Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW . AND . LICENSED VICTUALLERS’ GAZETTE. WITH WHICH IS INOORPOBATED THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Thursday, March 23, 1899. THE LEAGUE OF N.Z. WHEELMEN.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 452, 23 March 1899, Page 10

Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW . AND . LICENSED VICTUALLERS’ GAZETTE. WITH WHICH IS INOORPOBATED THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Thursday, March 23, 1899. THE LEAGUE OF N.Z. WHEELMEN.

For some weeks past a feeling of widespread discontent and ill-feeling has been running rife in the ranks of the League of New Zealand Wheelmen, and unless matters are soon patched up the sport will suffer considerably. It is alleged that the whole trouble was caused through a member of the executive, who is also a prominent member of the staff of the League’s official organ, issuing a circular which contained suggestions for reorganising the League. Copies of this circular were forwarded to a few selected individuals in various parts of New Zealand under the cover of private and confidential, but none were sent to the members of the executive. Our Canterbury correspondent was lucky enough to see a copy of the circular before it became public property, but could see nothing wrong in it. The author, he states, is a man who has made it his business to put the League on a sound footing, and when he finds that the working of the League can be better done by councils in the various centres with the head council in Christchurch, he makes suggestions to that effect to prominent League men outside Christchurch. Had the circular been issued by the League’s chairman or one of his friends nothing would have been said. A motion is now before the League to exclude men engaged on cyccling newspapers from holding any position in the League. It will be remembered that the few newspaper men on the League interested themselves, and were the principal movers in getting the cycle employees off the League ; they now appear to be within measurable distance of being put off themselves. It has always been contended by our Canterbury correspondent, who is an authority on cycling, that neither cycle employees or cycling newspaper employees can do any harm on the governing body, but if one lot is put off the other must go too. This is only logical, and

the majority of delelegates are now of that opimoh. The League of New -Zealand Wheelman has had nothing? , trouble since a certain party of delegates clubbed together and got a motion passed prohibiting cycle employees from acting as League delegates. A few of the latter resented the way they were bundled out of the League, and they make no secret of the fact that they are going' to have satisfaction in the way of revenge. They have been working quietly and silently, »and will probably see their enemies—the newspaper delegates—off the League in the course of a few weeks.