Athletics.

Southland Times, Issue 19804, 25 April 1906, Page 4

Athletics.

To the Editor. Sir,—” Sport ” in your Monday’s issue make a very- poor attempt at a joke in trying to criticise the Notes by ” 1-lb in your Saturday's supplement, but no doubt " T.T.” will deni with him at the end of the weak. Later on in his letter -Sport” says—"’-Hie Societies have as much right to put on events for amateurs us for professionals, as they hn'o to depend or. the public fur their gates. Who ever heard of a society putting on an amateur event as a draw. Suielj ” Sport. ” cannot lie serious when la makes a remark like this. As for 1 Amateur” te is oven more ludicrous. When a man begins to compare the nmuleui with the professional as a competitor, and as a ” draw ”ho shows how little ho understands athletics. ” Amateui picks out tho mile cash race ou the lirst day o£ the Axemen's Carnival, ami says that Varcoe won by ten yards, an «u-

inUrr-sting race (the newspaper report nays he won by three yards after a good finish' in 4 min. 41 secs. Ho thinks the amateur mile was more interesting because one man had the race ” thrown at him ” and won as he liked, lie, however, omits to say the time taken was 4.D7. No doubt these events are interesting to the amateurs themselves but they are of no interest to the general sporting public. ” Amateur” considers the societies would be tiding a foolish tiling to wipe these ” payable ami interesting events off their programmes. A society does not run t#tn event to make lid on the entrance money, they put on a race that will be u ” public draw ” and nay thei stake out of the ” gate.’ As a comparison tile Irish Athletic Society is in a very healthy financial condition, and they hold tiu-ir sports on a lia.li day, but they make a " draw " with their Sheffield Handicap, and so make a, handsome profit. The Axemen's Carnival 'Hood their programme with amateur events, take two days t«. get through their programme. and through lacki of public support are It a tally able to make ends meet. How (hi ” Amateur " and ” Sport ” account for litis —I am, etc., ” I’KOL-'KSSION AL..” April 81.