ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 986, 28 January 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

A KNOTTY PROBLEM According to the Sydney ‘‘Referee, a decision has been come to by the A.A. Union of Australasia that the Australian State Associations must be consulted and asked for instructions as to future procedure in the New Zealand crisis. The question of what is to be done is one that the executive officers affirm the State Associations must take the responsibility of saying. It is no matter of the secession of a portion of the N.Z.A.A.A., or the formation of a new body across the Tasman Sea, which . confronts the executive, but a clear-cut statement from a Council in Wellington (with Dr. A. K. Newman as president and Mr. W. G. Talbot as secretary-trea-surer) which in effect says that at a meeting of centres he’-d in Christchurch it was resolved that no valid election for the year 1908-9 has taken place in New Zea.and, and that the Council in Chris 1 church (Mr. W. G. Atack president, and Mr. J. H. A’tken secretary-treasurer) is a Council only in name. With each body claiming to

be the “ Council of the N.Z.A.A.A.,” the executive of the Union has determined to temporarily suspend official relationship with the N.Z.A.A.A. pending instructions as to how to proceed —in point of fact, no other course is open. The executive officers are, and have been all along, closely in touch with what is going on in the athletic world in New Zealand, but deem that they have no power to deal with a case of the kind in evidence to-day in the Dominion. It is impossible for things to go on as they are, because, seem ngly, quite outside the matter of control and procedure, there will short y be two sets of New Zealand championships —and two New Zealand teams for the next Australasian championships in Brisbane, whereas only one team could be accepted.