ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1931, Page 7

ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMERICANS MAY NOT COMPETE. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press" Association. Wellington, Last Ni’ght. A meeting of the Wellington Centre of’ the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association this evening passed a recommendation to the council that the visiting American athletes should not compete in .track championship events at the Dunedin national championship meeting. The recommendation is likely to create interest. Mr. D. Paris, who was responsible for the motion, suggested that the Americans might compete in special jiandicap events instead. It was hardly fair to New Zealand athletes, he said, to have to run in championship events aganist the American sta s. Mr. Paris had the support of Mr. J. Fleming, who seconded the motion and spoke on the same lines. The proposed national championship programme drew criticism from Mr. Rose, father of the famous runner, although he explained that his remarks were not “on account of a certain individual,” because he did not think he would be running. Mr. Rose, however, was against the plan of running the three mile event on the first day and the one. mile event on the second. It was a big mistake, he said, and ha'd caused trouble to at least two competitors at the last national meeting at Wanganui. Mr. Paris agreed with him but considered that if necessary the mile could be run on the second day and the three mile event later on in the same programme. Others, including the president, Mr. A. C. Kitto, did not see why such a change should be recommended and the motion put forward by Mr. Rose was lost by a large majority.