NOTES BY AMATRUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 62

NOTES BY AMATRUR.

Thanks to the energy displayed by the honorary secretary of the Balclutba Harriers (Mr V. M'Donald), and in no small way due to the action of the Ot»go Centre in sending a team of cross-country runners to revive interest in tho sport at Balchitna, ■titere has been *n accession of 15 new members to. the club's ranks. Great interest has been reawakened in the sport in the district, and a further increase may be The Gore Harrier and Amateur Athletic Club intend' sendinsr * P«* a* * n , f*£ y date to hold a combined ran at Balelutaa arith the loeel club. ft is hoped that ,TsT*nui And Milton will also be represented. Steps are Being taken with this E i* the intention of the Balclutha Club to try to enlist members at Kaitangata as a means- to engaging public interest in amateurism in that thriving and populous mining- centre. As- there are only eight miles of a good level road between the two towns it wiß be an easy matter for KaiAangmtft members to attend club runs and evening meetings. Should' the movement •-xoset with success, a club will probably be 'termed later at Kaitangata. A notice of motion is at present before 'the- Nisw Zealand Council", and >»ill doubtless be considered at the next meeting, to stifor the constitution of the governing body. Hitherto delegates to the council bare been nominate* by the different •centres «nd* approved by the cooncil. The alteration proposed by Mr Green, secretary of the N.Z.A.A.A., is to take thw power from the centres- and vest it in the dabs affiliated. It is fresh in the recollection of everyone interested in the sport that the governing body in Christchurch received a shock at the hands of the delegates of the various centres assembled in Christchurcb a* the time of the champaonk&ip meeting, and now an attempt is being xnade wMch, if successful, will ensure the council against a repetition of that experience. It is dear that if tho centres represent th« olußs in their provinces they fcnould be represented at the council table. Whatever arguments are brought forward in favour of the innovation, they will need to be weighty ones to alter the present system. Th« reciprocity agreement still appears to agitate the Mew Zealand Council. Although Otago and Southland have point Hank refused to support the agreement, and although Wellington has aleo advised taat they were unable to agree to it, the New Zealand Council- is still striving to force the agreement upon amateurs. Surely, the fact that three centres out of four (for Auckland is afc present moribund) condemned th» agreement should be sufficient for the council to- give up trying to enforce an agreement deaired by neither Amateur nor professional.

The proposal to hold a cross-country championship of New Zealand meets with but faint approval from a Canterbury /writer, who makes the statement that if the race were reinstated by the New Zealand Council- only Otago would be represented. The Christchurch writer surely knows that at the last mterclub championship Canterbury was represented by a team — and a good one, too — of South Canterbury harriers, while an interprovincial race, in which Southland regularly takes part, has been held for some years. There is no reason why, if the council grant this right to the cross-country runners, both pacterbury and Southland should not be represented, while there is more than a ihance that the Wellington clubs may send a -team.

The Wellington Centre of the New Zealand Athletic Association has resolved that f-"This centre does not favour the proosal for reciprocal agreement with the Few Zealand Athletic. Union, but that, in prfler to meet tie views of other centres., it should be left optional whether they enter into any agreement with the local centre of the union, provided it does not clash with the New Zealand Athletic Association's rules."

The first syllabuses of the Civil Service, St. Joseph's, and Dunedin Young Men's Harrier Clubs having expired the secretaries of these clubs are invited to forward the syllabuses for the remainder of the season.

The Civil Service Harriers decide the annual race for the Postal Cup at Forbury Park on Saturday. The distance ie one mile, and excellent entries have been received for what promises to be an interesting contest.

The St. Andrew's Harriers run from Shiel Hill on Wednesday next, 26th inst., as the quests of Mr M'Curdy. The follow ing Wednesday St. Andrew's decide a handicap rface at St. Clair.

According to the syllabus Ihe Dunedin Harriers hold a cross-country race over a four-mile conree at CargiU's Cliffs on Saturday. The form shown in this race will influence tho selection of tli c team for the inter-club championship.

It will . be good news to Xow Zealand athletes to know that the Australasian amateur athletic championships are to be field at Hobart m February. New South (Wales, New Zealand, and Tasmania voted foe that date, and Queensland ami Victoria for November. The patronage of the Ooyernor-General has graciously been {riven (or the meeting, which will be the first of ihe kind ever held in Tasmania. 6. Thomson, the ejt-Dunedin athlete, who iron the putting-tbe-«hot championship at She recent Exhibition meeting, and also feenred the standard badge and cap in the pigb Jump, has received notice of his Transfer from Nekon to Brunnerton.

' 'Th« following is an interesting resume of the history of the Dunedin Harrier Club, which was founded on May 9, 1899: — From the establishment of onr club dates the Tapid spread of cross-country running in New Zealand. To Mr R. J. Jackson, late of the North Liverpool Gymnasium Harriers, is due the credit of inaugurating the first harrier club in New Zealand, and I for two years, until the establishment of thfl St. Andrew's Club in May, 1901, the. I Danedin Harriers were the- sole pioneers of ] our grand sport. To the harrier movement, j which has taken a firm hold from Bluff to i Auckland, is undoubtedly due the increased i interest in amateur athletics. When our j club came into existence the total memI berehip of the N.Z.A.A.A. was 17 clubs, and with the initiation of the centre system in 1902 (at the instigation of Otago) the i number of affiliated clubs has increased to ' 47. Of these Otago Centre claims 15, the majority harrier clubs. The club has had 1 on its annual programme since 1902 a road race- from Port Chalmers to Dunedin, to which is attached the Challenge Cup presented by Mr W. L. Hooper. This event i« well patronised by sister clubs every year. In open competition the club and several of its members have been most successful. In 1905 the Otago Centre instituted a Teams Cross-country Championship for the province, and the Dunedin Harriers have been able to secure the coveted honour in each of the two competitions. In H. G. Burk and H. C. Murray the club possess two members who have stood out prominently. Hector Burk'a New Zealand championships in 1904-, 1905, 1906* and 1907. andsecond in an Australasian championship in 1906 are well known. Harry Murray's tenmiles Australasian record of S6min 15sec in. 1903, and fastest time— 43min l&ec— for the Port Road Race are •till unequalled. In most of the local clubs and many foreign ones are to be found former members of the Dunedin Harrier^, and- the club is proud of its position of elder brother to so many healthy relatives. "Dear 'Amateur,'— l am pleased to observe that die Otago Centre k attempting to revive the cross-country championship for the colony; but to the bungle they propose to make of the first race by trying to run the Otago Provincial Inter-dub Race, the Otago-Southland InterprovineaaJ Race, and the New Zealand interprovincial and individual championship in one event I respectfully wish to most strenuously object. When a New Zealand championship is ran, by all means let it be just and equitable to all concerned, and not allow one province to run 50 or 60 men Against a visiting team, say, of nine men. When an inter-club race is run, let it be «n inter-club race; but don't allow the cream of the talent from other provinces to step in and! make the pace for any one. As one who took an active part in getting the Otago Inter-club Championship Race instituted, I object to it being tampered with in any way by allowing any of the interest or honour attached to it being overshadowed by its absorption into the New Zealand Championship. Then again, where is the advocate for the resuscitation of the New Zealand Championship who will deny that that event is of sufficient importance to warrant a special race being run for it? If a man wishes to represent his province, let him prove himself worthy of the distinction, but not while primarily running for hi*? club eventually turn opt to be representing his province should" he be fortunate enough to be in the first six home. In conclusion; I would ask every club in Otago with tho interest of the sport at heart to discuss this question, and instruct their delegates on the Otago Centre to prevent any violation of their established championship by such unwarranted interference. — I am, etc., R. J. J." Athletics are very quiet in Christchuroh, and an effort is now being- made to boom harrierism. Why cannot some enthusiast re-establish a harrier dub here? asks a local writer. Waimatp has lately formed «. harrier club, and it is surely a reproach that Christohurch athletes cannot take sufficient interest in cross-country running to warrant the formation of a club in this city. A correspondent writes a.«kinc for the performance* of H. Aickers and D. Muirhead in the Dole vault at the Caledonian games in 1876. In that year H. Aickers won the vault with lOft lin. D. Muirhpad and J. Welsh tieing for third place with Bft sin.

The question of payment of competitors' expenses ha* again cropped up in England in the shape of a request for a ruling by the governing body as to whether it is in order for any club promoting a team contest to pay the expenses of a visiting team, or for any club sending a. team to such competition to accept a guarantee covering the team* expenses. The A.A.A. held that any such action would be a breach of the rules. Clubs, however, are permitted to pay the expenses of what is known a-s the first claim members of their own

teams. In a triangular athletic contest between Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney Universities decided the other day, the championships resulted ac follow:— 100 Yards.— H. J. Waddell (Sydney) 1, G. S. Elliott (Melbourne) 2, B. R. French (Sydney) 3 Time, 10 3-ssec. The record for the 100 Yards is held by H. H. Hunter, of Melbourne fnivereity, 10 l-10sec, in 1903. 880 Yards — J F. G. Fitzhardinge (Sydney) 1. F. G. A. Pockley (Sydney) 2. C. W. Roe (Sydney) 3. Time, 2min 4see. N. W. Barratt, of Melbourne University, holds the record, in 2min 2Jsec. 120 Yards Hurdles.— Final : Stewart (Sydne-y) 1, Lawton (Melbourne) 2, Ciesdee (Adelaide) 3. Time, 16 3-10 sec. Broad Jump.— N. C: Barker (20ft 54m) 1. P P. Stewart (20ft 4in) 2, H. J. Waddell (20ft 3iin) 3. D. J. D. Bevan, of Melbourne University, holds the record, with 22ft 3in, in 1899. High Jump.— M. H. Moves (Adelaide), sft 6in, 1; J. T. Lawton (Melbourne). sft sin, 2. J. T. Lawton (of Melbourne University) and M. H. Moves (Adelaide) share the record, with sft B£in. ; One Mile.— R. G. Waddy (Sydney) 1. P. Maidrn (Sydney) 2, B. R. Chapman (Sydney) 3. Time, 4uim 41scc. The recordholder is E. E. Webster (Melbourne University), 4mm 39->cc. A 4O Yards. — J. F. G. Fitzhardinge (Sydne\, who took Barker's place) 1, B R. French (>S\<lncvv) 2. A. C. Tvmms (Melbourne) 3. A spicnci.d race. Time, 53 2-svc. N. Barker (Sjdnej) holJn the record, 50 l-s»ec. in 1905. The proposed visit to Australia and Now ' Zealand by South African athletes is "off" — for a time, at any rate.. The associations of New "Zealand, Victoria, -Queensland, and Tasmania are unable to entertain the idea in 1907. j They Natal (Durban) of May 4 ' contains the following interesting par. :—

"As previously announced in these columns, tho probability of South Africa bein-g represented at the Olympian games next yearis not at all doubtful if it is ascertained our best available athletes stand a show. The secretary of the South African A.A. and C.A. and a member of the Executive Committee arc now in England to confer with the Home authorities on the- adviaabilitj of taking a team Home in 1908. The question of expense enters largely into the success or failure of the proposition, which will probably be discussed by the delegates to the annual general meeting- of the S.A.A.A. and C.A. at Durban next July."