OTHER SPORTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13983, 14 August 1909, Page 5

OTHER SPORTS.

(By "Argus.")

Christchurch advices state that the ex-champion boxer Burns, has denied to a representative of the Council of the New Zealand Boxing Association that anyone outside himself is financially interested in his tour, and he asks the council to advise the associations that there is no truth in the report that a syndicate is running him. It is curious that in the second, third, and fourth test matches a different Australian bowler should attain wonderful success (remarks an exchange). \i is a mute but an effective reply to the cry that Australia has no bowlers. A. J. Hopkins' non-appearance in so ' many matches in England was due to an injured hand. i.udolph Unhoii. the well-known light-weight boxer, thoroughly defeated "Bob"' Whitelaw, the crack Newcastle middle-weight, at Maitland, N.S.W., a fortnight ago. On Wednesday next, in Wellington, -TjuJiole is t» fight Tim Tracy for the light-weight championship of the dominion. The A. A. Union of the United Btates has decided to refuse sanction to any "Marathon" races in the summer months. A recent "Marathon" by the j New Jersey A.C. in hot weather opened the eyes of the authorities, and President Sullivan and his colleagues have closed down on summer "Marathons." A Marathon vace fo«- £^'Wf l <» "in in Chicago early in June. The winner E roved to be the Swedish crack Svan-. erg, who won from Hayes (America), and Appleby (Great Britain). The gallant little French runner, Henry St. Yves, the favourite, injured himself and collapsed in the fifteenth mile. Long- , boat, the Canadian-fiidian, withdrew ( from the contest at a previous st«ge. 1 Svanberg's time was 2hr. 48min. \\\ bee. Hayes took 2hr. 52min. 57sec., and Appleby 3hr. lmin. 7seol R. E. Walker (South Africa) won the 100 yards scratch at the Crewe Alexandra sports on June 19 in lOsec. Nat Carimell (U.S.A.) was beaten by a foot. At Stamford Bridge on July 3 Walker won the 100 yards English championship. In view of the fact that Victor Tiumpor showed greatly improved batting form after having faced the lately invented bowling machine, scoring at least one centOry in a match, his opinion of the mechanical aid to cricket practice is worth quoting; — "I think is a very fino thing,", he said, "and ought to bo largely adopted. It should lie of special value to schools. In the winter time you can put it in a shed and practise as long as you like. It should be of special value also in our country, for in our climate you cannot get* a man to go on bowling for two hours, but this machine will continue to bowl any ball any length aud any break for as long as you like." Lord Lonsdale has promised a» gold and silver belt emblematic of the lightweight boding championship of England, but it must, he says, be won four times before any winner may claim it pa%mauently, and the holder will bo called upon to defend his position . within six months from the date of any championship for a minimum stake of' £100. This bauble Was held up as a bait for the American Freddie. Welsh and Jojinny -Summers, but at latest dates they hadn't so far bitten. It is too much to ask a man to win a belt four times before he mv- own the article, remarks an exchange. What good would that' trophy be to . Welsh ? America n his home. With the directors of nearly all the London professional Association football clubs complhining that the expenses of rum ing a successful teani nowadays are so lieavs t\mt very few can show a balance on the right side at the end of the season, it is satisfactory to find that Tottenham Hotspur found the season of 1908-9 the most I.rofitable in its history (says an Engish writer). A profit of £4073 was made on the year s working, the gross gate receipts amoi nting to £15,566 an 1 the net income being £14,676 Tho sum paid in wages to players and trainers was not quite so high as usual, lut, owing to the cost of special training and transfer fees, general expenses v ere rather more than in previous years. Among the lessons taught by the 'Test" at Edgbaston are the following (says Tho Field): — That it is unwise to take the field with only two bowlers of the highest class, both of them left-hand that in any case three types of bowlers are not sufficient ; that if yo\i have a fast bowler who can bowl on any wicket, it is well to play him even if the turf is never likely to become firm and hard — witness Brearlcy's success on a slow wicket at Manchester this *.veek : that good fielding still counts for very much, and 4ftut if a man like Macartney can be found, he is well worth pluving for hi-i fielding alone, since lie saves wry rtThny more runs than most other men make; that, in a team in which there are several "stonewallers" it does not see.ni to be making the best rse of them if they are lumped together in the batting order. The following from the Athletic News should make tho.se responsible for the control of Northern Uihoi* football ponder. There is a good deaf in ft : "From a private source we learn tfnrf many of the players in New Zealand are devoting more attention to matters of a professional nature than to the actual play

and development of the many comrts to the game. This informatiotrorill, no doubt, be disappointing to * those Northern Unioa officials who have received glowing accounts of the popularity of the new rules in New Zealand. But the present situation must be faced, and our correspondent declares that many well-known men once connected with the Rugby Union game greatly regret the trend of events."