ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 31, 28 February 1891, Page 1

ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

Our views respecting Macpherson’s perform•'ances appear to be corroborated by the Canterbury reps, who have now returned to their ' homes; ’/* Macpherson, they say, was in splendid form, and quite made an exhibition of all the other runners in the hundred and two-fifty. The latter race they reckon he won by quite eight yards. Wood and Moir, who saw the start of the race do not consider that the runners beat the pistol. From where they stood it* appeared as though all the runners except Owen-r-who, started at the word ‘ set/ and then tried to get back —left at the report.” The above quotation is from “ Handicapper’s ” notes .in the Canterbury Weekly Press, latest issue,’whose remarks in a previous issue we criticised ; last: week. He will now doubtless modify his opinions in regard to the possibility 'of Macpherson’s reported record. The Canterbury.reps.highly praise Hutchinson’s style and performance, but are rather hard on Burton, considering his spurts not above suspicion, and actually preferring Cock’s style 1 They say that ‘hut for Macpherson having the inside running* Hutchinson would undoubtedly have won’ ’the s ’quarter. With reference to the strictures upon Burton’s walking comment is hardly necessary beyond this, that in our opinion a fairer walker never donned shoes. Cock’s is a good walker, with an ugly ungainly style.- He is full of grit and does not know When he ,is beaten. His conqueror is superior at every, point—grace, speed, endurance, and fairness all included.

If the proposed invasion of England by New Zealand athletes is to take place this year, the promoters must bestir themselves. It is true that the English championship meeting is fixed for next June, but most of the important athletic, fixtures —especially the college sports at the Universities—are over long before that month, when the men have all gone down for the long vac. If, however, our men could get away about the middle of March, they would hit enough, of the tail end of the season to try their’mettle against good men, and get into form before competing in the big Championship events. “Money will make the mare to goT”. We have enough to do our part. Let the other Provinces look to it, and do theirs.

‘? When night is darkest, dawn is nearest.” The cauldron of art is simmering ominously, and is about to reach boiling point. The sooner the better. We have in Auckland two societies, one boasting a few artists and considerable social influence, the other having the cream ‘ of brush-wielders oh its roll, but much lessof the “jam-tart” element. The former natutally desires to make a success of its exhibition from an artistic point of view—now doiibtful —-as well as from a social aspect, which with the aid of a swell conversazione opened by 1 His Excellency the Governor is probable? With this end in view overtures are suggested through the correspondence columns of the press to the younger society in the direction of some compromise. That was hardly the proper channel. The officials should have been approached, and such an effort to bring the discordant elements into “ sympathetic accord ” might have proved successful.

Now doubts as to the bona fides of vague suggestions naturally arise in the minds of those connected with the younger society. What guarantee is to be given them for the permanence of any arrangement which might induce them to assist by sending in their pictures to the coming exhibition. One course appears to us to be the only practical solution. Let both societies at once dissolve and reform under a name and rules to be agreed upon. Postpone the exhibition for a few weeks, until the arrangements are satisfactorily completed, and all the elements of success would be combined. Let the old feuds be cremated, and the ashes of discord deposited in an artistic urn, enclosed in a mottled kauri coffin. Upon this place the hatchet of war, made into a thing of beauty by dint of a lavish pellicle of gold leaf. Then form a procession of members of both societies and bury the ashes and the hatchet in some suitable spot in the Albert Park. The order of the procession might be something like this —

Combined Bands of Orchestral Union and Auckland Choral Society Playing “Marionette’s Funeral March.”

After solemnly interring the coffin, the procession, led by the band playing some lively quick-step —say “ Down among the dead men ” — would return to the Choral Hall, and the Exhibition would be opened with due ceremony and eclat to the attendant crowds. Our artists might then devote all their talents to designing and rearing over the ashes of discord an appropriate monument, upon which should be engraved in golden characters, a suitable inscription, terminating with “ Requiescant in pace}' but of course omitting anything like “ Resurgam” Possibly so good an example might lead to a reconciliation among our disaffected musicians ; double dealing doctors and peppery parsons might then follow suit. Whether the theological, medical, musical, or artistic odium is the most bitterly relentless is a question which will remain unsolved until the crack of doom. Lawyers agree to differ as a rule, but rings and corners are not unknown even among the devil’s own. Little arrangements are sometimes made between eminent counsel on the reciprocity ticket, by which the most valuable clients thrust the weaker to the wall. Mr. Surrebutter has the best of a case in which Mr. Demurrer is retained for the enemy. But Mr. Demurrer’s client is a good mark and

worth much money to his lawyer, whilst Mr. Surrebutter’s client is a poor man, without influence or capacity to bring business. Somehow, although having the better case, Mr. Surrebutter’s client is either worsted or compelled to accept some inadequate-offer aS a compromise. Possibly the conditions are reversed in some other suit, enabling Mr. Demurrer to return the favour by a trifle of negative assistance to a good client of Mr. Surrebutter. In this example of corruption we can only suggest that the lawyers themselves be cremated. They are too wise to quarrel with their bread and butter. O tempora ! O mores ! ‘

Many are not aware that we have jnour midst a Glass-ball Shooting Club, which: meets for practice and sweepstake matches op Saturday afternoons. A suitable spot for thp purpose has been found among the : rocks above Seccombe’s Brewery, the proprietor having kindly granted his permission. Glass-ball shooting, let us explain to the uninitiated,: is after this fashion. A trap, provided ,with; a strong spring, is fixed at, spy, 'from yards from the scratch. On /the spring is placed a hollow glass ball. A line pulled by: a person under shelter some twelve yards or so out of the line of fire releases, the springs which propels the ball upwards some 15 op 20ft, the marksman firing as if in a pigeon-match. The feat looks easier than it really is, and a good many balls beat the gun. oz. of shot is the charge allowed, with powder of course ad lib. Some of the Club are becoming very deadly—so much so that means are being devised to improve the apparatus, as well as to handicap the better shots by placing them further from the trap. The spring as it exists throws every ball in the same the flight varying only with the force of wind, which may happen to blow. On a still, calm day, there is practically no variation at all, so that a quick shot might automatically break every jball. It is now proposed to so alter the spring as to enable it to be set at any angle desired. The marksman would then have a more difficult task, since he would not know beforehand what rise to expect. As it is, glass-ball shooting re-? quires patience, accuracy, and skill, and if not so exciting, is less barbarous than dove tournaments.

Mr. E. D. O’Rorke arrived from the South yesterday. One of our morning contemporaries, which has always been distinguished for the promptness and accuracy of its sporting news, has reached the acme of journalistic enterprise.' On Wednesday morning it published what purported to be the results of the Egmont meeting, and, as the racing did not commence until eight or nine hours after the paper went to press, readers were naturally puzzled to know how the thing was done. The explanation has leaked out. The Hawera correspondent of the paper telegraphed on Tuesday evening *• tips ” for the races to take place on the following day, and the sub-editor, who may be excused for nodding towards the small hours of the morning, assumed that they were the results of the meeting, and published them accordingly. This is probably another record. -‘Canterbury Times.