PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2984, 24 May 1911, Page 67

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS.

By Sronr.

Considerable interest is being entered around the athletic re-union which will be held in Auckland during Show week. In order to bring the athletic public into social contact it has been decided to bold an annual re-union and banquet, under the auspices of the Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Athletic Union. Messrs R. L. Rule (Oamaru), D. N. M'Kay (Dimedin), and Wallace Murdoch (Invercargill) have received invitations to be present as friends of the union in its days of infancy. Arrangements .have been entered into for a contest between Clarence Weber and Jack Johnson, the former to wrestle and Johnson to box. Johnson has signified his willingness by cable to meet Weber in a match of this sort, and bias intimated bis wil!ingto meet any wrestler on the same terms. The match has been promoted bv E. F. Baker, of Melbourne. He is offering a purse of at least £SOOO. The match will be brought off about December next, if .possible, either in Melbourne or Sydney. Weber has stipulated that Johnson shall wear a loose jacket tkut shall not impede his movements in any way, leaving absolute freedom to hit out, but he is net particular whether a mat is used or not.

A match is a.s good as arranged for J. Donaldson in England with Robinson, tho American, who represented U. S. A. at the Olymoio Games in London. L. C. M'Lachlan and W. F. Trembath, the New Zealand runners, after taking- part in the Easter carnival at Stawell, have arrived in Sydney. It is six years since M''Laohlan was last in Sydney, and while a veteran in a sense, he has the appearance of a hardy, well-preserved man little past his running prime. Both are remarkably well, though Trembath is about 101 b overweight—thait i®, for his best form on the tracks "Our movements?" said M'Lachlan to a Sydney Referee writer. "Wo are on our way to Brisbane. Thcifle is a chance of a match for Trembath with A. B. Poetic over a quarter of a mile. I might add that Donaldson has also oartlv agreed to give Trembath a match, for the world's quarter-mile championship, which Donaldson holds." Mentioning that it was reported from New Zealand that the pair were on the way to England, M'Lachlan explained that that trip is not yet definitely decided upon. "You see, we don't know that there is anything doing there in our, line. Kanaly might be in England, and, if so, he might give Trembath a match. But that is only a case of might. And, of course, we cannot deal with uncertainties. Holway has his passage booked for England for May 17, ia,nd on his arrival has promised to let us know by cable if anything is in sight. If we can be. sure otf a couple of matches, off we go; but not otherwise. The position is as it was last year! A trip w 7 as on the tapis then, but seeing nothing to make it likely to pay expenses, we. called it off. The time wo thought of leaving last year would have landed ti 3 in England just at the beginning of winter. And the English winter is rather a cool time if one lias not something definite on hand. Our plans now depend on what we hear from Holway by cable. Trembath is in good fix just now," added the middle-distance runner. "He's about 101 b overweight, but it's better to bo over than under, and three weeks' work will make him fit to run for his life. As for myself.," added M'Lachlan, "I'm still in the game, as you see, and had' a run in the '44oyds at Stawell. The old dash isn't there, though, and when they carved out the quarter somewhere between 47sec and 48sec, I couldn't do it." M'Lachlan expressed the opinion that none of the other crack sprinters desire to- meet Postle over 100yds. "With his leg and all," said the New Zea.la.nder, "if I had money to speculate, Postle would still be quite good enough for me at 100yds. Holway hardly took his match with Donaldson seriously enough—ho is a big man, and needs very strict training to attain his very best. And nothing less than his very best is good enough to test Jack Donaldson." "You encountered little Jimmio Fitzgerald 'n New Zealand?" "Yes," said M'Lachlan "I was trying to fix up a match, between Trembath and him. was quite agreeable. During the neigotiationis I met him about midnight, accidentally, in tiha street. He immediately commenced to talk business" (knowing Jimmie's hustling nature. I smiled at this). "Now," said M'Lachlan, "I had one or two suggestions to make myself, but although I tried desperately to work a word in edgeways, I never got a chance. Jimmie went on and on, and finally I went into a local DCtwspaper office, at a quarter-past 1 in the moa-ning. and got my stipulations published there. The match' has not yet come to anything. I think that if long-distance running is properly handled in Australia, it should prove a very paying proposition. With regard to the match between Postle and Trembath, I have an idea of promoting it myself."

DONALDSON BEATS HOLWAY. FAST TIMES RECORDED. Nearly 10,000 people- gathered at the Exhibition Oval, Melbourne, on Saturday, May 3, to so© the match between J. Donaldson, champion sprinter of Australia, and C. E. Hoi]way (champion of America) for the championship of the world. The prize was a purse of £250 —£150 for the winner and £IOO for the loser —and the distances 75 yards-, 100 yards and 220 yards. The gathering included large numbers of past and present runners, who came from various parts. The first race was ov.ar 75yds. At 50yds Donaldson was leading by a clear half-yard. From this out. he seemed to finish in the air. With an electric burst the Australian left the other man as if he were standing

and, although throwing himself back as he reached the tape,, won by more than 2yds. The enthusiasm was great. The official time was 7 3-ssec. If it be no more than the decision " Won by liyds," it is hardly possible. A yard over even time for 75yds on a heavy grass track like this and with a slow beginning is phenomenal. In the 100 Yards the Australian was leading by a clear yard, and ho won, pulling up, by 3yds. The time given was 9 4-ssec, or 2 yards under evens. It is a record for a grass track; but considering the heavy going and the hollow fashion in which the race was won, it is hardly acceptable. Donaldson himself says that he slowed up in the last 20 yards. He would have liked to have been forced to run right out, for ho felt confident that that night he was equal to breaking all records from 75 yawls to 220. He had never been so full of rmining since he first started in a race.

Hoi way, who prefers the cinders, had no excuses to offer. He felt in excellent trim, and when the Australian streaked awav in front he simply could not understand that it was possible. In the 220yds race the Australian, running with c:isy grace and ice-cold oonrltY.":cc, streaked away to the hbme turn, increasing 'bis lead every second. Once into straight running he locked round to fee his opponent's whereabouts, and he did so a second time a little later. Ho won, pulling up, by 7or 8 yards. The time «nven was 22 l-ssec, which like the records in other races, is el most too fast in the circumstances to be accurate.