ATHLETICS

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13845, 5 March 1909, Page 6

ATHLETICS

WIN FOR AUSTRALIAN. Press Association-By Telegraph-Copyright Received i±.4o p.m., jlarch 4tn. LONDON, March 4. M. G. D. Murray, of Adelaide, won the long jump at the Cambridge sports (20ft llin). SCHOOL SPORTS. Following on the success of last year the Waimate School Committee decided to again hold school sports and a garden party in aid of the funds. The weather was propitious, and Victoria Park was a pleasing and busy scene yesterday afternoon pleasing because of the presence of happy, healthy children, and by reason of the large attendance of the fair sex in summer attire; busy, with the sports for young and (almost) old, and with the various games alluringly presented to tempt the small coins out of the visitors' pockets, and busy also where afternoon tea was dispensed. A hard working committee had the party in view for some time and are to be complimented on the result accruing from their labours. Motor cars were placed at the disposal of the authorities by Messrs J. Black and Manchester and these, with their short runs outside the Borough helped to gladden the heart of the treasurer. The Waimate Brass and Pipe Bands .were present and in their efforts to add pleasure to the gathering were highly successful. A feature of the games was a cricket matoh between the girls and boys of the High School, and although the boys were handicapped by their substitute for a bat, they proved that practice is needed bv winning the match by 50 to 39. The captain of the girls set a good example by scoring 16

runs. About £25 was taken at the gates, and it was anticipated that about £4O would be realised from all sources.

TIMARU SPORTS CLUB. The annual meeting of the Tiruaru Sports Club was held in the Crown Hotel last evening. Mr G. Triggs presided over a large gathering of members of the club. , ' ■ . The annual report showed a very satisfactory state of affairs. The year had been started with very little capital and no assets, and at the present time the balance showed a credit of £7 lis 3d, while the assets were valued at £23 16s, and there were no. liabilities. The excellent condition in which the club was at the present time was due to the energy and enthusiasm of the members, who put in an immense amount of time and labour on numerous occasions. . The firjV meeting was held in April last,.-.which brought in a good amount of cash, and as a first-rate programme had been provided, there was a little surplus left to carry on with. Another two nights' programme was put on in July, which did not pan put at all well, and only just managed to pull through. The committee were resolved not to be beaten, and the last meeting, which was held in the drill hall on New Year's. night, proved a great success, and fully justified the management's confidence. The committee had catered for the competitors to the tune of £136 10s in prize money and expenses connected with their travelling, and the rents of halls account for £23 10s,- whilst a fairly large amount the purchase of apparatus. Arrangements had been made for the holding of a tournament in Waimate on March 17th, to which the Waimate people have generously contributed £4O. ,On the 23rd and 24th March a tournament will be held in Timaru at the Theatre Royal. The committee had gone to a great deal pi trouble to popularise boxing, and to place clean manly exhibitions of sport before the public, and they deserved the thanks of all the members of the club and the public in general. The .report and balance-sheet w ; ere adopted, and.the work of the committee was eulogised by several members of the club. .;''...•

The chairman suggested an increase of tli e subscription from 5s to 10s, the latter sum to admit" all members to performances free, the only seats barred being on the stage, for which the usual admittance fee would have to be paid. This privilege only refers to boxing competitions held in Timaru.

The election of officers, for the ensuing year resulted as dent, Mr A.'S. Elworthy; vice-presi-dents, Messrs A. Scott, N. K. Cox, H. Lowry, J. Hole, C. Shallcrass, P. Elworthy, Hill, and H. Elworthy; committee, Messrs G. Triggs, R.. Cooke, H. Chaffy, J. Donnell, . 5.., Hanson, J. Shewari, W. Connolly, H. Randrup, E. Burns, and E. G. Kerr; F. Waddel (re-elected); treasurer, Mr F. C. Watson (re-elected); auditor, Mr Chaffy. The chairman said he had a pleasant duty to perform, : and that was to present Mr R. Cooke their popular referee, with a gold sovereign case, on behalf of the members of the club. "When the Sports Club had been in a fix, Mr Cooke had generously stepped into the breach and had carried out his rather unenviable task with conspicuous ability, and to the satisfaction of the public and the competitors.

Mr Cooke, in responding, said he hardly had words <to express his sincere thanks for the unexpected present. ! Acting as referee was a most thankless task, but he had always tried to carry out his duties with strict V impartiality lind fairness to the competitors. Perhaps the public were not always satisfied with the decisions, but he was glad to say that the competitors seemed to appreciate his judgments, which was the main thing. He again thanked the club for their handsome present, which he greatly appreciated. The chairman said that again he. had another presentation to and this time is was to their hardworking secretary, Mr Waddell, who. had done yeoman service for the club. They could hardly realise the large amount of time; trouble and expense that had been expended by Mr Waddell, and he had much pleasure in presenting him with a cheque from the club. Mr Waddell replied briefly, and thanked the club for their presentation.

Mr N. Gould said he would like to make a few remarks regarding the formation of a boxing class in Timaru. Some suggestions had been made to form a class from the boys of the public schools, and he thought that was a good idea, but nothing could be done in the matter without the sanction and help from headquarters. The great drawback in Timaru was the obtaining of a suitable room at a reasonable cost. The chairman said he realised that a class in the town would be'a good thing, but it-was the financial part of the question - that proved to be the obstacle to the project. Several new members were elected, and the meeting closed.