ATHLETIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10418, 23 March 1912, Page 5

ATHLETIC.

AMATEUR. At a well-attended meeting of enthusiasts in Jnvereargill on March 14 it was decided to form a club to be called "the Invereargill Amateur Athletic Club.'' The following office-bear-ers were elected :—Patron, Mr R. A. Anderson; president, Dr C. 13. Snow; vice-presidents, Messrs C. J. Martin, T. D. A. Moflott, J. S. McGrath and Drs A. F. Ritchie Crawford and .T. G. Macdonald : lion, secretary, Mr A. S. Reid; lion.' treasurer, Mr A. S. Wallace ; Committee, Messrs F. A. "Webb, K. Allen, L. Haitan, C. L. Fraser.— Campbell, W. D. Anderson and W. Clark; lion, auditor, Mr G. C. A. Todd. It was decided to make application for affiliation to the Southland Centre, N.Z.A.A.A. Following hard upon A. T. Duncan's excellent running at Karori last Saturday (comments' '' Mercury" in the "' Dominion of March 16) came another good day's work at Levin on Wednesday, hi fact, his work- on this occasion seems too good to be true. Briefly summed up, it was: First 100 yds handicap in 10 1 osee. first 150 yds handicap in loscc. first 220 yds handicap in 22soe. Thus'he broke a New Zealand record onco, and equalled it once—tho fracture beimr sustained by tho 150 yds distance. The 220 yds, clocking equals Opie's record rim of last March in Christchurch, and. according to the " Horowhenua Chronicle,'' there is no reason to doubt the correctness of the timing, 'which was taken by three watches in capable liands. Moreover, the same authority states that a ronieasurement of the tracks found them all correct. At the same time, with all due resnect to the "Chronicle." this sudden leap into the record-break-ing class on Duncan's part is rather startling—good sprinter as he is known to be/ Further developments Irom Duncan are anxiously awaited.

G. N. Hill, the New Zealand and Australasian chfvinpion distance runner, on his return to Auckland stated that the New Zealand championships were anything but satisfactory, since tho weather was simply atrocious, and tho competitors were greatly affected by the bitterly cold wind blowing, while the track was under water in several places. Practically all the northerners were suffering from cold, both Dormer and himself being very bad. Hill remarked that the "sport was not "booming," and the management was in the wrong hands. There seemed to be no life and very little effort mado to get public patronage. To this Mr R. Mitchell, manager of the Otago team, replies (and his remarks arc supported by Mr C. E. Bridge, manager of the Wellington team) as follows: —"In justice to the Southland Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, I take strong exception to Mr Hill's remarks ancnt the running of the New Zealand championship meeting held at Invereargill on February 21. It was ono of the best (and infinitely superior to one or two) meetings that I have attended during the last six years. Far'from keeping the competitors waiting in the cold for ten or fifteen minutes the officials, to my personal knowledge, started one or two races slightly before the advertised time, and generally did all in thoir power to inconvenience the competitors as little as possible. The last race was timed to start at 4.55, and it speaks volumes for the officials that they were able to conclude the meeting l almost sharp on five o'clock. Quite a number havo spoken to me of the businesslike manner in which the sports were run. In regard to Mr Hill's statement that Egglestone won the 120 yds championship by beating the gun, this is contrary to fact. In the first heat I was standing beside the competitiors at the start. No one beat the ipistol, but Egglestone was easily a yard ahead of the field at ten yards. In the final he again showed his superiority over Opie in getting off the mark. I questioned the starter after the race, and he said it was an absolutely fair start, and that Egglostone was too fast off tho mark for"the rest of them. The starter (Mr Bain) has been starting all the big races in Invercargill, including Sheffields, for a number of years, and his capabilities for the position are beyond question. Just a word of praise to the secretary, Mr A. S. Cookson. To his courtesy and untiring efforts the success of the meeting was to a great extent due." Ju justice to Opie I might state that I closely questioned several outside competitors, not Canterbury men, with regard to the start of the 100 yds, and they were unanimous in the opinion that Egglestone got a " break" at the start. Two of the Empire City's representatives were very emphatic on this point. It is not much use stirring up mud over the question, but I cannot let Mr Mitchell's remarks about a " fair start" go unchallenged. Anyhow, Mr Mitchell was only at tho starting-point in the first heat, and not the final. True, he questioned the starter, but is it likely that that gentleman would adipnui ifyia.td '}Wj oqq. no sea-ci xu q.t!i{+ oabi[ \ •Sauiuiu joujuq ssoi '{}{•»*• '.lajs'wj a good start—very probably Egglestone escaped his immediate notice—-but there is overwhelming evidence that it was not.

I learn that A. D. Ellis has quite recovered from the injury to his leg which he sustained bv coming into contact with a form at the Australasian championships. He was a starter in the 100 yds Victorian Championship, and dea'd-heated with Troup for second place. Ellis was being rubbed down in the dressing-room when the bell went for the 220 yds, and he missed tho 'bus.

At the recent Victorian championships W. Murray was credited with walking the mil© in 6min 22 4-ssec, and the three-miles in 20min 56sec, the mile figures being better than the world's record, and the three-mile mark better than tho record. Murray was a member of the Victorian team at the Australasian championships, and showed nothing here aipprcaching such marvellous form. "' Prodigal," in tho ''Referee,'' stated his views very frankly as follows:—" Now, without boating about tho bush in any way, let me state that I decline to accept the mile ligures (inside world's record), and also view the threo-milo figures (inside the Australasian record) with the gravest possible doubt. Frankly, I do" not think it is humanly possible to legitimately walk a mile, under a rigid adherence to the Australasian rules of walking, in 6min 22 •l-osec; and, anyway, after carefully studying Murray's stylo at Wellington, New Zealand, in the Australasian championships (Murray was second in iho mile, his time approximately being (jinin 4"ksee., whilst in the three-miles he was fourth—a good way back—in a race won in 21inin 3G3-ssee), ..] am perfectly satisfied tho Victorian crack cannot approach the figures recorded. ] have a high opinion of Murray and his style—ho was awarded the ' style pri.-'.e' given by Mr J- E. FowlerDixoii at "Wellington—but it is no good thinking one thing and saying another."

'" Prodigal's outspoken comments are not at all relished in 'Victoria, as witness ''Harrier" in the ■*' Australasian " :- " 1 have a. great respect for

'Prodigal's' opinion on walking matters, but smne time ago he unfortunalely gave out that in his view no walker could do better than Cmin 4osoc for a milt?, and conform to the Australasian rules. Now, that is not a sound method of criticism, and a natural desire to adhere to this arbitrary .standard helps, perhaps, to affect his general judgment. It seems to be as reasonable to say no man could beat 21ft in a fair long jump, seeing that from the dawn of athletic history until (.he advent of Pat O'Connor, no one had achieved such a feat. O'Connor actually holds a record of 21ft 11-Jin, yet <:me cannot say that even more is impossible. !f the argument were sound, ihere would be no more world's records in any branch of ajhletics. Again, JMurray's lime in Sow Zealand was findn •'iOsec, according to my note. Ellis (first past the post) took 6min 32 4-osec, with Kerr only i fow yards behind —say (3min 34sec—yet Kerr was passed by the judge, although about Usee under the standard of fairness al>ovo stated. Once again, in all fast

walks the first quarter-mile in done in l£min or less. If a man can walk at this pace fairly for a quarter of a mile, is it impossible for any man to he produced who can approximate that rate for half a mile instead of a quarter? Who con say precisely in figures what is or what will be tho limit of human ability? Now, in his three-mile walk Murray's miles were 6min 35sec, 7min Osec, and7min 12sec. Tho two latter come within ' Prodigal's' fixed standard of fairness, and tho first within what was accepted in New Zealand. As to Murray's mile time, his first halfmile was 3min 3sec, his second nearly 3min lOsec. Had he kept the latter pace all through, ho would havo done timin 38sec. Finally, I havo seen the ex-champion, Mr A. 0. Barrett, who judged Murray's performances, since the races, and shown him ' Prodigal's remarks, and have his authority for saying that it is his clear opinion that Murray in both races walked fairly, and in strict accordance with tho Australasian rules."

With regard to the above subject I received a private letter from Melbourne list week from a member of the Victorian team at the Australasian championships. He was a competitor at the Victorian championships, and, touching upon the events, he expresses himself thus: "Bill Murray broke various records, but in my opinion his walking was not fair." This goes to show what diverse opinions can exist over such occurrences, and it is about time somebody made a move to have walking races deleted from our athletic gatherings in the future. I havo scarcely seen one important walking event that there hasn't been some sort of squabble over.