KENNEL CLUB'S SHOW

Observer, Volume XXIX, Issue 46, 31 July 1909, Page 9

KENNEL CLUB'S SHOW

The eighteenth annual show of the Auckland Kennel Club will be held at the Portman Rooms (late Powley's factory), Victoria-street West, on Friday and Saturday, July 30 and 31. The show will be officially opened by His Excellency the Governor at 2.30 p.m. on Friday. The Portman Rooms are capacious, and are particularly suitable for the purpose. The entries for this year's show constitute a record, over 500 having been received, the total number of dogs exhibited aggregating 270. A special feature of this year's show is that several foreign medals are being competed for for the first time, ac a result of the Auckland Kennel Club making arrangements with foreign clubs to exchange medals. These medals come from such distant places as Russia, Italy, Holland, Canada, Ireland, etc. The other trophies are numerous, and these, in addition to the foreign medals, are now on view ot the shop of Coltman, jeweller, Security Buildings, Queenstreet. Altogether, signs and por-t-ents augur a huge success for the show, and there is every reason to suppose that the augury will be amply fulfilled. To prevent any misunderstanding as to the location of the Portman Rooms, it may be well to repeat that they occupy the site of Powley's former factory, Victoriastreet West.

By Harrier.

A.R.U. FIXTURES. July 31 — Auckland v. Maniapoto, at Auckland. August 7 — Auckland v. Thames, at Thames. , August 14 — Poverty Bay v. Auckland, at Auckland. August 21 — Thames v. Auckland, it Auckland. August 21 — Auckland v. Rotorua, at Rotorua. August 28 — Auckland v. Northern Wairoa, at Auckland. August 28 — Wellington v. Auckland, at Wellington. August 31 — Wanganui v. Auckland, at Wanganui. September 2 — Taranaki v. Auckland, at Taranaki. September 11 — Taranaki v. Auckland, at Auckland. August 26 — Auckland v. Marlborough, at Blenheim.

NOTWITHSTANDING that the footballers had beautiful weather for Saturday's games, there was not a very lar^e attendance of spectators ait Alexandra Park. Only one senior game was played — Parnell v. Graf ton — the principal interest being centred in the first junior match, that between Marist Bros.' Old Boys and Ponsonby 11., which was played on the No.l ground. Three corn-petitions of the A.R.U. are now finished, and the third junior contest is the only one left to be concluded.

It will be remembered that when the Marist Bros.' Old Boys and Ponsonby 11. met in the first round, the blue and blacks got home by a small advantage, after a desperate game. Although the Ponsonby team had the Junior Cup won before Saturday's game, the Old Boys were desirous of having another game with them. The result proved that the Old Boys are somewhat unlucky in not being the Cup winners instead of the blue and blacks. The Old Boys (better known as "the Tykes") wound up by defeating Ponsonby by 24 points to 5. Certainly Ponsonby did not put into their play the vim that might have been expected had their position in the competition been at stake. "Whether or not they could have done better the fact remains that the Tykes beat them in every department of the game. The winners have a splendid set of backs. O'Brien, the five-eighths, is a player who would not disgrace any senior team. His brother, at fullback, is also a very fime player. Of the others, Delaney has a rare turn of speed, and Blake is more at home in this team than Ire was with Grafton. The forwards are a fairly heavy lot, and in, Saturday's game Harris stood out very prominently. He has plenty of dash, and was invariably on the ball. W. Dervan played a hard game, but by over-eagerness he spoiled many good ohandPis. As I have already mentioned, Ponsonby did not put the dash into their play that they showed at the first meeting of these teams. The backs were far too slow. In fairness to the blue and blacks, it may be said that they were a hack short for part *>f the second half, and Doran, the fullback, was also incapacitated for some time.

McDonald was tho best of the backs, but Wolf gram's play shows no improvement. I do not see wha.t use he will be to the Ponsonby senior team in Sydney. In the forwards none did better than Barnes, who accomplished some really fine work.

Parnell and Grafton fought out a match for third position in the Cup competition, and Parniell proved the victors by 16 points to 9. Parnell had a little the best of the game, and their backs slung about tlio ball to advantage. Armstrong playwl a finio game, and after him Twiname and Hardwick deserve mention. The Grafton team was not at its ful strength, yet it made the play pretty -willing. T. Marshall played a useful game, potting a pretty goal, and A. Renwiek did a lot of fine allround play.

On Saturday next the Maniapoto Union are sending down a team to meet the Auckland reps. The visitors' headquarters are at Te Kuiti, and 1 believe they are a very fair lot of players. Of course the Auckland team will be mimis the Pon&onbv men, and Mr D. Gallaher lias chosen the Auckland team as follows : —

Full-back, Miller : three-quarters, Renwick. Wilson, Robinson ; fiveeighths, R. Magee, Skillen ; half, Young : wing forward, Wilkes ; forwards. Herring, CapiU. McGuire (2), Waddel, Seeling, and Williams.

At the last meeting of the A.R.TJ. Management Committee, it was decided that the Auckland rep. team should meet the Marjborough reps, at Blenheim. The team wi\l require to leave several days earlier than was anticipated, as this game will be played on Thursday, 26th August— two days before the Wellington match. Ponsonby will play four matches in Sydney, not five, as first arranged — the first on Saturday, July 31, against a Metropolitan team ; the second on "Wednesday. August 4, aganst Combined Glebe and South Sydney ; the third on Saturday, August 7, against a Metropolitan team ; and the last on Wednesday, August 10, against Newtown. The two Saturday matches will be decided at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and the two Wednesday ones at the University Oval. There is nothing fresh to report (says a Dunedin writer) in connection with the district scheme, btit footballers are awaiting the trend of events. The sub-oommittee appointed to draw wp a workable scheme will experience some difficulty in pleasing players and the public, particularly with regard to the defining of the district boundaries. This will prove the most difficult part of the undertaking. A rumour has been circulated to the effect that a motion has been framed the effect of which will be 1 , if passed by the delegates, to overthrow the previous resohition re district football. Such an obvious change of front would serve to confirm a previously expressed opinion that the district scheme is considered undesirable in Dunedin.

An old New South Wales representative, writing to an Auckland enthusiast, predicts that the Ponsonby senior team will stand no chance against the Newtown team. Probably he will have his eyes opened when the teams meet. . Pomsonby 111. and North Shore B. had an exciting game on Saturday, the finish seeing the blue and blacks on top by 14 points to 8. The win of Ponsonby now places this team level with North Shore 8., but the latter still have to meet Newton 111. The continued success of the crack Ponsonby Rugby team has (remarks Sydney " Bulletin ") knocked football about Auckland out of shape. The team will arrive^ in Sydney early in August to fill in a programme against Sydney club teams, and some horrible examples can be looked for. The management committee of the Newton Club are put out over the decision of the A.R.TJ. Management Committee in refusing to entertain the protest from their third fifteen against Ponsonby 111. piayine one of the Clarence men. The Clarence team is affiliated to the Ponsonby Club, and is really th-e fourth fifteen of the club, and the third team acted quite rightly in drawing upon Clarence for any men they wanted. From the outset Newton had no oronnds for making the nrotest. and tViA Tnion conld according to their rules do nothing but dismiss it. The prospects of Otago winning the Ranfurly Shiled, so long held by Auckland, is (according to a Dunedin writer) holding a prominent place in the minds of some members of the Otago "Union. It has been suggested in all seriousness that Otago should challenge Auckland this season, and that the strongest possible team from the province should be got together and specially trained for the match. It will be remembered that Otago put up a great fight against Auckland last year for the coveted shield. This, combined with the fact that Otago can place a particularly aggressive forward team in the filed, and a better back team than last year, is influencing the supporters of the proposition to despatch an Otago fifteen to Auckland at the end of the season. The matter will probably come before the next meeting of the Union. It is unlikely, however, that_ the scheme will meet with the unanimous support of the committee.

The Auckland representatives in the N.Z. Amateur Boxing Championship matches at Dunedin last week fared rather badly. O'Meara and Hanley. who in Auckland were thought to have excellent winning chances, went out in the first heats, as also did McNeill. Jtpss got through his first contest, but went out in the second heat. Ac the result of the representations made by the New Zealand Boxincr Council, the dates of the Australasian Championships, to be held in Sydney, have been altered to September 25th and 27th. This will enable the New Zeaila.nd team to do fhe trip in three weeks, whereas the original dates would have required a month.

The most important engagement yet made by the Wellington. Boxing Association is the matching of R. Unholz and T. Traoey for Auggust 18, the total amount of the purse being £125. It is also understood that another important match been arranged by the Association, which will afford patrons the opportunity of seeing one of Australia's cleverest feather-weight boxers in action.

— Dr Guinness's opinion on the Sunday golf question ? — Whether Champion Virtue and Champion Halcrow mingled tears of sympathy ? , — How many buttons Wililam Richardson found in that collection last Monday night ? — How the Devonport golf caddiea appreciate the Rev. R. Taylor's solicitude for their souls ? — Whether Mayor Grey's presidency over the Hogg meeting was anything more than an official courtesy ? — Whether the Choral Society isn't now rather sorry that it allowed the Orchestral Society to outdo it in musical enterprise ? — Whether George Tutt is anxious to assume .Mayor Grey's late title of " Lhe silent member of the Council?" It looks like it, anyway. — How the contributions of the money-makers on 'Change to Benevolent Saturday compared per head with those of the general public? — If the Star's detestation of matrimonial advertisements will carry it to the determination to exclude them , from its columns for the future? — Why our public school boys don't model their manners on those of George George ? Then, indeed, the Education Board wouldn't grumble. —If it is true that Abel Rowe, before joining in another box-office rush, is going to take a course of g training as "lock" in a football scrum ? —If W. E. Arey wouldn't do a public service by placing a table of books on courtesy in a prominent place for the next rush day at the box office? ' — What Auckland's sedate Hospital Board would say to adopting the southern notion of brightening up the ► lives of the nurses with an occasional dance? — If Robert Farrell does feel inclined to call out that crowbar brigade when he passes the alleged temporary match-box buildings on the railway station site ? — Whether H. M. Smeeton's adulation of the benefactors of Auckland institutions suggests the direction ' from which another big donation will some day come ? — The total amount of Robert Wynyard's bag after his recent shooti ing expedition, and if it is a fact that he is going out to South Africa to join Teddy Roosevelt? — The opinion of Captain Maxwell, of the Mamari, concerning the Dominion's labour laws, also concern- - ing the "Star's" statement with re- , gard to the tonnage of his vessel? — Whether the re-appearance of the Farmers' Boy in the correspondence betokens that his long silence is ended, and his pencil is again sharpened to shed fresh light on public questions ? — The exact remarks that a certain prominent business man made on Arbor Day when he found all the Government offices shut? But, after all, they were a bit too strenuous for '• publication. — If there wasn't an Edward Costley whose bequests had more than a re- . mote connection with the history of 1 the Auckland Art Gallery, and how the " Herald " wrote up that history without mentioning him ? c - — If the carpeted fortune - tellers haven't found out the truth of the saying : " A prophet has no honour in his own (or any other) country?" y But why didn't they foresee what was going to happen before it was too ■. late?