ATHLETICS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 221, 18 September 1934, Page 8

ATHLETICS

TARANAKI CENTRE SOUGHT DEPUTATION TO THE COUNCIL. PRESENT TIME NOT OPPORTUNE. Though, the council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association is fully cognisant and appreciative of the work done by the Taranaki subcentre to promote amateur athletics in the Taranaki section of the West Coast' Centre it does not consider the time opportune for constituting Taranaki a separate centre instead of being joined as a sub-centre with Wanganui the West Coast Centre. A deputation from Taranaki waited on the council recently at Wellington, and a reply was received on Saturday from the council secretary, Mr. L. A. Tracy, by the Taranaki secretary, Mr. D. Benjamin, Stratford. The deputation appointed by "the Taranaki sub-centre comprised Messrs. A. G. Whiting (Eltham), P. Skoglund (Stratford) and J. W. Hollows and C. H. Croker (NewPlymouth). Mr. Whiting found that he was unable to go to Wellington and Mr. Skoglund, who said he would join the deputation if his time was not taken up by a local body conference, for which reason he went to Wellington, was also unable to join the deputation. “The council was pleased to meet the deputation consisting of Messrs. Croker and Hollows to hear representations regarding the proposal that a separate centre should be formed in the Taranaki district with headquarters at Stratford.” Mr. Tracy wrote. “Subsequent to the retirement of the members of the deputation,” ho continued, “the representations were discussed at length by the council, which decided that it was not opportune at present to form a goparate centre embracing only the Taranaki district.” While the council appreciated that the Taranaki sub-centre had done much to promote amateur athletics and had mot with considerable success in that respect, the question of forming a new or additional centre had to be considered from the effect it would have on amateur athletics generally in the whole Dominion. The Taranaki sub-centre was, of course, more directly concerned with the affairs obtaining in one particular district, and the council considered that consequently full consideration had not been given to the resultant effect if the request were acceded to. A few important features in this regard were: (a) The controlling of the balance of the present West Co-ast (N. 1. Centre’s territory and (b) the matter of further increasing the number of North Island centres without at least a corresponding increase in the South Island. It was to be noted that the deputation emphasised the compactness of the proposed district and the point that the present centre ’s extremities were too far apart. Therefore according to the same reasoning the Wanganui-Mana-watu portion of the present centre should not be attached to one of the existing centres. The Taranaki sub-centre could rest assured that should it be found at ,a some future date that a readjustment of centre territories was desirable and practicable. having regard, of course, to the welfare of amateur athletics generally, the claims of the sub-centre would not be overlooked. In the meantime, the council trusted that the sub-centre would continue to give the best support to the present West Coast (N. 1. Centre in its endeavours to establish amateur athletics within its district on a firmer basis, and offered its best wishes for the future prosperity of the sub-centre.