CASH ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 62

CASH ATHLETICS.

Bt Sport.

FIXTUB.ES March 8. — Athletic sports, Mabakanui March 9— Dtmedin Cycling Club .Sheffield Handicap. March 13 — Irish Athletic Society of South-

land. InvercargiH. March 15 — Hibernian Cycling and Athkt.c

Eoorts, Greymouth. March 15— St. Patrick's Srorts. Ophir. March 18 — Athletic tports, Reefton. March 21— Si. Patrick's Day sports, Ashfaur-

ton. March 30 — Cromwell Coledonian sports. April I—Oamaru1 — Oamaru Hibernian sports. April I—Bruce1 — Bruce Athletic sports. April I—Clyde1 — Clyde Sports Club games. April I—Blueskin1 — Blueskin Caledonian sports, Waitati.

During the recent trouble between the Scottish Society of Kew Zealand and the

N.Z. Athletic Union a suggestion was made by the former body that the pipers, dancers, and heavy field athletes join together and form an association for their own protection. During the currency cf the Scottish sports the above suggestion was carried into effect, and a Highland Games Association of New Zealand was formed, with Mr Dugald M'Pherspn. of Dunedin, its first president. Mr Macpherson, who is also connected with the local Burns Club, Gaelic Society, and Caledonian Society, recently tabled a motion to the effect "that the" Otago Caledonian Society withdraw from any connection with tho N.Z. Athletic Union." A special meeting was called on Friday evening last to consider Mr M"Pher&on"s motion, which lapsed for want of a seconder. However, a sympathiser with Mr M'Pherson's position seconded the motion pro forma, and saved the situation. The mover endeavoured to convince bis listeners of the reasonableness of the stand he had taken, but the motion on being put received no support.

The Hedgehope athletic sports were held on Wednesday last, the 6th; when the attendance was good and competition keen. The 135 Yards Handicap, with prizes of £3 and a trophy valued at 10s 6d, £1 10s, and 15s, was won by W. Baird off 2yds, with D. Thomson (6yds) second and N. Cook (10yds) third. The 220 Yards was also won by Baird off scratch, with J. M'Conechy (ByusJ second and D. Dodda (6yds) third. The Holf-mile resulted: J. M'Conechy. 10yds, 1; E. Goldsmith, 25yds, 2; W. Hughes, 40yds, 3.

For the Hawke's Bay Highland . sports, to be "held on the 13th, excellent entries have been received, and they are well up to the highest standard of former years, including the leading runners of the colony Several cycling champions will also compete in the cycling events.

W. Baird, who competed unsuccessfully in Christchurch on January 24 and 26, won the Hedgehope Handicap for the third year in succession on the 6tn inst.

According -to "Prodigal" in Sydney Referee, an amateur may not compete against & professional in public, even though no prize be given, in athletic exercises," although he may in games such as cricket, baseball, football, handball, fives, golf, lacrosse, tennis, quoits, racquets, and hockey. In point of iact the amateur may noj; even enter for any athletic event open to professionals, let alone compete. A Sheffield Handicap under the direction of Captain Hutton Taylor was played out on the Alexandra Park, Auckland, on. the 29th -and 30th of January. The ground, which was lighted with electric light, was in good order, and there was a largo attendance of the public to "watch the events, which were highly interesting. The heats resulted : —First heat: V. Little, 10yds, 1; R. Sprague, 12yds, 2. Second: G. Hunt, 13yds, 1; J. H. Edwards, llyd«, 2. Third: F. Gladding, 7£yds, 1; J. Tate, 4yds, 2. Fourth: F. M. Simpson, 12yds, 1; O. Jackson, 13yds, 2. Fifth: G. Davideon, 13yds, 1; G. Hirst, 114 yds, 2. Sixth: P. P. "Miles, 11yds, 1; M. Hioks, 14yds, 2. Seventh: C. Humphries, lltyds, 1; A. Morris, Syds, 2. In the semi-finals the following qualified :— Edwards, Davidson. Hunt, -Little, Gladding, Jackson, Simpeon, and Morris. Tie final, with prize* £25, £10, £3. and £2, resulted: F. M. Simpson. J. H. Edwards, F. Gladding. A protest entered against Simpson was -dismissed. The Consolation, of 130 yards, resulted: O. Jackson, 11yds, 1; JRaynes, syds, 2: Hirst, 10yds, 3. A good race. Time, 13&ec. . The amateur governing council has decided to ask tho Athletic Union for the text of the agreement as approved by at at the late conference. The only alteration to the former proposed agreement was tlwt the union wished cash races to bo put on amateur programmes in return for amateur events bein£ put on cash programmes. The president (Mr Ataek) informed the meeting that ihere was nothing to prevent this being done. The projjjr&niTOe faa« been issued for tho Eighth Kalgoorlie "Hundred" Carnival, which eventuates March 12, 14, 18, and 19. The principal events comprise 140 Yards Handicap. 130sov« ; Sprint Handicap. 25sovs; 300 Yards Handicap, 28eovs; 1000 Yards Handicap, 22eovs ; Hurdle Championship, Mile "Walk, and several cycling events, including a Ladies' Cycling Championship. At the Inglewocd Caledonian sports on January 31 the 100 Yards and 220 Yard* Handicaps were both won by H. L. Abbott, the "All Black" footballer. The 400 Yards was won by de Lounay, while the Half and Mile were both won by O. W. Ryan. The Wanganui Amateur Athletic Llub« has applied for, and been granted,' permission to include a professional race on their programme of sports to be held shortly. An official deserving of special mention for the wav in which he superintended the piping and dancing events at the last Union sport* wa« Mr John M'Gregor, secretary of the Southland Caledonian Society. " iia ? ' was complimented on all sides for tho prompt manner in which he got off tho event* directly under his control. The press especially are indebted to Mr M'Gregor for the obliging manner in which ho supplied any necessary information as to results, etc. The Oamaru Hibernian Society. like- the other sports society in tho White Stone City, is already feeling the effects of prohibition, judging from an application they made to the North Otago A. and P. Association for the use of the Show Ground* on Easter Monday. The letter explainer! that in previous years the publican's booth privileges, generally about £25. alwnvs stood to them in rase of a "rainy day," and they now a&ked that owjng to prohibition taking away this amount that the grounds be let to them cheaper than formerly. The association generously reduced the fee tom £10 10s to £7 10s. . W. A. Prentice, who ran second in the> Half and Mile at the Inglcwood Caledonian snorts on the 31st ult., hails from Kurow, and i 3 a distance runner of more than ordinary merit. Prentice went north on a tour of the big meetings in the North Island before Christmas, and has met with a considerable amount of success up to the present. Before leaving Oamaru Prentice took the precaution of having hie performances certified to by Mr R. L. Rule, the Oamaru handicapper.

The Matakanui athletic 6ports body, whose meeting eventuates on the BtH of March, is out with a £35 programme consisting of quoiting, Tunning, wrestling, jumping, etc. The principal pedestrian event is 150 yds. with prizes of £3. £2, £1. As is usually the lot of a club holding its first annual 6ports a good deal of expense has to be gone to in preparing a track and in buying the necessary odds and ends for the successful carrying

out of the races. The club is fortunate In having already received substantial financial support, and, with a fine "day and the arrangements in the capable hands of Mr R. Butherford (secretary), the success of the club's first gathering should be assured. I hear that the Dunedin Cycling Club intends giving £20, £6, £3, and £1 as prizes in connection with its Sheffield Handicap at its sports on the 9th March. Any help financially from outside sources will be added to the first money. The return match between B. R- Day and Arthur B. Postle has been, fixed for March 29. The distances have not been stated, but they will be probaWy the same as in the former match. Referring to P. Champion's 15 l-ssec for. 120 yds over hurdles, referred to in a mevious issue, the Bunburg Herald of December 28 says: "One very interesting event was the attempt by P. Champion, to break the Australian, record for 32dyds over 10 hurdles. No risk of inaccuracy as to length of track or height of hurdles was taken, "all care being observed to see that the rules relating to records were closely adhered to. The course had been carefully measured and checked, as well as the jumps, and a slight margin allowed as a safeguard, while the four watches were tested: by Mr *A. C. Cook just prior to the event. Everything being in readiness, Champion toed the line, with W. U«- wkes as pacemaker outside the sticks. I«*"n Mr Krachler fired the gun it was noticeable that the record runner did not in any way beat the gun, leaving the mark, if anything, rather slowly. Once in motion, however, he fairly flew the jumps, and breasted the tape in 15 l-ssec, thus beating the Australian record by two-fifths of a second, and equalling that of the world, -which time has twice previously been registered—by Kraenzlein in America and by Smith in New Zealand. The ground was immediately remeasured by the Hon. IN. J. Moore, who very kindly consented to act in the capacity of surveyor, and that gentleman, pronounced the distance to be 120vds sin. In order to leave no room for doubt, Mr Moore, together with a number of the officials, then took a cab for his office and there tested the measure with his own surveyor's chain, finding that both instruments agreed to a tick. Later in the day Champion further demonstrated hia abilities in this direction by winning the Hurdle Race from a- arood field after conceding as much as 15yds. _