion that Hector Burk is the finest half-mile and onemile amateur runner this colony has ever turned out.

Shrubb, the English runner, will compete in the One-mile Championship of New South Wales, and a five-mile handicap in Sydney on April 15, and a ten-mile race against five New South Wales runners, each of whom will run two miles.

Dunedin clubs will be well represented at Invercargill and Oamaru. The Civil Service Club will journey in strong force to Invercargill, and its representatives should return full of gold medals and trophies. The majority of the D.A.A.C. runners will make the Oamaru trip. In view, therefore, of the forthcoming meetings, training at-the Caledonian and Carisbrook Grounds is being actively carried on. The annual- athletic contests betjreen the iival 'varsities, -Oxford and Cambridge, took place at- Queen's Club on Saturday, and resulted in a win for Oxford by 6£ points to Cambridge's 3£ points.

The repoi-tof the Scottish Amateur A.A. states that in no previous year have so many records been broken, and 1904 will be long remembered for the series of world's records accomplished hy A. Shrubb, South London H., at Ibrox Park. Special attention is also drawn to the great performances achieved by T. R. Nicholson in the hammer and weight. R. S. Stronach in the hurdles, J. M'Gough in the mile and fourmile,- and R. G. Murray in the jumps. In addition to these record feats, T. R. Nicholson won the Amateur Athletic Ghampion.ship at Throwing the Hammer, Stronach gained the Hurdle Championship, J. M'Gough ran Shrubb to a neck in the Onemile Championship.

At fche Burma Amateur Athletio Association's meeting, at Rangoon, T. Barton, of tne Government Collegiate School, jumped sft lliin. This is a world's record for the high jump by a boy still at school. The best? recorded high jump at an English school is sft Bin.

It is estimated that only 5756 persons paid for admission to Lancaster, Park on the two day* of the New Zealand Championship meeting. When it is considered that in addition to the function being the biggest of the kind held in the colony — to wit, tho N.Z. championship meet, there were present the world's champions, Shrubb and Duffey, and the Australian athletes Wheatley and Widmer, the paucity of the attendance is past all understanding, and would .go to prove that Christchuroh, of all t(hc centres, is the hardest to move in the matter of amateur athletics.

The junior cross-country championship of Ireland, decided a day or two before the mail left, was won by T. Kelly in 36min 50sec.

There was a most extraordinary happening at a sports meeting outside of Melbourne on St. Patrick's Day. During the running of one of the most important events news arrived that bush fires were raging in close proximity to several wellknown farms. Horses were hastily saddled, and before long there was soaorely a man left on tha ground.

The ten-mile championship of the Amateur Athletio Union of the United States of America was won the other day by J. Joyce in 54min 54isec.

At the Boston Athletic Association's indoor meeting on February 11 the most notable performance was the breaking, of the 40yds dash by a sprinter named Eaton, who clipped the worsted in 4- 2-ssec. At the same meeting Ralph Rose put the 161b shot 47ft 9iin. Rose is an all-round athlete, and claims that he can run 100 yds in llseo, do a mile in smin 3sec, 120 yds high hurdles in 17 2-ssec, walk a half-mile in 3min 45sec, clear sft lOin in running high jump, throw the 561b weight much better than the record (his estimate being over 39ft). throw the hammer 160 ft, put the shot 48ft 7in, and do over 9ft in the pole vault.

Alfred Shrubb. the English champion, is not only a wonderful runner, but a wonderful man. He arrives in New Zealand after an illness in Melbourne. Runs a mile trial in Christchurch sattn evening as he arrives - from Dunedin in 4min 32sec; competes next day, and wins a three mile championship. Following day comes out and is beaten in the mile championship, won in 4min 27 2-ssec. Threequarters of an hour later runs in and wins a four-mile race in, soli' 1 time. Goes to Wellington, and finishes fifth in the mile, his time being 4min 363ec. Allowed pacemakers in the three-mile handicap, and finishes second in 14min 55sec. Makes a two-days? journey by land aud water to Auckland, and, "though not having recovered thoroughly from the sea trip, and still suffering somewhat from the effects of influenza," three days later creates an Australasian record for the mile, and equals his own best, put up on that historic cinder track at Stamford Bridge Grounds in London. The Englishman's recovery fx-om. the effects of his r-ecent illness is marvellousi — no less remarkable, indeed, than his performances «it Auckland on Saturday. I noticed in the report of the athletio meeting 1 in which Shrubb and Duffey and the Australian visitors competed at Wellington that reference is made to the starting. The report reads : "As at Christchurch and Dunedin, Duffey was very fractious on the mark, and broke as soon as the word 'Set !' was given." So far as Dunedin is concerned the foregoing statement is incorrect. In all his starts at the Otago Centre meeting the American flyer did not make a single break, but stood on his mark like a lamb. That "little bit of wool" across the starting line, which so amused the Georgetown sprinter on first acquaintance, is going to prove his best friend when investigation for 50yds world's grass record comes to be made. I cannot help expressing surprise that the Wellington Centre allowed paoe-makers to Shrubb in that runner's attempt to break the Australasian record for the distance at the meeting in Wellington a fortnight ago. The authorities in the north are surely aware of the fact that the record, if broken, would not be recognised under such conditions. Why ask a man to break a record if h© bss no chance of having it i"e£i°tered?

f At a recent meeting of the New South Wales Amateur Athletic Association, the programme for the Shrubb-Duffey meeting ■to tako place in Sydney on April 15 and 22 was adopted, with the exception of the tenmile event, which was sent back to the committee for reconsideration. Both Wellington and Auckland claim that Duffey broke the world's record for the 75yds dash at their respective meetings. At Wellington Duffey won the final of the 75yds in 7 l-ssec ; but, as he beat the gun, the < performance cannot bo claimed as a world's record. In his heat in. the 75yds in Auckland, Duffey did 7 2-sseo for the distance-, the previous best on record being "VVefer's 7 3-ssec. ! A Wellington writer on the New South j Wales sprinter Widmer: — The company and the handicaps were too good for Widmer, the New South Wales sprinter. Off the ■ track he is a very decent fellow to meet and talk with, but on Saturday he seemed to me to be too anxious to shepherd DufI fey to do himself full justice. Also, he tried to" impress the starter and the other competitors that Widmer was running just to ! please the management, and to beat Duffey 'ii possible. The other competitors were • small fry, sir, to him. i Georgetown is to tlie fore again with another promising sprinter. It was at George- , town that Arthur Duffey rose to fame, and ! now the college at that point has Charles J. Seitz. who promises to out-Duffey Duffey. I-; is claimed, says the 'Frisco correspondent of Sydn-ey Referee, that Seitz has several times equalled the 60yds record established nearly 20 years ago by Lou iViyers. At the second annual inter-scholas-tic meet of the Washington High Schools, ] held at Washington, D.G., on January 28, ■ Sedtz created a new world's record, cover- • ing the 60yds in 6 l-ssec. He was paced by Herbert Doyle and J. Walker, of Georgej town. Four watches caught the time, and j all agreed perfectly. After breaking the ■ 60yds record, Seitz tried for the 50yds, I but the best he could do wa.s equal the old mark — to wit, 5 2-sesc. ' The standard times just issued .by the , Midland A.A.A. for the championships are not very high, as witness the following : — 440 yds Flat, 53sec ; 880 yds Flat, 2min ssec ; Une-milo Flat, 4min 35sec ; Four-mile Flat, 21min 30sec ; Ten-mile Flat, 58min ; Oneinile Waiicing, 7min 30eec ; High Jump, s>f fc 2in ; Long Jump, 19ft. The Shrubb-Duffey meeting at Auckland i on Saturday was somewhat disappointing in j the matter of attendance (wires my Auck- ' land correspondent), as despite perfect weather conditions, only about 5000 spectators put in an appearance, but in the matter of sport nothing finer hasSbeen seen on the Domain Cricket Ground for many a i long day, and those* who were there would i not have missed if for ten times the money. . 'l'lie running tracks', though lacking some 1 of tlie life for which the turf of tlie Domain j Ground is noted, the resiilt of an unusually dry season, were nevertheless in capital order, and everything favoured fast time. A puffy north-westerly breeze blowing at an angle across the track at times, assisted the sprints, but on the wihole its influence on j i>n«. results was not very marked. I All eyes were of course focussed on the 1 champions, Alfred E. Shrubb (England) and Arthur F. Duffey (America), both of whom gave ample evidence of tiieir remarkable powers, Shrubb delighting the onlookers with his wonderful feats of endurance over long distances, while the American with his lightning dashes over tihe sprint courses, and his celerity in getting off the mark, clearly demonstrated that if not at present keyed" up to the highest pitch, he is nevertheless still a great -sprinter. Giving away starts up to 160 yds, Shrubb won the Mile Handicap from the scratch mark in 4min 22sec, equalling his best English performance and setting yip a fresh amateur record for the Australasian colonies. Before going out, the South London Harrier made it known that he was determined to lower the record recently established by Hector Burk, of Dunedin, to whom he had to strike his colovxrs ait Lancaster Park, Christohurch, in 4min 27 2-ssec. When he had covered half the distance it was evident that new figures were to go on the list, a? he had reeled off the- two oircits in 2min ssec, and was going great guns. The I third quarter occupied Imin llsec, and aJS I the champion set out at an increased pace i on entering on fche closing lap, where 40yds still separated him from the leading man, the spectators recognised that he had the race in hand. Urged on by their cheers, ! Shrubb ran over the final circuit in Imin osec,*- winning by 18yds or 20yds from M'K.ean (100 yds), who deserved / credit for a plucky effort. When the time was hoisted on the result board the cheering was renewed, and continued unabated till Shrubb disappeared on his way to the dressing quarters. The times were: First quarter, 59 3-ssec ; half-mile, 2min ssec ; three-quar-ters, 3min 16sec ; mile, 4min 22sec. In the Three-mile Hdndicap Shrubb, d&spite the fact that he had to undertake vlie heart-breaking task of conceding starts up to 620 yds, and " to shake off one or two gritty though not particualrly brilliant runners at different stages, was quite equal to the demands made on him. Man after man gave place to the champion., the majority finding the pace too hot, and dropping out, and when he entered on the last half-mile he .had thrown all opposition behind. Increasing his lead right through the last two laps, he ultimately breasted the tape just on 100 yds to the good of Rogers, finishing with a spurt up the straight, and to all appearances almost as fresh as whan he had started. The crowd in their desire to do honour to the marvellous little English nmner rushed the ground, and he was seized by the first batch of admirers to reach him and carried shoulder high to the dressing room, followed by the oheering thousands. Shrubb had failed to improve on the Australian figures of 14min 49se-c established by W. F. Simpson (Ohristehuroh) on the same ground in 1901, but had nevertheless accomplished a fine performance. His time for the three miles being 14min 57sec. The champion covered the first mile in 4min 39see, and two miles in 9min 57scc. The second mile was the slowest, occupying smin 12sec. Duffey's best performances were in his heat in the 75yds International Handicap and the 50yds Invitation Dash. In the first mentioned event he set a fre^h standard of 7 2-ssec, beating the previous world's best (f 3-sseo), held jointly by Carey and Wefers, by l-ssec. The Georgetown University sprinter did not beat the starter's pistol, bud was wonderfully quick into his stride, and, finishing like a whirlwind, literally hurled himself at the worsted, snatching victory by inches. There was, however, a sustained puff of wind during the running of the heat, and this undoubtedly gave 4 hixs, gome^ though not >ver£ material^ assist-

ance in accomplishing his great feat. The Ameiiean turned out :n the final, but could not get nearer than third, being beaten 3yds by the winner, F. Barton (6gyds), m the same lime as regi-tered m the heat he won (7 2-secet. This time the Yankee was not quite so quick to mo\e at pistol crack a, in his heat, and did not finish with the same determination, the bulldog rush in the last few strides being conspicuous only by its absence. Seen afterwards, Duffey stated that he only occasionally ''gets in one of his very best," and does not himself know just exactly when he i^ going to "trot it out." In the 50yd.« Invitation Da«h, won by G. W. Smith, of Auckland, in the sterling time oi 5 1-5-pc. off tho liyd*, Duffey again filled third place, and as he was not more than a couple of feet away from the winner when the worsted wa; snapped, his running confirmed the time established by him recently in the South Island, when ho put up the world's record nine of 5 2-ssec for the grass track. The American crack also turned out in the 100 yds World's Handicap, but failed to qualify fo. the final, being , beaten out of a place in a heat (fir=t aud second only to start in the final) won in , lOsec. His prceodino; efforts had evidently ' taken some of the dash out of him, and ! this is not to be wondered at when it is remembered that his training since arriving in Auckland has been confined to a couple of runs. Next to the champions, the competitor to claim most attention was G. A. Who-atley, the young Victorian distance runner, who was responsible for a couple of very atractive performances, and is a nice cut of an athlete, with a long, free, and telling stride. In the Half-milf Handicap,- won by him from scratch in limn 59sec. the "Victorian, was right up with his field when they had gone a-qtiarter of a mile, and ultimately ran home the easieet of winners by upwards of 20yds from Cowan. Had there been anyone there to extend him over the last 200 yds. Wheatley would undoubtedly have improved on his time. The visitor also filled third place in the One-mile Handicap, and as he was not more than 40yds away from Shrubb when the Englishman reached the tape, and finished up strongly, it is clear* that he ran the distance in 4miu 30sec. G. A. Widmer, 100 yds and 440 yds champion of New South Wales, proved himself a very plucky and determined runner, and well above the average; but the «tai-ts were beyond him, and he had 'to be content with third place in the 220 yds Handicap, 4yds from the winner. L. B. Todd (13yds). whose- time was 22 l-ssec. Widmer, who started from the scratch mark, might have been closer up had he not attempted to tako up the inside punning about half-way up the straight, ■which ivvulted in his losing ground, and led to jostling. My Auckland correspondent wires that ' the Auckland Centre anticipates a profit jof £80 over the Shrubb-Duffey meeting i held there last Saturday. ! From a programme just to hand of the j Bruce Athletic Club. I am pleased to ; notice that Mr W. M'Donald, the wellknown handicapper and starter fur the Otago Centre, has been appointed handicapper for tho Bruce Club's sports, to be 1 held at Milton on Easter Mondiy. The ! southern club is to bo congratulated on ■ securing the services of such a capable 1 man as Mr M'Donald has proved to re. j "Pat" Webster, the ex-New Zealand j sprinter, now in Sydney, made his appear- ! ance on the track in "Harbourville"' en St. i Patrick's Day. He finished third in his j heat of the 100 yds Handicap from the 2yds j mark, and failed to qualify in the fined. i A. A. Cameron, the famous Scottish athlete, and Constable Arthur Skinner, of Auckland, will meet in a. three-style wrestling match next Friday evening (wires my Auckland correspondent). Cameron has chosen catch-as-catch-can, and Skinner , Cumberland otyle, and the ..third style will be decided by tossing a coin. Should the spin favour Cameron, he will name GraecoRoman as the third style, while should choice fall to Skinner, he will declare in favour of Cornish. Owing to his illness in Melbourne, Shrubb , was unfortunately not able to compete in ; Dunedin. Tli-e redoubtable Englishman made his first appearance in New Zealand at Christchurcih, and though not quite in his best form, won the Three-mile Championship on the first day of the New Zealand Championship meeting, but on the second day was beaten in the Mile Championship hy Btark, of Dunedin, in 4min 27 2-ssec. Coming out three-quarters of an hour later Shrubb demonstrated his powers as a distance runner by easily winning the Fourmile Handicap. It was anticipated that Shrubb would show greatly improved form in Wellington, bait, strangely enough, he receded, failing to get a place in the Mile event, and only securing a eeco-nd in the 'Ihree-mile. Shrubb attributed, his defeate in Wellington to the generosity of the handicapper, and to the fact that he had not struck form. In Auckland, however, fehrubb came out in his true colours, winning- the Mile in the Australasian record time of 4min 22sec, and winning the Threemile in 14min 57sec. In the latter event Shrubb made an attempt on Simpson's New Zealand record of 14min 49seo, but failed by Bsec. In connection with. Shrubb's performances in Auckland, it is remarkable that the Englishman ran up to his very best dorm over the mile, in which he does not pride himself, and failed in the Three-mile, for which he holds' world's records. Prior to the Auckland meeting Shrubb told an interviewer that in endeavouring to lower the existing local records for the mile and three mile he did not feel sanguine about the. shorter distance, but felt very hopeful of improving on the three-mile figures. Shrubb's anticipations were, however, reversed. Taking Shrubb's New Zealaind performances on the whole, the Englishman has demonstrated his wonderful powers as a distance runner. Arthur Duffey, the American sprinter and 100 yds world's record holder, struck form immediately on arrival in Dunedin, wheie he won the 50yds Dash in the word's record time for a grass track by bkimming over the distance in 5 2-s^ec. With this performance no exception can be taken when investigations are made for a world's record, and tho Georgetown sprinter is justly entitled to its recognition. Unfortunately, after getting a place in his heat in the 100 yds. 1 Duffey was so badly left at the post in I the final that he failed to get a place. Going j on to phristchuroh, and competing at the ! New Zealand Championship meeting, the American demonstrated his form by winning his heat in lOseo dead, and annexing tho final easily in 10 2-ssec. At this meeting the American had to concede big starts m die 75yds Handicap, and albeit getting a _ glace m his faeaii and winning tha Gemi-

final, failed to got a place in tlie final. In the 50yd& Dac=h. howpver, Duffey. aftor getting a flying start, won in 5 2-ssoc, thus equalling his performance in Dunecun. Despite the fact that at Oiiristohurch Duffey equalled his Dunedm performance in time (some watches made the time l-ssee under), it had not the same merit ov/inc to bis having beaten the pistol. Competing at Wellington, Duffey retained his form in the 75yds and 50yds Dashes, winning the 7t>yds with a flying start in 7 l-ssec, and getting second in the shorter distance in 5 2-s£ec. In the 100 yds Duffey failed to run. up to his Ohristohureh form, being beaten by Seddon off 7yds in 9 4-ssec, and running; third in the event to Carpenter on 10yds. Strangely enough, at Auckland, the last town visited on the tour, Duffey failed to win a single event out of three starts. In, each of the other centres, Wellington, Ohristchurch, and Dunedin, the American was a first prize-winner. Reviewing the whole of his New Zealand performances, ifc will be se^en t'aat Duffey, albeit running several pounds over-weight, is quite in a class by himself as a sprinter, the nearest approach in the writer's mind to the American on his N.Z. form being Hartland, of Chiistchurch. Altogether, Duffey has more than justified the New Zealand Council in ; bringing on a tour of this colony. The Australians Wheatley and Widmer were -secured by the- council as an additional attraction. "Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch favoured the scheme, whil« Otago opposed it. The former centre, however, while agreeing to the inclusion of Wheatley, of Victoria, objected to Widmer, of New South Wales, on the grounds that he was unknown in New Zealand. Otago opposed the "additional attraction" scheme on the giounds that whatever attraction than centi-e's meeting possessed for the general public. Shrubb and Duffey would furnish it, and, further, that owing to lack of funds they could not sanction the additional expense, the venture would entail keeping in view the sending of their own representatives to compete at the New Zealand championship meeting. The view taken by the Otago Centre will be more readily understood when it is explained *ha+ the centro was unable to pay the whole of the expenses of its representatives to Christchurch. Another view of the position taken by Otago was that there were men in New Zealand the equal of, and in some, instances the superiors io, the Australian athletes, which voitl'li m&ke them an additional attraction only by their presence, and not by their performances. That that view was a correct one so far as Otago is concerned was proved by the showing of the two Australians at the meeting at which they competed in Dunedin. Wheatley improved the farther north he went, but his best time — that at Auckland — was not equalled by the time put up in Dunedin, where the Victorian was beaten by Burk. The fact that he won the half-mile races at Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland stamps him as a very fine half-miler, and on these performances alone hi* selection is justified. Widmer, on the other hand, has been a disappointment, and failed on the tour to perform up to his Australian reputation. This may be accounted for by the change- of climate, and the point must "pc conceded to the NewSouth Wales sprinter, but that there are men in New Zealand his superior over certain distances has been proven on the present tour.

Talcing Shrubb as the- first of the visiting athletes, the Englishman started in seven. events, securing four firsts, two seconds, and ran once unplaced. Duffey started in 11 events, securing four firsts, one second, three* thirds, and ran three times unplaced. Wheatley started in nine events, securing: three firsts, one second, three thirds, and twice unplaced, Widmer started in 13 events, securing one first, one second, four thirds, and eight times unplaced. The following table will show at a glanca the performances of the visiting athletes — Messrs Shrubb (England), Duffey (America), Wheatley (Victoria), and Widmer (New South Wales) — on the New Zealand tour: —

The time for receiving nominations for the 100 Yards and Sheffield Handicaps, and ail bicycle events at the Clyde sports, has been, external until the Sth inst. The 75 Yards ana 220 Yards Handicaps have been made pos* entry.

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