SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Southern Cross, Volume 6, Issue 9, 4 June 1898, Page 12

SPORTS AND PASTIMES

[By “ Pan.”]

The Cycling Club held a meeting on Monday night, and decided to ballot off the extra debentures that the club is now in a position to pay for. This is indeed good news, and the club has every reason to be pleased at the action of the committee in wiping off these liabilities as soon as possible. Correspondence was received from the N.Z. League of Wheelmen stating that a special general meeting of delegates would be held on June 6th, The question of the dresses worn by competitors was brought up, and after a good deal of discussion it was decided to request the League to frame a rule regulating the dress of competicors at race meetings. While on the subject of race meetings is it not time to bring up the question of fixed numbers for each rider belonging to any club affiliated to the League P When I was in Mel bourne I attended several meetings, and in each instance the same man had the same numberforeach meeting. For instance, Bill Martin was No. 12 at Melbourne—the same at St. Kilda, Geelong, Ballarat, and every other town in Victoria in which he raced. TMs would save a lot of confusion, as when a rider registered his colours he also received a number, and that number stuck to him as long as he raced in New Zealand. The Southland Rugby Football Union have decided on the 22nd of August as the opening night of the grand carnival in aid of the ground purchase funds. The fair will last till the 27th. Arrangements are in the hands of energetic and capable members of the committee, and we shall expect the fair to be a big success. A shocking bicycle accidentoccurred on Monday night on the West Coast. A man named Geo. Maunder was riding from Kanieri to Hokitika on a bicycle, when the machine struck some obstacle, and he was thrown on his head. He died without recovering consciousness. He was about 24 years of age. The Riverton club have again had to postpone their sports —Wednesday was not so bad overhead but the past week’s rain left the track in very bad order, so the committee decided to again adjourn proceedings. It is almost useless in a climate like ours to think of having a race meeting during the winter, as, besides the chances of bad weather on the day of the meeting, the riders have no opportunity of training, and so the meeting must of necessity suffer through a paucity of riders. Don Walker returned to Melbourne last Monday after a two months’ trip through New Zealand. He speaks in glowing terms of the attentions extended to him by New Zealand cyclists. He was much impressed by the speed of a number of New Zealand riders, especially G. Sutherland, who won the one, five, and ten miles championships this year. Sutherland in the last five months scored 28 firsts, six seconds, and ten thirds. He uses a 96 gear and prefers Dunlop tires. I see by cable that this rider sailed for Sydney in the Mararoi, so that it is more than likely be will soon be trying his powers against our stars. No wonder Green and Ainsworth

intend returning to Australia for next season’s racing. The programme for the principal Easter cjcle meeting in England showpd £l6 as the largest prize and £9 for the big handicap The entry fee being only a modest shilling, and hundreds of competitors about, gives the majority a very poor show of making enough to pay for repairs.