ATHLETICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 346, 11 March 1897, Page 3

ATHLETICS

[By

Vigilant. ]

AUCKLAND AMATEUR ATHLETIC AND CYCLING CLUB’S CARNIVAL.

The Autumn Carnival of the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club takes place on the Domain Cricket Ground next Saturday, the first event to start at 1.30 p.m. There is no occasion to repeat the remark that the secretary, Mr W. C. Speight, and the management committee are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the success of the function, as the club’s numerous patrons are well aware of the fact that, from a managerial point of view, the carnivals are always a success. Nor do the ladies want me to reiterate the fact that afternoon tea is to be provided in a large marquee on the Hospital side of the ground; they are thoroughly aware of that fact, and have times out of number sampled the choice, Ceylon or Standard brand, or whatever it may be, and look forward to it. Then, again, there is no earthly reason why I should say that there will be a brass band in attendance to enhance the pleasures of the afternoon’s outing; everybody knows that there is always a band, and have already heard them play some good old numbers. Therefore, as it is unnecessary to remark on these facts, I will wade straight in and inform them that there should be excellent competition all round,

quite a number of outsiders having entered to add interest to the various events. One thing, however, that I don’t care to attempt to tell them is the probable results of the various events, as the handicappers have done their work well, and the job is no sinecure. Running through the various events, I confess myself beaten as regards the picking of the probable winners, and will leave the by-no-means-easy task in the hands of my readers, feeling that I will be able to face them all and say, at least, that I did not put them on a stiff ’un.

Bowser, Winks, Sutherland, Beuth, Schnauer, and Prouse, of Auckland, will compete at the Thames Amateur Athletic Club’s gathering of Wednesday next, St. Patrick’s Day. A. Creamer, of the Auckland Amateur Athletic Club’s committee, has gone to Wellington. Who is going to fill the vacancy on that august body ? “ Stiff ” runners, beware! The Auckland A.A. and C.C. has set the sleuth hounds on your tracks. That is to say that in future (including Saturday) a couple of men will watch the running to report “cronk” ’uns. I expect to see you all out for the medals in future. The Auckland A. A. and C.C. has taken the resolution of the N.Z.A.A.A., re betting, deeply to heart, and is now wildly careering round after the police, with a view to seeing that Constable XXXX does his duty and wipes out the betting and the peripatetic bookie, who attempts to cry the odds at the club’s carnival I hardly think the pencillers have waxed fat on their betting transactions in connection with the A. A.C. of late, or that they will grow lean now the resolution has been sent on by the parent body. The prize money for the A.A.C. carnival has been considerably increased, and the first prize will now be worth £4 10s. Surely that’s good enough I That marvellous example of physical culture, Eugene Sandow, when interviewed recently, laid it down as his firm opinion that wrestling was the best of all games for promoting healthy and general muscular development. Next to wrestling, the strong man awards place to football. But he himself never indulges in either pastime nowadays, and takes indeed no exercise beyond his regular performance and his walks abroad. Yet Sandow continues to increase in strength, and is far stronger in certain respects to-day than he was when he left England in 1893. Then, for example, he had some difficulty in tearing two packs of cards placed together in halves, but to-day he can perform the feat with three complete sets —156 cards. And he believes he will soon be able to tackle four sets of ordinary club cards. Sandow’s personal habits do not give the anti-smokers, teetotallers, and diet faddists any opportunity for dissertations on the virtues of their creeds. He eats and drinks what he pleases, and smokes whenever a pipe or cigar suits his mood. Tea and coffee, however, he never touches, and he would not hurry over a meal to catch a train. He is a small eater, and a very slow one —a habit ingrained by his father when Eugene was a little boy. Sandow believes in the cold tub, but only for persons physically' fit. The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association is standing on its hind legs and clawing the air over betting in connection with amateur sports, which is alleged to be carried on in Auckland, and a resolution has been unanimously adopted and telegraphed intimating the pains and penalties that the local clubs and amateurs incur; also, in a mild way, that they might actually be compelled to go to the length of suspending the A. A. A. and C.C. and North Shore A.A. and C.C. if they don’t plank their foot bang down on it and stamp out the crying evil. I know it is an evil and know it must be stamped out, but I cannot understand the resolution in the face of Mr J. F. Grierson’s statement at the meeting. It is, indeed, hard to reconcile his statement with the resolution, as he states that he did not see any betting while attending the Championship Meeting here. But, to get away from this point, I would indicate that the Auckland Club are aware of the fact themselves, and have been for some considerable time past; also, that they have been using their utmost endeavour to wipe out betting. Only some ten or twelve months ago they went so far as to get the City Council to pass a bye-law prohibiting betting on the Domain

ground, and then set the police about their duty of suppressing it; also, turned around and did their share towards its suppression. And they are still hammering away at it all their might; yet the association think fit to come down on them with the resolution in question, in spite of the fact that Mr Grierson did not see any. N.Z.A.A A. my compliments. Bowser is up in arms because the handicappers of the A. A.C. put him on scratch in the sprint events on Saturday, yet he goes round the corner and says he will run any man in Auckland. Inconsistent, isn’t it, but I think they’ve got him set.

The following with reference to the reinstatement business in this colony is from the Sydney Referee: — “At the monthly meeting of the N.S.W.A.A., a letter was received from the Victorian Association re the action of the N.Z. Association in reinstating professional athletes. On the motion of Mr Claude Healey it was unanimously decided : That whilst agreeing with the spirit of the Victorian Association’s resolution re the reinstatement of professional athletes as amateurs by the N.Z.A.A.A., this Association does not so much take exception to the number of reinstatements (which, through the formation of local clubs, might in certain circumstances be warranted) , but to the requalification of men who have during any period of their athletic career made a practice of running for money considerations.”