NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2955, 2 November 1910, Page 62

NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Our one-time champion, Gerald P. Keddell, who since going "out back" and starting for himself in his profession has not been heard of on the athletic track, purposes competing at the evening meeting of the Otautau Amateur Athletic end Harrier Club to be held on Wednesday, November 16. My informant writes:—"G. P. Keddell baa commenced training, and intends competing in the 75 yards and 300 yards handicaps." I am pleased to know that Keddell has not dropned out of athletics for good, and hope to hear of the champion liking part in further meetings, be they at Otaiitau, Dunedin, or Otaki. An old friend in A. H. Marryatt, who is now oocuping the honourable and exalted position of president of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, and is also president of the Wellington Civil Service Amateur Sporte Club, forwards a copy of the "service's" fifth annual report and bate nee sheet nresented at the meeting on Friday last. There are 76 members on the a-011, of which 57 are active and 19 honorary. W A Woodger is a member of the Civil Sen-ice Club, which he represented successfully at the Wellington provincial champi'onshiDi and the New Zealand championships, annexing the 100 and 220 yards handicaps at both gatherings. Afr the provincial meeting Woodger was credited with 22 l-sseo for the 220 yards, which constitutes an Australasian >-ecord. This reference in the Wellington Civil Service Club's annual report is interesting to local athletes and enthusiasts-.—The elub haft had the misfortune to lose shortly before the close of the season the services of its highly-esteemed and energetic treasurer, Mr Rov E. Bust, who has boon ordered home on extended sick leave owing to a. serious breakdown in health. Mr Bust was well known in Southland and more recently in Wellington as a most enthusiastic support of amateur athletics, and his loss to the club will be keenly felt. It is sincerely hoped that he will be speedily returned to full health and vigour. I am indebted to C. E. Robertson, hon. secretary of -the Otautau Amateur Athletic and Hairier Club, for a programme of the first evening meeting of the season, to ba held on the 16th inst. Four events are to be decided—7s yards, 300 yards, broad jump, and mile fiat,—for the winners and seconds of which valuable trophies are to be awarded. Please note that the enthusiasm of these clean-limbed athletes of Otautau has spread to the local bond, which will play to the sports ground. New Zealand's champion sprinter W: A. Woodger, of Wellington, was tendered a complimentary concert tire other evening, and has been elected the first life member of the Wellington Civil Service Athletic Club.

In announcing his decision to turn professional, R. E. Walker, the champion sprinter of South Africa, made some very interesting references in respect to amateur and professional sport:-—"I do not think there is any discredit in being a professional runner. I have found those whom I have met quite as good sportsmen as the amateurs. Take Arthur Postle; I had two journeys over the ocean in his company, and found him a very good fellow, indeed. Jack Donaldson, too, is one of the best you could meet. Then, there is B. R. Day, who has not lost caste by turning professional. I shall, of course, go into proper professional training for the match, and if I can show the same abnormal improvement as other amateurs have been credited with doing after turning professional, L.ought to give Donaldson a great race. If successful, I shall challenge the winner of the Hohvay-Postie match, at 100 yards, and be prepared to meet any of the cracks at that distance for the world's championship. I intend to visit Australia if opportunity offers later on, and also Canada and the States. I shall be prepared to meet Donaldson and then the winner of the other match. If Donaldson beats me I shall challenge the loser. I fully realise that I am aiming -high, but, as the holder of many world's amateur records, I do not think I am attempting too much. In adopting professionalism, I trust I shall not lose the friendships which I have made as an amateur. I think that, with proper government, professionalism ought to be able to take its proper place in athletic sports, and trust that the efforts to that end may be successful in England. I hope to do my sharo towards popularising that side of athletics both hero and on the other side of the water. In South Africa there has been practically no professional running excepting the matches which have been organised by Rufc Naylor; but there is plenty in Australia, I believe. There is no rule in England that an amateur may not train with a professional. In South Africa they are stricter on that point, if more lenient as regards expenses in almost every country except England, and I think they ought to be allowed. Do I think that many get their expenses in England. No; and it costs the average champion a lot more than his prizes are worth to win them. You see, he has no chance in handicaps: when I have entered handicaps at small meetings they have put all the starts up. I don't think there is any place where a champion stands less chance of gaining by his sport than in England: but there is no country where ho can have better sport." Walker, who is 21£ years of age, is just now at about his proper weight, 9st 61b. E. R. Voight again failed in an attempt on Septembor 9 to equal Shrubb's figures of 6min 47 3-ssec for a mile and a-half, a strong wind greatly hampering him. In preparation for the attempt Voight ran a trial on September 1 at Fallowfield, to schedule, with pacemakers, nnd succeeded in covering the distance in 6min 45 4-ssec. This time is actually 1 3-ssec faster than Shrubb's record, but, of course, cannot be rockoned as a record, because it was not done in competition. It was in no sense an attempt at the record, but merely a preliminary run to a schedule to give Voight the requisite idea of the pace required to beat the record. The pacers were J. D. Cooney for the first half-mile, H. J. Finnigan and J. Hardstaff the second half, an-' E. A. S. Baenall th» ' -< ' "

scheduled times for each lap were 62 seconds, 63, 70, 70, 70, and 65 tho last lap. The actual times, however, were : 59 2-5 seconds, 69 1-5, 70 1-5, 70 4-5, 70 3-5, and 65 3-5; total, 6min 45 4-ssec. It will be seen how closely these times worked out to schedule, with the exception of the first lap, and pointed to the probability of Shrubb's record being broken if the conditions had been favourable. Even with very favourable conditions Shrubb's records will take a lot of "shifting." There was some good sport at the South London Harriers' autumn gathering at Kcnnington Oval recently, and some fast times were made, considering that the races were run on a grass track. The 100 Yards Handicap was won in the final heat by G. Stark (Thames Valley H., B£yds start), in 9 4-ssec, while the Invitation Scratch 100 Yards saw all the heats won in lOsec or 10 l-ssec, the four finalists running shoulder to shoulder all the way till almost the last stride, when V. D'Arcy breasted the tape inches in front of liis clubmate, W. Applegarth, in lOsec dead, with R. Rice and F. Giongo at their heels. An interesting contest in the Quarter Mile Scratch Race saw E. Haley win the final by a yard in 50 4-ssec, from L. de B. Reed, with D. Jacobs inches behind. A half-mile handicap was won in Imin 53 2-ssec by A. Siddall, off tho 58yds mark, and the One-mile Scratch was carried off rather easily in 4min 23 l-ssec by D. M'Nicol, from G. Gorringo and others.

ATHLETIC CLUBS' PROTECEION ASSOCIATION. At the annual meeting of the Athletic Protection Association the annual 'report and balance sheet wore adopted, on tho motion of the chairman. Mr Priest moved the adoption of the following additional rule, notice of which had been given:— "In order to discourage the practice of clubs allowing defaulting members to still remain on their books, the committee may refuse to post a defaulter for more than one vear's dues; but this shall not debar tho club from again forwarding such defaulter's name for one year's dues accrued subsequent to tho former posting." Mr Binnie seconded the motion. It was explained that the object of the rule was to prevent clubs from allowing members subscriptions to run on from two to three years before forwarding the name and amount to the association for collection. The motion was carried. Tho election of office-bearers resulted as follows :-President, Mr J. S. Hislon (reelected) ; secretary and treasurer Mr JiS Wilson; committee—Messrs Wycherley and Chadwick (cricket), Priest (rowing), Fleming (Association football), Hooper (tennis), Sandes. and Nelson-(Rugby football); hon. auditor, Mr N. Oliphant (reelected).