LABOUR DAY ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 63

LABOUR DAY ASSOCIATION.

PICNIC AND SPORTS AT OFTRAM.

Tho nineteenth anniversary picnic and 6porta under the auspices of the Otago Labour Day Association \%a<s held on tho j 14th at the Outram Domain.- when the at- j tendance of the public wa-, quite as large as j on former occasione. The morning broke j threateningly, and during the day eorr.e showers fell at intervals, but these were of brief duration, and 1o compensate for | the temporary inconvenience thus caused I Tha sun came out immediately afterwards j bright and warm. The long train which • left town at 9.5 a.m. was crowded in every - carriage, and notwithstanding that come coyered-in trucks were put in requisition, a fairly large number of excursionists I ad to wait and proceed by the 9.20 train. The estimated mimber who travelled in bcth j trains was between 1600 and 1700. ai.d j excepting a few picnickers and others, who j visited the Glen and other parts of the j West Taieri district, all the excursionists put in an appearance on the ground. The residents of tlie district also patronised the grounds during the day, and the gate takings from this source* was in excess of former veare. The visitors to the grounds 1 included the Hon. J. T. Paul. M.L.C., i Mesers T. K. Sidey, and J. F. Arnold. M.P.'s, J. M'Donald, R* R. Douglas, and J. W. Munro. Apologies for unavoidable absence reer© received by wire from the Hon. J. A. Miller and A. R. Barclay,

M.P.'e, and the Prime Minister also ■wrote thanking the association for its invitation, and expressing regret that he_ could not be present. Almost immediately after arrival pn the grounds, the officials of the association made a start with 9 wellarranged programme of sports, which included as a new feature some wrestling competitions. The latter events created a good deal of interest, and the final bouts resulted in some excellent exhibitions of the catch-as-catoh-oan 6tyle. The 'customary supply of hot water and milk for tea purposes w*s served out liberally to the excursionists during the day, and toy tickets were served out, as usual, to the youngsters, who will be. given toys "in exchange \fcT their tickets at the Trades. Hall on Saturday morning. The amateur and open running events were closely contested, and the handicapping in this respect was fully ; justified. F. Knowles (of Timaru), who ' won the 100 Tards Amateur Handicap and 1 also the 220 Tards Amateur event, appropriated the Bland Holt trophy, and also the Challenge Cup for the most points in amateur events. 1 The Half-mile Amateur - Handicap fell to W. Trembath (Gore), the Open Handicap to F. Wright, wad the Handicap Road Race, of four miles, to A. Templeton (Dunedin Harriers)-, who received /a concession of three minutes. The route for the road, race, which -aroused «avae interest in athletic circles, w*e from the south-western side of. fche Domain, via Woodside, thence along the road Jor a. mile to the creamery, with a finish of a straight run home of about a mile, and the -time in which the race waa run was considered 'to be satisfactory. The gathering was an exceptionally well-conducted one, and there was a total absence on the ground of incidents which aroused some adverse comment last year. The officials worked energetically all day to make the outing enjoyable and interesting, and the secretary (Mr J. R. Wilson), the judges, starters, and stewards (including bhe nrecs stewards, Messrs R. Breen and J. TEtayme) deserve special mention for the manner in which ■they discharged their duties. The arrangements throughout were generally satisfactory, and the ground, under the marking off by Mr Fleming, was well adapted for the purposes to which it was ptrt. Th« , railway officials at Dunedin, on the jourj ney, and also at Outram, merit mention for the manner in which the excursionists were conveyed to and from Oirtrain. The only semblance of an accident of what might have been of & serious nature • occurred on the road from Outram to the Domain Ground, where 6onio reckless youths driving a buggy horse at a racing sped ea-m-3 into collisictei with a. youag man, causing injury to one of his arms and also to one of his Jegs. In the first heat of the 100 Yards Amateur Handicap another slight mishap also .occurred through , the crowd- pressing closely -en the -topes, with the result that Tremtath and Ross co^ided with & bunch of the onlookers, , Ross sustaining, an injury to his mouth, the upper lip being 'cut by one of his teeth. Trembath escaped without any serous injury, but one or two of the crowd received bumps which should teach them to press leas on a running track in future. Immediately after this occurrence the 1 stewards took steps to keep the track j clear. But this amateur event lost some j of its interest owing to Trembath going I out in the heat. The following is the j prize-list: — j Single Ladies' Race, 75yds. Trophies, j value 10s 6d and 7s 6d.— V. Jarris 1, A. j Still 2. j 1 Boys' Race, 100yds.— E. Whitaker 3, J. 1 Duncan 2. Whitaker and Duncan ran a , d'jad heat, and in tho run off "Whitakor ; had an easy win. I Amateur Handicap, 100 yds. Trophies ; value £1 10s and 15s.— First Heat: F. Bur- | gees (10yds) 1, W. Trembath (eoratoh) 2. I Time, 10 3-ssec. Second Heat : F. Knowles (10yds) 1, R. F. Mitchell (4yds) 2. Time, 10 2-s&ec. Third Heat : J. Hyde (44yds) 1, H. M'Corkindale (syds) 2. Time, 10 4-ssee. " Final : F. Knowles 1. J. Hyde 2. Also competed : D. W. Rces syds, A. Sheridan 7yds, J. M'Dougall 44yds, J. Will 6yds, F. Houston 7yds, and J. S. Orbell 7yds. Won by about a yard, Mitchell and Burgess pressing Hyde clcsely for eecond place. Time, 10 2-ssec. ; lOOvds Handicap (open). Prizes £2 and 1 £I.— First Heat: J. Forbes (4iyds) 1, W. I Duff (3ycU) 2. Time, 10 4-ssec. Second i Heat: G. Blagdon (lyd) 1..J. White (7yds) 2. Time, llsec. Third Heat: P. O'Leary (6yds) 1, F. Wright (4yds) 2. Time, llsec. Final: J. Forbes 1, G. Blagdon 2. Ako competed: T. Si me scratch. W. J. Tretheway 6yd«, D. Sime 3iyde, T. Massey s£yde. A gocd race and a ctaee finish, a few inches separating O'Leary from the first and second competitors; the fourth man (Duff) a littJe distance away. Forbes and Blagdon breasted the tape almost simultaneously. Time, 10 3-seee. Half-milo Amateur Handicap. Prizes, trophies value £2 and £I.— W. T. Trembath (=eraich) 1; T. P.Laurenson (35ydi) 2. Also competed: A. Moore 35yd«, F. Mace 40yds. D. Hodgson 45yds, J. Beatscn 45yds, H. M'Corkindale 50yds. F. N. Houston 50yds, J. S. Orbell 50yds, and F. Burgees 65yd3. In this event there was some misapprehension as to the finishing -poet, and the competitors stopped about 25yds eborfc of the half-mile. Trembath held the race practically from start to finish, being up on the limit men just after the pistol went off. At the -corner turning into the straight for the run horr.e Laurenson made a spurt, but Trembath was not to be ! defied, and canve in with a few yards to i spare. No time was taken. 1 Open Handicap, 220vde. Prizes £2 and I £I.— First Heat: F. AVright (53ds) 1, T. •Siuia (scratch) 2. Time. 25 3-sfcee. Second , Heai : G. Blagdon (2yds) 1, J. White I (llyds) 2. Time. 26sec. Final : F. Wright j], J. White 2. Ako competed: J. Forbes ByJs. W. Duff sjds. D. Sime syds. A good race ; won by a yard. Time. 25 2-ssec. Married Ladies* Race. 100 yds. Prizes, trophi<?< value £1 Is and 10s 6d. — Mrs Shepherd 1. Mi-e Fleming 2. Eight etartew. Bagpipe Competition (Marches). Prizes £1 and trophy value £1 ; second, trophy value 10s. Five entries. — D. M'Kechnio 1, F. fitratton 2. M. Ross 3. Highland Fling (in costume). Prizes £1 10s and trophy value £1, also special pri&e for highest points in dancing.— D. M'Kechnie 1 and special, G. Anderson 2, D. Thompson 3. Amateur Handicap, 220 yds. Prizes Bland Holt's trophy (value) £5 se) and trophy value £2, second trophy value £1. — First heat: D. W. Ross (13yds) 1, W. Trembath fecatch) 2. Time, 26 2-sseo. Second heat : F. Knowles (17ydel 1, J. Hyde (10yds) 2. Time. 24 2-ssec. Final heat : F. Knowles , 1, J. Hyde 2. AJso competed: H. M'Corkindale 9yds, J. M'Dougall 12yds, J. Orbell J-

I4yds, F Burgess 17yds, R. F. Mitchell Byds, A. Moore 9yds, J. Will 13yds, A. (Sheridan 14yde. A close finish. Knowlea won all the tvay, Hyde etosinjr on him at the post ; the others close up. Time, 24 2-ssec. Sack Race, 120yds.— This event was run in heats, and was won by J. Keyes, D. Keyes being second. Sailor's Hornpipe (in costume). Prize* £1 10s "and trophy^ value £I.— R. M'Kechnie 1, G. Anderson 2. Medley Race, 250 yds. Trophy value lut 6d. — T Massey 1. Four competed, and all the competitors had to deal with a, nunu ber of impediments during the running. Wrestling, Oateh-as-Catch-Can, under Caledonian rules. Prises £3 and £1. — First bout: Stood— Guy ancfe, Melville;, fell— M'Rae and Balloclc. Second bout: 1 Stood— Melville ; iell— Xsuy; Almond, * bye. Final bout: Stood— Almond ; fellMelville. All the bouts were strenuously^ contested, and the final between Almond] and Melville was~an excellent exhibition ol this popular style of wrestlingc Consolation Wrestling, Catch-as-Catch-Can.— Four competed.— First bout : Balloctf threw Smith, and Smith threw M'RaeFmal : Balloclc threw Smith. The final was a good bout, but Ballock at the finish was more than a match for Smith. Irish Jig.. Prizes £1 10s and trophy value £I.— M f O'Brien 1^ Hagget 2. Eve competed. , Handicap Road Race, open to all amateur athletic .and harrier -clubs. Distance four miles. Prizes trophies value £3 and £1 10s -Fastest unplaced time, trophy value £1 ; fir3t novice home (unplaced),, trophy value 10s 6d.— A. Templeton (3rnin), Dunedin Harriers, 23min 12ssc, 1; J. M'Lachlan (3m in). Oaversham Harriers, 23m in 24see, 2; fastest unplaced time. J. Frew Caversham Harriers. 24min 32sec s , firstf novice home (itnplaced). A. Turnbull, Dunedin Harriers. The times recorded by other competitors were: G. Titehene-, (2min 30sec) 23 mm 45sec, D. R. Thomsort (55sec) 23min 55sec, J. Johnston (2m in 3(teec) 24man 4sec, and F. Frew (scratch) 24min 32sec. ,A V L s i toi^r RaCB « 100 yds. Trophy valu« 10s 6d.— H. Henderson 1. Old Buffets' Race, for competitors over 50. Trophy value 10s.— W. Blagdon 1. The Dunedin Pipe Band was on ihm ground durine the day, and played a num. ber of selections.