THE PLAYGROUND.

Southland Times, Issue 17655, 12 February 1916, Page 10

THE PLAYGROUND.

FAST AND FUTURE ATHEETICS.

| BOXING.

| ANGLING.

Recent warm weather brought about the biggest swimming boom known in Southland for many years past. The Masterton Lawn Tennis Club celebrated its 21st birthday by holding a most successful meeting, the profits being devoted to the 'Wairarapa Wounded Soldiers’ Fund. The Dunedin public tepid baths in Moray Place was closed on Wednesday last on account of the shortness of

water, and will remain closed until further notice.

'Though no figures have been issued from the London group of clubs (says and English writer) it is certain that about £Con.i will be available from football for distribution amongst war charities r.t Christmas time. It Is stated that a movement is on foot in Dunedin to pump sale water from the harbour for use in the Corporation tepid baths. Dunedinitcs have learned to love their public baths, but Invercargiilites have yet to realise the necessity of swimming facilities.

Not satisfied that his recent all-day motor cycle record of 930 miles, E. G. Baker, the American racing crack lias journed down to Mortlake (Vic.) with a View to making an early attempt to establish better figures. With good weather conditions and decent luck Baker expects to cover close on 1100 miles during the 24 hours. So many footballers have enlisted In the Wairarapa during the past few months, and so many others arc waiting their turn, that it is thought that the game of Rugby will have to be abandoned in the coming winter; (says the Age). The ranks of hockey players have also been thinned to such an extent that hockey may he oft until the war is over.

The following interesting item is from The Field:—“l can confirm that the speed of a hare for a short distance is between 30 and 33 miles an hour. Some years ago, when running at night on open roads in the country, I found that hares could keep ahead of a car going at SO. miles an hour, but were overtaken at a speed of about 33 miles. Naturally some were faster than others, but nearly all I tested fell within these limits.— Bernard Drake (Cuckfield).” Amongst the New Zealand cyclists to enlist is P. O'Shea, who established fastest time in the last Durilop Road Race from Warrnambool to Melbourne. O’Shea is one of the fastest long distance riders that New Zealand has produced, and his records including two Timaru-Christchurch events, justify his being bracketed with J. Arnst, as the best road riders the dominion has yet seen.

The Lancashire Homing Pigeon Combine was started in 1901 by the amalgamation of a number of federations and clubs in Lancashire (England), to cheapen convoying. The first combine race under its auspices was down from Kantes, in Prance, in 1902. Since then 13 races have been organised and flown; 84,000 birds have been carried, an average of 6463 birds per race; and £6566/1/8 paid in prize-money, an average of £505 per race. The greatest number of birds entered in any one year was 5491 birds in 1905. and in 1913 the greatest amount Of prize-money (£982/6/6) was paid out.

Mr Daniel Jones, whose death at the age of SI is announced from England, was a familiar figure at the lawn tennis championship meetings at Wimbledon, and was the last survivor of the original founders of the All England Club. He was prominent in drawing up the laws of lawn tennis. A masterly whist player, as befitted a brother of "Cavendish” (MiHenry Jones), he was also a member of the Alpine Club. Mr Daniel Jones practised at the Chancery Bar until within a year of his death. An English motor trader suggests that 1000 members of the motor trade should each pool £IOOO each, £1,000,000 in all, with a view to forming a company in Bngland to manufacture a low priced ear to keep the cheap American cars out of England. He backs up his suggestion by offering to take one of the group, claiming that what has been achieved in America from a low-priced car point of view, can be achieved in England. According to an American writer four speed gear boxes for private cars have almost ceased to exist in the United States. Most of manufacturers consider that with modern engines and the low gear, axle ratios of to-day there is little need for more than three speeds, and to provide four calks for higher cost, greater weight, and increased opportunity for noise.

The Germaii—and the Austrian—plays Soccer football -with some fro, but he does not know anything about the grand qualities of the old English Rugby Union game) which is nearer to war than anything else in the realm of games. As to cricket, it is hardly possible to picture Germans bothering about such a purely English game. Here and there Gormans might cultivate a liking for cricket played under the brightest auspices, such as the battles for the "ashes.” But as a game for Germans to play cricket appears to be impossible, for the spirit underlying it apparently has no place in their mental outlook.

A novel device for teaching ladies motor driving is in use in.America. To aid them in controlling their cars before essaying traffic driving, all four wheels are jacked and the pupil takes the driver’s seat. A setniphore with several arms is placed in front of the car. By pulling a cord the operator causes an arm to.be raised before the car with phrases like “Road closed,” "Steep Hill,” ‘‘Bad Curve,” etc. Ladies are said to gain great confidence, and to quickly learn how to manipulate gear, levers, brakes, etc., in a short time by means of this device.

Two well-known ex-Sonthland Rugby representatives left for Trentham on Thursday to enter the N.C.O.’s training camp, viz., Messrs P. Donnelly and T. Muir. The former had considerable experience in the South African War, and the latter served with the Wallace Mounted Rifles. Their many friends will wish the popular pair speedy promotion as commissioned officers. It must be some kind of comfort to motorists who arc hard hit by the increased cost of motoring, says an English motorist, to reflect that in Genmuiy the lot of the motorist is far harder. From figures which have come' to hand from Hanover, via America, it appears that the number of cars in use in Germany has dropped since the beginning of the war froirf 70,C00 to loss than 15,000, and this includes motor vehicles of all classes. In Austria the drop has been from 30,000 to 10,000. AH pleasure motoring has been stopped, the vehicles being requisitioned for army purposes, and petrol is at a prohibitive price, so that the use of commercial vehicles is greatly restricted.

At the annual meeting of the-Devon Albion Football flub and Recreation Ground, Ltd. (England), recently the attitude of the landlord in regard to the rent was strongly criticised. It was announced that the. directors were paying about 1215 a year for the ground, and application hail been made to the landlord (the Row ITeb G. Ponsonhy) for a reduction. Jl was reported that the response was an offer of £G a year. This was not accepted by the directors; they thought it an insult. The f2od() capital had all been spent in improving the ground. The ground is now in Government hands, and in reply to a question whether the War Office would help, the chairman said it was first suggested that they might give some consideration to the matter at the end of the war. The last letter received from them, however, promised nothing at all.

American football is this season running up tiie usual "butcher's bill," At "Williamsport, I'a, on November 25, Fred McGougu, it member of the Dickinson College freshmen's team, died as the result of having ills skull fractured in a match against the Williamsport High School, fin the same day at Xutley, New Jersey, in sight of almost 20fifi persons, including his father, former Mayor John T. Lux, of Xutley, John E. Lux, twentyone years, full back of the Xutley team, suffered a fracture of the spine in a game on Xutley Oval, and the doctors feared that the youth had broken his nock. The game was between the Xutley flub ami the Paterson V.M.C.A. And yet Americans will have it that theirs is a better game titan our own Rugger, in which fatal accidents are happily very infrequent.

This year, owing to the heavy call on the English motor trade by the War Pt£ice, practically no new models will be

(EDITED BY ONLOOKER.)

BOWLING. |

CEICKET | 0

listed for 11' If. In America which is the only country whose motor trade is being carried on without interference from the war, several new tendencies are noted in design, etc. Out of 91 different models of cars listed by the leading manufacturers for 1916, 36 are fitted with six cylinder engines; 37 with four, 15 with eight, and six with twelve cylinders. The progress made in America in “Eights" is remarkable, for in 1913 this type of engine only amounted to .06 per cent, of the total, whereas it has now risen to practically .16 per cent. In most instances as the number of cylinders increases, the bore of same decreases. One striking departure is the tendency to turn out engines with detachable engine heads, "this type now being adopted to the extent of GS.S per rent, of the American cars. As regards ignition, the use of the mngneo is rapidly waning. Out of the !) 1 cars under notice, only a quarter of their number have magnetos fitted, the balance having ignition of the battery and distributor type, the popularity of which has been stimulated by the fact that electric engine starting and lighting systems, which involve the use of a dynamo and storage battery—are now in general use. In clutches the disc type is in the ascendancy, being fitted to 52.7 per cent, of the cars, as against 4 7.2 per cent, with clutches of the leather-eonc variety. Finally with regard to transmission. the worm drive lias made no progress, the tendency of the moment being apparently in the direction of using the spiral form of bevel gear. Miss Ruby Roberts, the professional lady billiard champion of Australia, is apparently improving in her billiards under the watchful eye of Harry Gray, sen., father of George Gray, as of late she has given several line exhibitions in London and the provinces. Her best so far is perhaps in a game of 7000 up, played in Prince’s Rooms, in Glasgow, recently. Her tutor, Harry Gray, was her opponent, and in allowing the lady a handicap of 2000 points he was forced to abdicate under a majority of 350 points. Miss Roberts, in gaining victory, gave a very fine display of billiards, topping the century on four occasions in breaks of 100, 104, 105, and 106. Miss Roberts bad her first tuition from her uncle, Charlie Memmott, the ex-champion of Australia. In the match of 7000 up between Miss Ruby Roberts and W. Smith, of Glasgow, concluded on December 6, Miss Roberts scored a substantial victory. Miss Roberts boat her Manchester record break of 109 by making 123, all but six off the red. and after the first session, when Smith reached points she kept the lead all the week. Smith scored 6476 to the Australian lady’s 7000.

American football claimed sixteen lives during the 1915 season, which came to a close on November 27. Last year the toll was one less. Not a single death was recorded in any game in which the players were known to be trained physically as well as mentally for severe test. In most of the cases (says the New York AVorld) those who lost their lives were members of high school, semi-pro, and prairie elevens, where there is little or no system of physical training. In this year’s toll four players were fifteen years of age or under, one being only eleven years old. Four of them were only seventeen years old, while the others ranged to twenty-one years. Only three had college affiliations, and in one of these cases it was said that an unnecessary tackle killed the player. N'o one doubts the splendid fighting qualities of the sportsmen of Australia and New Zealand, who have often sprinted to death under the murderous fire in the Gallipoli campaign (says London Sportsman). Here is a story of a boy officer taken from the Sydney Sun:—Wc had a young subaltern from Duntroon College (X.S.W.), as gallant a boy as ever looked' death in the face and that he did every hour of the day and night for weeks. He commanded men old enough to be his father, and he was the darling of their hearts. On day the inevitable happened, and he went down (to the sea front) with a big hole in him. Some days afterwards his men were going back to rest camp, and they came to mo to inquire after him. I can see them now, half a score of as unsavoury-looking ruffians as ever could be seen. Their 'faces were shaggy , with two weeks’ beard, and their eyes were red and bulging with unintermittent vigils. They had cheated deatii for yet another week. And the tears ran down their cheeks as they begged to know if “there was any chance for the boy.” Men like that stir your innermost fibre. «

In advocating the need for a National Council to govern all branches of amateur sport in England, Charles Otway, the well-known writer on athletic matters in the London Sporting Life, says:— There is every hope that the end of the war and the return of our great citizen armies will coincide with a period of great activity in amateur sport, for tens, nay hundreds of thousands who have not heard the call will have been imbued with the sporting spirit during their service in the Army, and will wish to participate in any game that is going. But if amateurism is to flourish, there will need to he a very broad view taken of the relationships between one sport and another, and particularly of the status of those who would compete. Here is the need for a council which will be able to act with some authority, and lay down for the guidance of all the amateur governing bodies some broad line of procedure. If amateur sport is to come into its own. and after all that it has done for the nation it is deserving of mud'., it will need to be built up afresh, and the basis upon which it should be founded ought to concern the spirit rather than the letter of amateur definitions.

The crowning act in connection with the cricketers’ tribute was held in the vestibule at Scott’s Hotel on Friday afternoon, January 31 (says the Australasian), when Mr Archie Vuille sold by auction the further cricket relics which had been sent to the Victorian Cricket Association for disposal for the Wounded. Soldiers’ Fund. The total was £517 13n lid. The Blackham Ball Fund is now about £SSO, and the whole amount from patriotic matches, etc., will probably exceed £300(1. W. L. Murdoch’s hat was the first lot offered. It was through the Australian Eleven tour, ISOO, was presented to .1. M. Blackham by “W.L.” at the close, and given by Blackham to the fund. The bidding was keen between Mr Mackinnon and Mr T. Millear, and finally it fell to Mr .Millear for 70 guineas. Subsequently Mr Mackinnon bought a hat of Victor Tnunper's for 35 guineas. The registered colours of tne IS S3 Australian Eleven went to Mr H. L. Austin, of Doniliqnin, for 35 guineas, and Mr Austin expressed a wish to give, them bad: to Mr Blackham. Mr Millear paid 55 guineas for an autograph hilt of Victor Trurnper, with which he made IS3 not out and Jin in test matches: an autograph bat of Warwick Admstrong went to 5..- .1. A. McLeod for 3D guineas; an autograph hat of the 10 on Australian Eleven went to Mr Austin for 31 guineas; and the bat with which Clem Hill made six centuries went to Mr Millear fer 30 guineas. The score-bool: of the If*S3 Australian Eleven was keenly competed for, and .Mr Millear got it for

guineas. The well-known cricketer Frank Laver went as high ns 22 guineas. Since the annual meeting of members of tlie Queenstown Regatta Club (says the Wakatimi .Mail), the secretary, Mr A. .1. Thompson-, lias received a report from Mr A. McGavock as representing the Southland flubs, bearing on the matter of holding the annual regatta. Mr McGnvock says, inter alia, "Vnnr flub will be assured of good entries from Ibe Railway flub, but none of the others will be represented. The Southland Rowing Association has abandoned its regatta this year partly owing to want of entries, and also to the fact that the Otago Association will not send a crew to compete in the annual Interpro race with Southland. I desire to add, however, that this position has arisen pitre'y owing to so many of the boys assisting the Empire to blot out Prussian militarism. Von can rest assured, however, that when the job is finished rowing will once more lkiitris.ii. We have a line lot of young eh,ups coming on," .Mr A. G. fockroft, erstwhile a rowing man, of Invercargill, writes in a similar strain. He also assures the Committee that when the war is finished the Queenstown regatta will receive tile same or more entries than it has done in the past, and will again be the regatta that is always looked forward to by all rowing men and a great many of the public in Southland. It will be seen by above let-

tors and from the correspondence receivo.cl from Mr J. Galbraith, which appears in it salt a report elsewhere, that the Chib hail no alternative but put off its regatta. The decision is one. that should, in the circumstances, commend itself to the public at the present time. Rowing, more than any other sport, has been seriously affected by the war, on account of so many oarsmen having enlisted for the front. And for this reason most of the regattas in dtago and Southland at all events, have been cancelled. It is rightly the aim of Clubs to take no step that will interfere with recruiting. The Committee is assured that the decision not to hold the fixture this year will not affect the success of future regattas, but may rather add to it.

The veterans in the liar parlour of the Cricketers’ Arms were discussing the latest cricket news, and spinning yarns about the big hits they had made in the lieydcy of their youth. One braggart unblushingly claimed that be bad once knocked a ball over three fields on to a railway line, where it had dropped and knocked the stoker of a passing train senseless. “Well, I'm better at gardening than cricketing," said another, “and I remember once somebody knocked a ball into my garden and one o’ the fielders, without even asking leave, rushed in, and picking it up, as he thought, flung it into the field, and a later he reappeared laughing lit to split. “ 'W hat s up,’ says I. ‘You got yer ball, didn t yer? Not I. guv’nor,’ he says, ’twas one o’ your big red gooseberries I picked up by mistake.' “ Then there was silence in the bar parlour. Alfred Shnihb, the famous runner; now of Toronto, and for the past six seasons coach of the Harvard crosscountry teams, has decided to become an American citizen. He will shortly apply for citizenship papers in the Stale of Massachusetts. Shrubb will go into business in Boston this winter, but will continue to coach the crimson harriers. The great little runner has accumulated a competency since going from England to Canada, where he became a professional. Ho held all the world's amateur records from one to twelve miles. Since his arrival in America the Englishman has won a good deal of money as a professional, and ,what is more, he has not thrown it away. As a building contractor and real estate speculator in Toronto he has increased his financial resources. He is popular at Harvard and throughout Greater Boston.'

Jn 'its comment on the final stages of the Gray v. Stevenson billiard match, the deciding one of the rubber, which was one by the Australian after an exciting finish, the Sportsman says;— Amid a scene of great enthusiasm, and with the cheers of a crowded house ,iust as hearty for the loser as the winner, George Gray defeated Harry Stevenson at Thurston's Grand Hall, Heicester Square, in their match of 18,000 up level for £IOO. The margin in favour of the Australian was 260, quite enough, of course, to vdetermino the destination of the cneque for a ••hundred” depending upon the result, but a score difference that easily might have been the other way about had the luck distributed itself equally during the protracted final session. The believers in the imperturbability of Gray under the most exacting circumstances probably suffered something akin to a disappointment. Truly enough the junior professional made a beautiful century break when well withing sight of game, but, for some reason or other, he avoided the all-red route in favour of the top-of-the-table methods, and here he made sufficient mistakes to let Stevenson in for chances of winning right up to the bitter end. The balls, however, were not kind to the English - man, and try as he would he could not present them rolling dead into line, and although negotiating successfully numerous brilliant shots for recovery purposes, the remedy was not entirely effective for the cure. Thus Stevenson lost the odd one of the three matches played between the pair during the year 1915, and yet the Kul} man possesses a balance of 74 3 points on the aggregate for the whole, 53,499 to 52,756. The difference is reflected by the fact that Gray’s two victories were by 241 and 260 respectively, whereas ' in August last Stevenson pulled through by 1244. The quality of the billiards during the third meeting suffered slightly by comparison with the other two, and still both men averaged about 40 for twenty-five sessions, statistics that are quite excellent considering that thrice the aggregates failed to reach treble figures.