THE REGATTA FIASCO.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11919, 22 January 1894, Page 2

THE REGATTA FIASCO.

« TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— lt is with very great rogret I hear that the Wanganui Regatta Association have bcon compelled to put off their annual regatta fixture until next yoai 1 , more especially as the cause assigned is want of interest on the part of the rowing men themselves. It appears to me that rowing is fast following in the footsteps of all other branches of athletics in Wanganui, and unless a decided change is made, and at once, we will find ourselves unrepresented and unheard of in the many interprovincial contests held every year throughout the colony. 'I'hore is a great deal to bo said on b th sides of the question, aid credence mush be given to the present cry of cricket and running men in their want of grounds, as I know from personal experience that to attempt to excel at either, is almost out of the question, and instead of practice and training being a pleasure it is now a drudgery . It is hard to say who is responsible for this state of affairs, but it is well nigh time that Wanganui pospossed what every other town of importance in the colony cm boast of, and lhat is a recreation ground govocned by our municipal authorities. I myself have a keen interest in all the abovo mentionod branches of sport, and being virtually speaking a new arrival in the district, I feel it very much. lam Bure that every other would-be athlete will concur with me when I Bay that it is not the contestants themselves who are to blame, as it is not in their power to bring about a rectification, owinct to the want of material to work on. I trust something will b9 done and without delay, to avert tho impending retrogression. —I am, &c, Athlete. to the editor, Bui,— Jt was with feelings of regret that I read your report of the annual meeting of the Regatta Assochlion. Jt is ii.deed most regretlablo that such an important and healthful branch of sport should liave fallen so much into oblivion — so much even that we have to decide to do away with a fixture that should be one of the mpst important gatherings in the whole colony. I say this without any inkling of exaggeration, for with such a noble sheet of water as we possess, such men as we can boast of, and such firstclass boats wherewith to develop themgelvos.it seems a crying shame that enough spirit cannot be infused into the fraternity to hold at least one " day out " during the wholo year. Thnro are many who can be excused for their npatby, and perhaps the ill-luck of Wanganui oaiomen may appear as affording sufficient excuse for them, and I will readily admit that disinterested exertion must fnll flit when all the energy appears on their part; but my belief, with many others is that increased interest was beginning to assort itseif in rowing circles. The coinp^iint at the recent meeting wns that the active osrsinen themsolvos did not seem to care which way things went. This, I think, is hardly correct. In tho first place, many wer6 under the impression ■that it was a Committee meeting, and others .('ncluding myself ) thought, as the advertisement certainly plainly 6tated, that it was a meeting of members of the Association, ind that non-mombors had not a rifiht to attend. Many of the younger meinborß,furthor > thoui»h they ate perhaps us keenly intorostod in rowing as (■he '' old 'uns." wcro undor the impression that it would be nothing short of presumption on thoir part to take part in tho proceedings, and so, though perfectly willing and ouger to bo of sarvice, abstained from attending A great mist»ke wns made ia calling only the " members of the Association " instead of "allthoßO interested," nnd to that the paucity of attendance on the part of outsiders must b^ attributed. As to apathy on the part of members, I know the majority of them were eagerly lo.oking forward to tho event (to tlem) of the year. It if to be hop=d the ofljcials will see fit to roconsidor their decision, as, apart from the disappointment it will cause local oaramon, ft places our town in 8 very humiliating position to the outside world to have to acknowledge the fact that we have not enough csj»i( (if corps nmongot us to ruu a moderate regatta.— I am, fee. , Climmb, Waujjanui, January 21i>t, lOUij