NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2673, 7 June 1905, Page 53

NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Honour was done the veteran long-dis-larca runner W. J. Burk and his son H. G. Burk by appointing them manager and captain respectively of the Otago ero:-s-eountry championship team in the interprovincial race against Southland, won by Otago by 18 points to 40 points. It was only in the fitness of things that the captain of the Otago team, Hector Burk, should be first man home. At a recent meeting of tho Otago Centra of the New Zealand AmatiHtr Athletic Association the statement of accounts submitted^ in connection with the international athlctia ! meeting at which Arthur Dutfey and the Australians (G. A. Wheafciey and G. A. Widmer) competed shows a debit, after aJI expenses and the guarantee of £70 towards the tour, of 16s 9d. In view of the fact that Sbiubb, who was. looked upon as the star attraction of the tour did net compcle at the meeting, the return* must be considered very satisfactory. Secretaries of harrier clubs are invited to" send in short reports of club runs and" harrier news generally. "'Amateur'"' will also be pleased to received fiom the secretaries of the various clubs a copy of the syllabus issued for the season. In last week's issue mention was made of the 100 yds race in Sydney en April 22, in which Arthur Duffey was reported to have beaten the pistol, and to tho fact that photographs tak<?n by Mr J. M. Butter, of the West of Scotland Harriers, and left in my possession, proved that Duffey did not —as stated by Sydney writers— beat thcpistol. The " incident" of the race in which Duffey finished alone caused a great , deal of discussion at the time, the ina- | jcrity of th* scribes, it will be remembered, j not only said that Duffey tcok an unfair j advantage of the starter, but denounced' ! tie American sprinter as a poor sportsman i because he would not re-run the race. Ife apparently never struok these writers that „ they might have been deceived in the starting of the race, but the photograp' , winch r is reproduced on page 41 of the illustrations in this week's issno, -would point to thafc as a reasonable -concfcision to come to. Any- : way, it will be interesting to hear what , these writeus h&ve to say ahout the alleged ■ beating of the pistol by the American after j they h«ve perused the photograph in this i issue of the Witness. j- At a recent meeting of the English Ama- | tear Athletic Association, the following re- , cords were submitted and passed : A. Shrubb, lbrox Park, Glasgow, November 5, 1904- — five miles, 24-miu 55 4-ssec; six miles, 23min 59 2-ssee; seven mile*. 35min 4 3-ssec ; ei&ht miles, 4-Omin Ifeee ; nine miles. 45min 27 3-ssec; ten miles, 50min 4-0 5-s=ec ; 11 miles, S&miu 23 2-ssec : one ! hour, 11 miles 1136 yds — as passed by thej Gefteral Committee of the Scottish A.A.A. J G. E. Larner's one and two-mile walk. 6min 26»e0 and 13min 11 2-ssee, at the Manchester City Police A.C - Snorte, July 13; 1904. With the hon. secretary's compliments comes to hand a copy of the syllabus of th* • Dunsdin Harriers for the r-eaaon 1805. On June 10. the club runs from the lesidenceof Mr J. Gtendining at Roslyn. On tthe; following Saturday the D.H. will he tiie guests of Mr J. Sidey and the Ca-vers-ham Harrier* afc Gaversham. The club's crosscountry handicap, over four railes. in the direction of OargiilNs Cliffs, will be decided on June 24. This, says the syllabus, is aa . ideal race for harriers. As the form shown [ in th's event will receive due consideration when the selection -of those who are to have the honour of representing the club at the j New Zealand Cross-country Championship | comes un for dewsmn, every member 1 should strive 'for ©ne of tfee premier positions. Entries will close with the hop; secretary on the. 17th iost. On July 1 tho run will take place on Wingatui racecourse/ and on July 8, at Halfway Bud', from the residence ol Mr "W". "T. Bunking. On July *■>- 15 the D.H. will h& fhe guests of the president. Mr Wm. Musfcer. at Eglinton, Mornington, and on July 22, from the Norflf Dunedtn Drill HaJi. Commenting on fche winning of the 19* mile English Amateur Championship by A. Aldridge in Slmin 49sec — a minute outside Sh.ru bb's record for (he distance — several good judges of athletics, who witnessed the iaee are «iid to have agreed that ev-c-u if j Shrubb had been in the field Aldridge 1 would have won. ; N. J. Carrsnell. formerly a member of tha I University of Pennsylvania, ran 50yds ai Louisville in 5 l-sscc, thus -establishing a ', x'.ow world's record. The Vidorian A.A.A ha<= sigree" to cue admission to fch.3 union of the GoldSelda Harrier Association, W.A., provided lira name be altered to Western Australiaxs A.A.A. S>uth Australia is now tho oni* State in Australasia without it< amateur association. it merely awjit a prop*** organiser. The Ten-raile Amateur Championship o. Scotland, decided at lbrox Park, fil^gov, on April 1, wai won by S. Stevcns'.n, of t\« Clydesdale llacriars, iv the gcorl time oi 53min 31 2-ssee. It w remarked (wrifes our London cor-r-espondont) that although the Amateur Athletic Association sanctioned Alfred Shrubb's visit to Australia and New Zealand under r.fre auspices of the Nevi Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, and under that association's expense, the governing body is evidently determined to draw the line somewhere, for at the special meeting the applications of the South African Association for permission for Shrubb to break Jii=> journey at ihe Cape- on his way back to England, and to compete at the Wanderers' Club (Johannesburg) Whit Monday meeting, and for the English 100 yds charripion (.1. W. Morton^ to go out and lake pan iv fch-e same sports at tho expense of the South African Association or Wandereis' Club, were refused. In refusing the Souch African Athl&tso Association's application for Shrubb i<j break hi-} hnmewaid journey to England for the purpose of competing at Johannesburg, and in rejecting a similar aplioatiou for Morton to go from England to Johannesburg and back at the South Africans' expense, the Amateur Athletic Association has (says the London Sporting and Dramatic News^ restored a feeling of confidence among its affiliated clubs. Many people thought that the peiniit for Shrubb to go to X<?\7 Zealand at tlut country's exnen.su, ia dis-l

tract contravention of the A.A.A. laws, should never have been granted. Commenting on the ruling of the English A.A.A. in respect to the visit of Shrubb and Morton to South Africa, "Veteran," in London .Sportsman, says: In "face of the ruling by the English A.A.A. with reference to the South African Association's application re Shrubb and Morton, genuine amateur athletes, who rightly look to the ruling body to protect their interests and to see that flesh is not made of one strict adherent to the laws of amateurism knd fowl of another, will entertain fresh feelings of confidence in, and respect for, the organisation under whose laws they compete. The South African A.A. or the Wanderers' Club, Johannesburg (possibly the association and the club between them), •were prepared to pay the extra expenses incurred by Shrubb breaking his journey on his way back from New Zealand, and of . Morton ' going from England to Johannesburg, to compete in the Wanderers* ' sports on Whit Monday. Everything would, ' doubtless, have been in order and under proper supervision ; but it was obviously the opinion of the A. A. A. that , in granting permission to Shrubb and to Morton to gQ to Australia and New Zealand — a concession of which, by the way, Morton did not Itben avail himself — at New Zealand's expense, matters have been allowed to go far «nough. To have- extended the privilege would have created ajbad precedent. One, " «?f -course, feels a bit sorry for Morton, ' jirho has, served iris country- in South Africa, •\nd who irquld,- perhape, .have been rather - sabre keen on showing his paces there, and nfieetmg his old friends at the Cape, than on to tiie Antipodes. Morton, however, fa * good sportsman, and cheerfully accepts the association's ruling.* After all, it may be, both for Morton and Shrubb, a blessing in. disguise. A Melbourne writer states that the distance runners of Victoria, generally speaking, are a lot faster and show more stamina than their brothers of the spiked shoe in New South Wales, and {his is 'brought about by their devotion to real oross-country work. The Melbourne inter-college athletic jßhampionshipa were continued on Wednesday, May 17. Ormond College won with 4' first in all the seven events, scoring in •11 77 points. Trinity was second, with 45 points, and Queen's third, with 31. N. Barratt won the 100 yds; 220 yds, 440 yds, and High Jump. Results : —100yds— N. W. BarTatt (Ormond). No time taken. 120 yds Hurdles — J. Lawton (Ormond). No time taken. High Jump— N. W. Barratt (Orwond), sft lin. 220yds— N. W. Barratt (Orttiond). Time, 23 l-sseo. Long Jump— J. liawton (Ormond), 19ft 6£in. Mile— R. iWetherall (Ormond). Time, 4min 46 2-ssec. .MOyds-rN. W. Barratt (Ormond), 53 2-56ec. A well-known and successful athlete in theuerson.of Dr WI A. Guam, of Timaru, who has bisen absent from the colony for • , about f our- , years ' studying dentistry at Uzhe.^Pennsylvania "University, nas just reiturned to his home in Timaru, and in the J course -*o|- an interesting chat told a '. kiepresentatwe. of the Herald , some partiou--«4*rs^ concerning athletes in the American --"isollegesf,^ At ' the 'colleges, athletics were -.Considered jnoafc important, and the games, as Sports are called in America, are & , business concern. Athletics are conducted in a manner quite different from that folv lowed ' here. In * ika colleges, matters .. ithletio are administered by an Athletio 'Association, haying - complete control over *he sports- end games. The association receives ell the income derived from meetings, and disburses prizes, travelling expenses, benefits, etc. The games are run purely as a matter of business; not to in»ker money, but to make credit, and the ' student who .takes up athletics is expeoted to do has- .level- best to win, for the sake of the .college as wedl as his own. The - rules of the association- include a stipulation *hat no man may be a college representative for more than four years alto- < feejjher, co that -men are not encouraged . to join the universities,- as they might do, for the sake of the games only. Besides Ibis, students must be well up in their work before they can represent the colleges, and oases nave been known where a man lias been taken, out of a rep. team At almost the last minute, on that account. Among the many colleges of the Eastern States, tihe "Big Four' 1 a* present ara Harvard,, Yale, and Princeion. Each college has its field. That at •Pennsylvania is called Franklin Field. It Ss surrounded by seating - accommodation for 30,000 people, and cost half a million ticilare. That huge seating accommodation is packed to the utmost on the occasion jriLbig matches, and 'the gate moneys (the admrasSon fees" are large) keep the asso- ■ "vfation well in funds. The college track jfceam. is trained /by a coach whose salary $s as -high as £300 a year, paid by the •ssociatioiv. He watohes every candidate, " seleote ni^ ' events'.'for ' k 3iim, and is on duty "•ll day. Training in the winter is done indoors," in a huge gymnasium. The principal items at the various meetings are invitation relay races, and these are highly interesting. At Madison" Square Gardens, lin New York, there are " dual matches." Sn which two colleges meet, and their teams compete in a whole "set g£ games/ iteats of all porta being included. The programmes are composed mostly 'of root traces ; cycle racing is dead in America. 'At these matches the men are looked after wifch amazing care. Each man has two attendants, and the place is run like a training stable for humans. The biggest meetings are the inter-collegiate, held in •May, when teams from all over the States compete, with all the amateur cracks who like to come along. (One of the programmes Dr Gunn had witih hmi showed Ihiffey's name in several places; and Dr Gunn eaid there were others in that programme who could beat Duffey.) J)t Gunn was a member of the Pennsylvania track (team, and by virtue of several distinctions )«ras awarded the P certificate of the association, and the big P badge for his Sweater, and this is the highest honour in American college athletics. The Paris correspondent of the New •jEbrk Tribune writes about the Olympio games at Rome in 1908 as follows: Baron yierre de Coubertin, president of the International Olympic Games, the American jdelegates to which are Professor William j M. Sloane and James H. Hyde, with his (characteristic enthusiasm and energy, is 'Snaking the preliminary arrangements for (the Fourth Olympiad, wliioh ■will take place |n Rome" in 1908. During his stay in Rome Pierre do Coubertin was received by the King and Queen of Italy, who both take keen interest in the success of the Olympic spames, and the effective co-opera-tion of the Italian Government is now assured, as is also that of the Municipal Council of Romej which will have oha-vco of the

games, and is determined to make the ifourbh Olympiau surpass anything of the kind yet accomplished. Among the new leatures will be literary and art stio tournaments. Five contests will be opened for the best works m sculpture, painting, architecture, liteiature, and music inspired by athleticism. Queen Helena has expressed her willingness to assume the patron-age of the women's section of the Fourth Olympiad, and her two daughters, the bright and a.thletio little princesses Yolanda and Mafalda, who in 1908 will be respectively seven and six years of age, will take part in the contests in company with some 20 or 30 little girls of the capital. Pius X accorded to Baron Pierre de Coubertin a private audience and conversed with him at length afcout the Olympic games, and said that the Church throughout the world ought to take eager interest in athletic culture, and help in promoting physical progress among the boys and girls of the rising generation. The Pope expressed the opinion that healthful open air sport was the surest means of compensating for the ever increasing strenuous mental work required of all— women as well as men— who take an intelligent sthare in the everyday tasks of contemporary civilisation. Pius believes that there is a certain correlation between broad cbests and broad minds. Himself a man of robust physique and hardy temperament, he puts his faith in exercise and oxygen, and considers a few moments of brisk muscular action with elastic straps or dumbbells as the best preparation and incentive for odhoenfc'rated foraon work. The Pope dwelt upon the significance of the favour now bestowed by tihe Church upon athletic sports, which is the more interesting because it w&s originally the Church's influence that interfered with the sports of oldy it was the Church that urged the Emperor Theodore to stop the Olympic games. Pius X has thus instituted a new era. in regard to physical culture, and • the importance of this step will soon be felt throughout the Roman Catholic world, especially in the schools, seminaries, and univei'sities under Roman Catholic auspices. Baron Pierre de Coubertin is highly pleased with: the results of his visit to Rome, and feels confident that the Fourth Olympiad will be on a larger and more imposing scale tlhan any of the Olympian festivities suppressed in the eighth century by Justinian, and revived by Baron de Coubertin at Athens in the spring of 1896, in connection with the Greek patriotic society, the Ethnike Hetoeria. The Fourth Olympiad is now assured of the enthusiastic support of the Quiriraal as well as of the Vatican,- of -the- "Blacks" and of the "Whites," of the Italian Government, of the municipality of Rome, and of all young folks of both sexes of the Eternal City.