ATHLETIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8797, 7 December 1906, Page 4

ATHLETIC.

NOTES.

(By SPRINTER.)

Mr Arthur Davies, the , enthusiastic •ecretary of the Wellington Centre of the N.Z.A.A.A., created a most favourable impression at the Council's annual meeting on Friday last. He is a fluent (speaker, who marshals his facts in logical sequence, and I think it was principally due to his arguments that the registration rules were struck off the Council's statute-book. He showed plainly that in no one Centre were the license fees all collected, and, further, that the Council knew it, and had failed in their duty to disqualify those who had competed without a license. At the annual meeting of the N.Z.A.A.A., Messrs W. G. Atack and J. E. Green, president and secretary respectively, came in for some very complimentary remarks upon the excellent manner in which they have carried on the work C(f the Association during the past year. Both gentlemen were re-elected unanimously. Mr C. T. Aschman, in moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet of the N.Z.A.A.A., gave further expression, to his views on the reinstatement rules, and New Zealand's connection with the Australasian Union. He said the present rules did not, in. a number of instances, apply to this colony, and the time was fast approaching when the Council would havo to take upon themselves the formation of rules more in keeping with local requirements. As regards the Australasian championship meetings, he would be sorry to see New Zealanders shut out, but he thought there was no reason why arrangements could not be made for this colony's representatives to meet the Australians under Australasian rules.

The suggestion made by Mr A. Davies at the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association's annual meeting, that each Centre should appoint a travelling delegate, and that the Council should bear a portion of his expenses in the work of organising new clubs, was an exceedingly < good one, and I she no reason why it should not be given effect to. Each Centre, too, might follow Otago'e example by creating an Organising Committee, which would be in close touch with the agent for its district, and direct his movements as it saw fit. Notwithstanding the excellent work done by the Wellington Centre -during the la6t twelve months, there is still, much to do in its large and populous district. This was pointed out by Mr, Davies, who stated that there was plenty of scope for organising work at »uch places as Nelson, Stratford, New Plymouth, Hawera, Napier, Hastings and Dannevirke, and iit was the wish of his Centre to commence operations in these towns as soon as finances, permitted.

At the request of Mr A. Davies, of Wellington, on Friday last, the Council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association gave a ruling bearing on permits and mixed meetings. The ruling, which is a rather important one, now stands, that any affiliated club may, with the permission of the Council, •; -put-- on. cash eventp. The Council will, of course, have to be satisfied in each case that amateur sport will benefit thereby. The matter originated with the Nelson. Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club, which finds that it is unable to run a purely amateur meeting. - ; "At last the vexed question of license fees has been, settled, at least for the time being. "Centres are now given a free hand to charge fees or not, as they please, the Council having struck out the whole of the rules referring thereto. Wellington and Canterbury will have their life-time license, while Otago will have ite own way in charging an annual fee, to la6t from May 1 to April 30 in each year. • Each Centre's funds will also be considerably augmented at the.

expense of the Council, the whole of the fees going to the centre. It i 6, of course, doubtful as to how the new system will work, but, if l am not mistaken, the Centres will ere long find themselves in a hornets' nest, as it is not likely that competitors in one Centre will submit to an annual fee while others in an adjoining district arc only mulcted once in their athletic 'career. It is also not improbable that the Council will shortly be called upon to settle disputes which may arise owing to the refusal of certain clubs to uphold the Centre's action in charging the annual fee. Mr A. 0. Keating, honorary secretary to the Christchurch Civil Service Sports Club, has been ordered to Ha rimer Springs on relief duty. This will be a serious inconvenience to the civil), unless some energetic young member comes- forward to fill the office temporarily.

There is a chance that the Civil Service championship meeting may be held at Lancaster Park on Boxing Day, instead of at the New Brighton. Racecourse. It appears that the tram line to the New Brighton Racecourse is to be lifted, and as there will be no cars running, the committee of the Civil Service Club has had to turn ite attention to another and more suitable venue for the inaugural championship meeting.

Some little while back I drew attention to the disparity between tlie pole jump performances recorded in New Zealand and those of other countries, and pointed out that this was partly due to the fact that bamboo poles were in general use in the Old "World, while local men were still humping their heavy, old-fa6hioned aeh, hickory and ironbark sticks. I am now pleased to announce that the executive of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association has 'placed an order with Mr J. F. Duff, the Christchurch Japanese trader, for a supply of bamboo poles suitable for pole jumping. It is hoped that they will arrive in time for the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association's championship meeting in February next, but of this there is some doubt. I understand the Council will be pleased to supply pole v^ulters with the new poles, which, should have the effect of giving an impetus to this most attractive but much neglected field event.

Entries for the Pioneer Club's meeting close with the secretary, Mr F. L. Murray, on Wednesday, December 19. Arrangements for the Pioneer Club's spring meeting are now in full swing, and a first-rate programme has been issued. As the date (December 29) comes wi. L hin the Christmas holiday week, it is 1 expected that the entries will be considerably augmented by competitors from \ all parts of the colony, who will be visitors to the Exhibition as well. In this connection I throw out a suggestion to visitors to book their lodgings in good time, as a. big rush is expected m Christchurch at Christmas time.

Mr R. Gr. Anderson, secretary of the Dunedin. Civil Service Club, lias been unbosoming himself to "Prodigal" of the "Referee" in reference to New Zealand's relationship with the Australasian JJnion. Mr Anderson "is reported to have said that he wa6 perfectly satisfied that no feeling in .any way antagonistic to Australia was to ,be found in New Zealand, which, of course, is quite correct, but when, he goes on. to elaborate this statement hv adding that there is no desire to sever the Australasian connection he is speaking* without the book. He ridiculed such a thing as eash-amatearism, and said that the Otago and Southland' Centres were ej>lid against anything of the sort, and he felt certain the Wellington Centre, too. "We read in. t-he columns of a Chrifitchurch paper of all sorts and conditions of wonderful things

that may take place, but one does not hear of them in athletic circles," was the substance of Mr Anderson's final remark ere leaving. I do not know what Mr Anderson means by cash-ama-teurism, but if it is inferred that there is a feeling in New Zealand A. A. A., to go over bodily to cash, I can fay straight out that no such proposal has ever been hinted at, either in these columns or in any other quarter in the colony . The- mere mention; of such a proposal indicates the cloudy ideas of some Australian writers as to the condition, of athletics in this colony, and I am'vpleased Mr Anderson has given it a flat contradiction. As regards the relationship between the Australasian Union and. the New Zealand A. A. A., it is only necessary to refer Mr Anderson, and "Prodigal" also, to the recent caees of hardship in the Tokomariro Club, formed through the instrumentality of Mr Anderson's own Centre, and subsequently restricted in ite operations by the hidebound rules of the Australasian. Union. Perhaps on Mr Anderson's return' to Dunedin he may modify hifi opinions somewhat. Generally speaking, Mr Anderson docs not appear to be at nil well posted on New Zealand athletic politics.

Describing the 440 yds Hurdle Amateur Championship of Victoria, in which. J. L. Davis broke the world's record, the "Referee" says:—^ F. P Brown, who holds the quarter-mile hurdles championship of Australasia, led off, but Davis got alongside of him at the third hurdle, and, jumping beautifully, ran out a winner by two yards in the world's record time of 58 1-oseo. The officials of the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association had the course remeaeured, and fouud it to be an in'jh

and a. half over the quarter of a mile. The previous record was 58 2-sbgc, created by G. W. Smith, of New Zealand, two years ago. Davis, w!ho wag loudly cheered on his fine performance, is only eighteen years of age, and a pupil of Caulfield Grammar School. He is a son of Mr J. H. Davis, the wellknown running man."

Judging by the latest files from Canada the popularity of Sherring, the "Marathon" winner, eeeme to be unlimited. A Vancouver oon temporary says of him: "Mr Sherring, in recounting some of the prizes he was awarded in connection with the Marathon Race, announced that he intended to donate the two big statues he won to the City of Hamilton. One of these statues is of Minerva, and the other represents Jupiter. Both are life-size, made of fine Italian marble. At present they take up a large amount of the space in the parlour of Shexring'e residence in Hamilton, and the question of what to do with them had been puzzling him for same time. He stated that upon his return he would present them to the city, to be placed in some museum or public place, where they could be easily seen by visitors to the city."

Martin. Sheridan, of the New York Police lorce, who was quoted, in this column recently as being one of the finest specimens of living athletes, has given further evidence of his claim to the distinction. At the recent sports of the Metropolitan Police in New York, Sheridan was the hero of the day. He commenced by throwing the discus 138 ft 3in (a world's record), and proceeded to win the pole vault from scratch with a leap of lift, and followed on with a high jump of sft 7in, also won from scratch. He was second from scratch, in the broad jump, with a leap of 20ft lOin, and second in the 161 b ©hot event, with a put of 43ft 9in. John- Flanagan, 'the champion hammer-thrower, was cut-handi-capped, having to concede 15ft to M. M'Grath, who. put up a throw of 158 ft Bin. A© 'a New York paper says, Flanagan would have to be on deck with new records to take first prizes on this sort of handicapping. As it wa6, Flanagan's fine throw of 168 ft 7in. was of no use to him.

lmin 53 3-ssec is the recorded time for' a half-mile flat, run by M. W. Sheppard at the New York Athletic Club's recent autumn sports. The track, although damp, was very fast, and Sheppard, who was out to attempt to break the world's record, was assisted by five other runners handicapped on different marks. He covered the fiist quarter-mile in 52 4-ssec. A little more than a lap from home, one of the handicap men, in leaving the track, -Bumped into Sheppard, causing the latter to stagger, and virtually ocsting him the world's record. He, however, tore along at a great pace, and reached the tape just one-fifth of a second too late for the world's mark — as it was, Sheppard's time is 'the second fastest ever run by an amateur, and he : now stands the third man to beat lmin 54sec, the two others being O. H. Kilpatrick and Frank Scurry Hewitt. Kilpatrick's time of lmin 53 2-ssee vrae put up in 1895, while Hewitt's great half-mile on the Riccarton Road, Christchurch, in 1871, was lmin 53£ sec.

At the same meeting, Denis Horgan, the Irish Hercules, broke all previous records for putting the 281 b shot. Horgati has been doing sensational shot work all last season on the American fields, and only a short time ago he sent the 281 b weight a distance of : 35ft 4£in, a performance that . was counted out, owing to the iron, being a shade light. This time he made no error about the avoirdupois, and sent the missile 36ft 3in, which is lft 2 Jin better than William Real'e previous re-

cord, at Limerick, in August, 1888. Horgan shortly afterwards came out lor the twelve-pound shot, which he won with 54a 2£in, the beet feat since George R. Gray's record of fl^ft 2in, in 1890. _ Later on, another fine performance with the 161 b hammer was put up by Samuel Gillies, his distance being 164 ft 7in. G. V. Bonhag afterwards put up fast figures for the two-mile flat, covering the distance in 9min 39 2-ssec, which is 12sec slower than the existing American record.