HARRIERS’ BIG DAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 346, 18 August 1930, Page 6

HARRIERS’ BIG DAY

WELCOMED BY MAYOR ENTERTAINED BY PATRON. At the conclusion of the WanganuiTaranaki cross-country which was run over the Bramwell course of GJ miles on Saturday after noon, the harriers were entertained to afternoon tea by the patron of the Wanganui Harriers’ Chib, Mr W. L. Young. The gathering was of the most friendly nature and was a fitting conclusion to a splendid afternoon’s sport which had been conducted without a single hitch, due to the Wanganui club’s secretary, Mr K. Edwards, Mr C. F. White, in introducing the Mayor (Mr W. J. Rogers) and Mr Louis Cohen (president of the Wanganui Amateur Athletic and Cycling Association) to lhe gathering, congratulated both clubs on the splended sporting spirit with which the race has been conducted. It had been, he said, a splendid race all through and the Taranaki runners had made the pace a “cracker” from the start. He congiatulated H. J. Brown on the manner in which ho had run and won the race and added that the Wanganui Club was very proud of the fact that their A team had won the team’s race by one point. They would look forward to the return race in New Plymouth. He then called on Mr Rogers to present tho individual and team winners with the ribbons they had won. Mayor Presents Trophies. Mr Rogers, before presenting the trophies, said that it gave him very much pleasure indeed to be able to welcome the New Plymouth harriers to Wanganui. He expressed himself as being very interested in the sport of harnerism and thought that inter-club contests helped considerably in the furtherance of that sport. He then presented 11. J. Brown of New Plymouth with the championship ribbon and K. Johnson and C. Weller (a youth of 16) with second and third ribbons respectively. The Wanganui A team as winners of the teams’ race were also the recipients of ribbons, the team being. G. Moore (captain), K. Johnston, C. Weller, B. Clark, !•'. Hoskins, B. Cave. In concluding h.s remarks, Mr Rogers said he would ukc to strike a note of appreciation to Mr and Mrs W. L. Young for their hospitality and for the very fine work they were doing for the harriers’ sport in Wanganui. He then called upon Mr L. Cohen to address a few words to the gathering.

Mr Cohen’s Remarks. “The harriers,” said Mr Cohen, “are not an inconsiderable nor inconsidcred brunch of the great family of athletes in Wanganui.” It was a sport, he continued in which the spirit of sportsmanship had been kept pure and undcliled. The Wanganui harriexs had in their patron, Mr W. Young, a man who was well known for the success he achieved in anything that he undertook and the Wanganui Athletic Association knew therefore that the harriers were under safe patronage. The Wanganui Athletic Association regretted that they were not in a state of finance and would allow them to give greater support to the harriers us regarded the forthcoming championship race in Wellington, but they had done what they could. They were, he said, very pleased to see the advance made by the harriers during tho present year and which had been the result of their own enterprise. The Mayor’s “Harriers.” Ho was very pleased to see that the Mayor was present and said that Mr Rogers was no doubt interested in the sport because he kept a pack of burners himself. “Only they sometimes turn round and ‘harrie’ him,” Mr Cohen continued amid laughter. However, if the Mayor wished to obtain knowledge of the handling of harriers he could always come and gain a few hints from Mr Y’oung. Mr Young briefly replied to the remarks passed saying that he and Mrs Young were always ready to further tho interests of the harriers wlip followed a sport which was “free from outside contamination and a splendid upbuilder of young manhood.” Other speakers were G. Moore (captain of the Wanganui Club) and Hunter (captain of the New Plymouth Club) and at the conclusion three cheers were given for Mr and Mrs Y’oung in no uncertain manner together with musical honours.