THE MEETING OF THE FUTURE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XX, Issue XXV, 18 June 1898, Page 775

THE MEETING OF THE FUTURE.

(‘Lancelot' in ‘Bicycling News.’) That something is necessary to relieve the deadly dull monotony of the ordinary cycling race meeting has been obvious for a long time, says the ‘Bicycling News.’ It was hoped that the introduction of professional races would do something, but the high terms demanded by the men make it a very risky matter for the majority of sports promoters to include such events in their programmes. Handicaps for second-elass men are all very well, but one heat is so very much like another, and when, say, two amateur and one professional contests of this description are decided the same afternoon, the sameness is not exhilarating. The question to be considered is what is to be done to amuse and interest those who patronise race meetings sufficiently to induce them to come again. I do not like the idea of mixing up the variety show business with sport, but at the same time I am bound to admit that I was considerably interested with the side shows at the Gamage meeting, especially the polo and the trick riding—wire walking might well bo left out. I am half inclined to think we shall have to come to something of the sort to get gates. Like the ‘Christy Minstrels’ of old, I never perform out of London, so my opinion respecting the popularity of country meetings isn’t worth much; Save in

tile big towns, they take place so seldom—not more than two or three per annum—that they retain the charm of novelty. There is no getting away from the fact that in the Metropolitan district both cycling and athletic meetings are far too over'done. The erstwhile supporters of both classes of sport are thoroughly satiated, and I fear that whatever novelties or side shows are introduced to draw gates, the result in tlie long run will inevitably be the same as what was the case last year, and what seems highly probable to be the same this. If we want to revive the interest that was formerly taken in cycling races, we have only one thing to do—reduce the number of meetings. If there was only one important meeting per month, as was the case when ths proprietors of Herne Hill had to provide an additional exit from the enclosure, the sports would be as well supported as was then the case. A nasty bicycle accident occurred in Auckland last week when Mr Stanley Bell was coming to town in the morning on his machine. In descending College Hill, which is a steep gradient, Mr Bell lost his pedals and the bicycle took charge. About half-way down the hill, when his machine had attained a great velocity, the rider was suddenly thrown to the ground and sustained severe contusions on the face and head. At the time of writing he is still in a precarious condition, but the doctors are sanguine of his recovery.