PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 66

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS.

Many of the big South Island Caledonian New Year gatherings had adverse luck for their recent sports. The Southland (unregistered) meeting bad bad weather; Dunedin took some £SO less than at the championship meeting- last year; Oamaru’s gate receipts were about £6O less than last year’s, which was less t-bani the. previous year’s. Tmi-a.ru alc.no did well, their takings (£351) on the. first day, constituting- a .record. The Otago Society, however, this year reduced its prize-money, and should l make a profit on its meeting. The present holders of championships which will bo contested at Grey mouth in March are:—looyds, H. H. Brinkman (Christchurch); 220yds, L. C. MT.ac'hlan (Dunedin); 440yds, J. Shivas (Greymouth); Half-mile-, R, D. Chalmers (Dunedin); Ono Mile, R. D. Ch aimers (Du nod in); Onemile Walk, P. A. IvRCoII (Wellington); 161 b Ball, F. Fordo (Invercargill); 'Throwing 161 b Hammer, F. Fordo (Invercargill); Tossing the Caber, F. Fordo (Invercargill); Running High Jump, G. Campbell (Timaru); Hop, Step, and Jump, A. Lindsay (Maheuo); Vaulting with the Pole, W. Fitzgerald (Temuka); Quod ting, R. Penman (Kaitangata); Cumberland Wrestling, F. Fordo (Invercargill); Collar and Elbow Wrestling, W. Fordo (Invercargill); Catch-as-catoh-can Wrestling, W. Fordo (Invercargill). It will bo seem, therefore, that no competition has yet been held for championships in 120yds and 440yds Hurdles, and in Long. Jump. _ ’Tits' following championships will he decided at the Now Zealand championship meeting- to be held at Greymouth on March 16 and 17;—100 Yards—certificate, sold medal or trophy, and £4. £1: 220 Yards —do. and £4, £1; 440 Yards —do, and £5. £1; 830 Yards —do. and £5. £1; One Mile—da. and £5. £2; 120 Yards llundies (10 flights, 3ft 6in)--gokl medal or trophy, and £4, £1; 440 Yards Hurdles (10 flights. 3ft 6in) - do, and £4. £3: One Mile Walk-certificate, gold medal or trophv, and £4; Putting 16lb Ball —do, ami £3 and £1; Throwing 161 b Hammer--do, and £3 a,ml £1; Tossing the Caber - do, and £3 and £1; Running Long Jump —do, and £3 and £1: Running High Jump—do, and £3 and £1; Running ITop-step-and-jump —do, and £3 and £1;

Vaulting with Pole—do, and £4 and £ Quoitmg 18 Yards—do, with £3 and £1; Cum bar land Wresthng-do, and £4 and £1- Co 11 a.r -and- eJ bo w Wrestling—do,. and £4 and £1; Catch-ws-ratch-can W restlingdo, and £4 and £1- , On November 24 at Winnipeg, Cara**. Alfred Shrubb won a 16 mil© race trom Tom Longboat by nearly three Japs. *n Ue very fast time of Uir 34mm Stefrace is described as being rather hke a procession. Shrubb easily esta bibbed a cr o od lead, which he gradually nc.easeu. Tapping the Indian in the lourtn, .again in the seventh and the, third ’n the twelfth mile. He maintained th,s until the last, mile, wnen dns hi.at. spurted and gained a. few ya~d», oncc - , , t foffai'on so decisively Tinder, who beat ueueion « '•‘Vr , over a mile ‘at LordN Gromnd Durba* again defeated the ' ‘ Marathon crack. or. November 27 at Lord s, this tune over two miles- The weather was unpropitiouy which affected the attendance, but- tbose who* rniAreid -an witrieD’SOO a splendid "race. Heffernon forced the pace whilst the Irish crack hung on. Ai tlae bell Tinder put on a grand spurt, and ■drew away, openning up a gap of 25 yaio.--Hoff cron responded well, but was fasten 15 yards iir9min 39sec. They met aga n in a three miles match (at when the Irishman onoa more sco e win. this time by a narrow margin. A four miles matcli at Bloemfontein, followed, but it ended in a aaaoo. According to advices from Mandate, F. C. Davies (Wales) was to have left toi Johannesburg by the Durham Castle, saving from Southampton on December *r. C. E. Holway (U.S.A.) was also under marching orders for South Africa. Botn were to meet Jack Donaldson —Davies over 830yds and Holway over a sprint course. However, the Sporting Chronicle of November 26 contains a letter from Davies to the effect that Mr Rufc Naylor had cabled the Union Castle Company can - cellino- the Welsh champion’s ticket, the reason assigned being that Davies was too late in making hie arrangements. Davies informed the Chronicle that, despate this h© intended' going to Johannesburg at his own expein.se for the purpesa of meeting Donaldson. , At Toowoomba (Queensland) last week: Harry J. Lawson established a new world’s record for endurance in club-swing-ing. Ho defeated Burrows’s figures by 17 minutes, the new record standing at o7iios

2min. . , To win thro?' Sheffield handicaps n three successive days is a good performance. This it. the record of P. Urea, a leading Invercargill amateur, who h-ss turned professional and who ran under this new status for the first time on Christmas Day. On that day he won- the Kaitangata Sheffield off 6yds mark, taking the £lO prize. On Boxing Day he. ran at, the Winton Caledonian gathering, -and took part in -the 130vda Sheffield off the Iyd mark, and' in the 220yds off - che _ 2yde .nark. Ha annexed both events, taking £9 in cash, Sir J. G., Ward’s five-guinea cup. and a gtffd medal. On Tuesday he ran at Riverton, and won the Sheffield off the 2vds mark, taking the first prize cf £lO. The ©x-ama-fceur thus won Sheffields on the first three days of bis professional career, winning- in cash and trophies £37. It is said that all the athletes who took part at the Alb&rtown Sparta on BoxingDay (an unregistered' meeting), v ill b& debarred through disqualification by the N.Z. Athletic Union, from competing at the more important fixtures in. Central Otago at Easter. A a the club was approached in re conducting the meetingunder union rules and declined, the governing body has no alternative. Arthur’s Point and Queenstown meetings will be similarly dealt with. At a meeting of the Mataura A.-S. on Friday evening the secretary (Mr T. G. Smith) submitted a. balance sheet of tba recent spor ts meeting as follows: Receipts; Bank balance, £3l 12s; members’ tickets, £l9 15s; programmes, £3 6s 6d; gate, £4-7 IBs 6d: donations, £1; entries, £23 12s; stand, 11s 6d; booth, £2; concert. £2O; guessing competition, £3; registration, 16s; —total. £155 11a pdExpenditure: Prizes, £75 10s: printing and booke, £7 13s; sundries, £1 17s scl; association, £1 17s; handicapper. £?, 2s; band, £4: balance to credit, £55 12s Id: —total, £153 Us 6cl. The balance sheet was received with applause, and it was decided to -place- £SO in the Post Office. Savings Bank on denosit. The secretary suggested that a £IOO Sheffield Handicap be put on. the programme next year, and a general discussion on the matter took place. The secretary intimated that already a large amount of support was promised. and he had no hesitation about it being a successful move. Several opinions were voiced on the subject, and the matter wa.s left in the hands of the secretary to arrange. Thom was a. large attendance of mem-ber-s of the Otautau Athletic Society last Thursday evening for the purpose of making- arrangements for the annua! gathering. The following officials were appointed:—Superintendent. Mr E. Mathespn; handioapr-er, Mr J. Bell (Invercars ill); starter, Mr C. de Joux; lap-takers, Messrs J. Brooker and: R. Ilazlett; amateur running. Mr W. Robinson (Riverton) : ehopninig and sawing, Messrs A. and E. Harrington, W. Mactwwnara, and R. Cowan; timekeeper, Mr M. Geniev; secretary and treasurer. Mr E. A. Labatt. A motion _ was carried that, it be a recommendation to the Executive Committee to hold the sports on Wednesday, 6th April. The matte.r of securing a around was feffc m the hands of the president and secretary. M.Z. ATHLETIC A bSOCIAITON". WELLINGTON, January 17 At a meeting of the council of the Mew Zealand Athletic Association to-night ■letters were received from Wheatley and Davis, of Australia, stating that fchev were unable to undertake the proposed tour of the Dominion early this year. Several, comm-unioaticng wore re coi v j ~ -1: regarding the proposed method of providing for representation at future Olvtmpio games. The Invercargill Centre disapproved of a. special levy on club member?. Auckland recommended a levy of 6d r>er club member. Canterbury had ths matter under consideration. A com-mit-teo was appointed to revise tho rules of the association. It was decided to support tho Tasmanian Club's suggestion _ that the distance for the Australasian Cross-country Ohampionshin be five or 10 miles, as may be fixed by the association coixluctimr tbpfc event. Applications from W. E. Woodgcr and IV. C. Mextecl for reinstatement as amateurs were held over. Henry Gardiner (Cambridge) and J. E. Falcone-' were re-

Instated. Alfred M‘Donald, of Stratford, is to be reinstated provided he joins either of the two clubs in the district.. The following- were reinstated: —K. W. Eglinton (Palmerston North), L. J. Funic (Wanganui), and A. W. Hall (Palmerston. North).