ATHLETICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 685, 23 April 1903, Page 9

ATHLETICS

A first glance at the figures of the annual balance-sheet of the New York ■Ciub is likely to prove what Mr Swiveller called a staggerer (says “ The Field”) when it showed that the cult of athletics involved the consumption of refreshment

at the bar to the amount of nearly 118,ooodol., and of cigars valued at over >64,000d01. But, after all, 'it is merely a question of scale, and this expenditure is shared by some 4000 members, who, whether actively devoted to sport or not, avail themselves of the luxurious accommodation of the city house and the country establishment, on Travers Island. The amount allotted to the various sections of the club for expenses involved in athletics proper, baseball, hockey, bicycling, fencing, boxing, tsnnis, lawn tennis, rowing and yachting is only 25,000d01., which is less than one twentyfifth part of the whole annual expenditure, and there has been some small saving out of this estimate. Some io,ooodol. was spent on the expenses of teams and crews, anti the rest on the wages of instructors and attendants.

The amateur boxing championships of Canterbury, under the New Zealand Boxing Association, will be decided at the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, on June 4 and 6. The classes will' be : Feather weight, 9st and under; light weight, tost and under; middle weight, list 41b and under; heavy weight, any weight. Entries will close on Mav 21.

The attempt made by L. B. Webster, the New Plymouth sprinter, at the ’Varsity sports meeting, to beat the New Zealand record for the quarter-mile, failed in a large measure because there was HOODe to pace him properly. The track was in good order, and the conditions fairly favourable, although there was a moderate breeze blowing across ‘ the ground. The Canterbury runner, Moves, did a uetter performance, winning the quarter-mile very easily in 51 2-ssec, a very go indeed.

Mr William Toy, the well-known writer on athletics in the " New Zealand Herald,” joined the noble army of benedicts last week. There is no more popular pressman in Auckland than “ Billy,” who has done much for the good cause. Congratulations ! • • * * A. Shrubb, of the South London Harriers ,won the English Cross-Country Championship on March 7. There were 146 runners, representing fourteen clubs. Shrubb ran the ten miles over a course which included a fair amount of ploughed land, in four seconds under the hour. His nearest attendant was S. J. Robinson, of the Salford Harriers, who finished nearly a minute behind him. Shrubb has now won the Championship three years in succession.