BOWLING.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18235, 20 November 1924, Page 2

BOWLING.

NOTES BY "SKIP." Bowlers have not had the best of luck since tho season opened. Although last week-end wv.s beautiful, several previous Saturdays were disappointingly wet, and it was impossible to get either rinks or pennant games played up to schedule time. The match committee, however, have mado provision for the other games to be played later on in tho season, and clubs will be notified accordingly. It is to be regretted that many plavers still ignore the foot on tho mat rule. Any player is liable to make a mistake occasionally, hut some members seem to pride themselves on deliberately breaking the rule. If it were onlv possible for umpires to be appointed—who are not playing in the rinks or pennant games—who thoroughly understand the rules, and who would be prepared to administer them without fear or favour, then a fart more satisfactory state of affairs would exist than at present. An umpire who is playing cannot watch every rink, and it seems to me the only remedy would be for a non-playing umpire to be in charge of the game. The officials of the Christchurch Centre nre to be congratulated on the new scoring card issued to clubs taking part in the various competitions. Besides giving the method of scoring, they hare also printed instructions to umpires regarding the stamps on howls, so that there can now be no arguments as to what is right and wrong. A paragraph is even inserted firing instructions what to do if the weather is doubtful for play. Mr Vio. Casoy, who has been holi-day-making in Christchurch for the past ten days, renewed old acquaintanceships on the Christchurch green last week. He left for the north again on Mondav. It may be mentioned that Mr-"Casey has. now permanently made his home in Sydney and has become an active member of the ltandwick Club.

Mr E. W. Wade, the energetic secretary of the Christchurch Centre, is at present on the West Coast on a, business trip. No doubt, if opportunity offers, he will have a game on some" of the best greens in the Dominion.

"I understand," says an English writer, "that the International Board' is determined-to see that players observe the rule of maintaining one foot entirely on the mat when delivering. Also, players are to be requested by the Board to give up the habit . o* turning woods over as they lie at the jack 'head. Every wood touched under such conditions "is 'burned'—i.e., it is technically disqualified—and to obviate the need of touching woods when at rest it is suggested that the owner s initial should be placed' on the small disc as well as the ivory 'eye.' It is also suggested that the International Board should in future issue badges to qualified internationals, and that they should be made of gold arid embody the emblems of.the four coui'trie.s. Today an international, ere he finishes his week's games, finds himself• decorated with half a dozen badges. County players, likewise, entirely spoil the appearance of their regulation dress by adorning themselves with trumpery metal badges."

The many friends of Mr Tim Henley, the popular Linwood player, will be pleased to know that lie has now completely recovered from his recent indisposition, A little holiday trip in the North Island seems to have made a decided improvement in 'his health. The following paragraph appeared in the "Evening ritar," and should be of interest to local players:—' 'Poor Sec-r retary" writes: "Would it be asking you too .much to insert a few lines in your weekly notes regarding the wretched condition in which some score cards are handed in to secretaries after matches? Very often it is too much trouble for skips to see that the cards reach the secretary. When safely received they are, however, at times in such a disegraceful state as to be indecipherable. If each poorer iirould write in the name of his own rink plainly, with a good black pencil or fountain pen, and take care of his card during the progress of the game, it would save a lot of trouble to the individual responsible for sending in results, and not occasion so many blank spaces and misspelt names in the published results. iSome cards appear as if written out by a First Standard child, with a nail or stick instead of a 'Scorer' is not generally overworked in the game, and there is no reason whatever why he should not give a little care and attention to his particular job. I am sure that all club secretaries will endorse these remarks." ["Poor Secretary's" grievance is a real one. . No. 2 is supposed to keep the card properly, and it is not much trouble to do so* —"Measurer."]

A couple of pairs of shoes, one soled with a new idea in rubber, having a roughened, gripping surface, and the other with a particular style of. ribbing, produced at the last Wellington Centre meetinsr, prompted one waggishly inclined to rema'rk upon keen business and new agencies (writes "Number Two" in Wellington "Post"), but as a matter of fact, the shoes were held up as bad examples, and not as the bowler's ideal. Tho complaint made was that such soles were bound to harm the green, and various opinions, for and against, followed. Nothing, however, was decided about tho matter, but 'individual clubs will, no doubt, argue the merits further.

As regards tho unwise and shortsighted attitude taken by some local bodies in" extracting the very utmost in their power from sports organisations within their district, the following remarks by the Wellington "Post" ' writer might well be pondered: —"Those sections of the communitv which, at considerable expense to themselves, have established beauty spots and open areas within the city for playing the game of bowls have performed work of a very useful character. The areas are often in thicklypopulated districts, and are therefore of considerable commercial value; but, as the greens afford useful breathing spaces from which the whale ,communitv must benefit, it appears to be onlv right and just that they should not bo°called upon to bear the same burden of taxes, as adjoining areas which are held for profit. The Legislature has recognised this, and a measure has been rmssed which allows of a special valuation of bowling greens and other sports grounds. Every club oossiblv dees not know of the existence of this legislation and there, fore has not taken advantage of the measure. The Hutt Club (Wellington), for instance, which has.a fine property which must prove in the course of time to be a verv desirable lung in what will become" a thickly-populated area, lias up to the present been paying a full measure, of" taxation; but steps are now l>eing taken to secure a remission of taxes. The section referred to has undoubtedly meant the saving of some clubs, at any rate, for in some cases (in other sport more particularly, perhaps than in bowls, where the holdings are not so great) increasing rate demands might have spelt financial impossibility."

Two wrinkled old "bowlers who had not seen one another for Dearly forty years met under peculiar conditions at the week-end on a suburban green (says the "Auckland Star')- in€V did not know one another, when oue of them, as a visitor, met Ins oia friend at the scoring board on tne

green where he was a member. ?"t? were plaving number two, ana a* scorers thev were putting down tne names of the opposing teams on t» blackboard. One said to the other that he once knew a long-bearded farmer m si southern province of the same name as his opponent. "I used to bayo a long-bearded bullock driver working for me the samo name as you, replied the other. This led to mutual recognition, and one remarked, "whowould have ever thought in the old days wo would meet -under such pecidar circumstances, «ind that we would have made enough to live quietly in our old age, and bo able to plav bowls any afternoon!" There was something very keen about the play of the two oldtimers" as with almost youthful vigour thev played on to the jack, it °«» n S hard to say which was tho beuer bowler.

| EDGEWARE CLUB. I Rinks fcr Saturday:— Four rinks championship, against BecKen- ! ham at Edgeware— Skoglund, Pearce, J. D. I Colv'ille, West (s); Norrie, Keen, P. L. Davies, Herd (s), East, EarwaJser, Matson, Efford (s), Brunsden, Ashby, Lucas, Price (s). Pennants, D Section, against Sumner at Ed^eware—Jackman, Dalton, Anderson, Hardie (s); Gordon, Bennett, Perrin, Haymaa (s); Banfield, Josling, Branthwaite, Johnston (s). Section E, against Opawa, at Opawa— Bound, Martin, Moore, Lorimer (s); McClcave, Laban, Bennington, Baker (s); Burgess, Richardson, Faulkner, Jowsey (s). OPAWA CLUB. Rinks for Saturday: Four-rink championship, against Sumner, at Sumner—Wilson, Cragg, Frisk, Hunter! Wilkinson, Wallis, Worsley, Wesit; R. Haigh, Biilens, W. Haigh, Steans;'Watkina, Eldridge, Penberthy, Talbot. C Pennant, against Papanui, at Papanui— Vogel, Hunnibell, Bobbins, Archbold; Weakley" Tanner, Good, Lee; Munns, Johnston, Ditford, Keys. CANTERBURY CLUB. Rinks for Saturday: Four-rink championship, against Linwood—Wi Shearman, J. R. Grange, J. Danks, E. A. Summers (s); W. McNamara, W E. Maynard, S. Till, J. BedpaJth (s); M. F. Barnctt, G. Baker, W. H. Hagger, R. Haworth (s); J. Dollan, J. C. Smith, F. Sewell, J. Angus (s). Pennants, against Papanui, at Canterbury—F. Robinson, A. Baker, W. Ives, T. Marker (s); D. Brown, A. Anderton, E. Hoffman, D. Manson (s); W. Baker, A. Taylor, J. S. Neville, J. K. .Macdonald (s). Against Sydenham, at Sydenham—P. J. Scrivener, G. Frew, F. Smith, G-. J. Yager (s); F. M. Lord, W. McLatchie, J. H. Jeficoatc, T. Halliburton (s); E. Harkess, L. A. Hulston, J. P. Smith, E. W. Bartlett (s). Friendly match, against Beckenham, at Beckenham —Nicholls, ' Andrews, Caven, Amyes3 (s); Ward, Lewis, Fairbairn, Seaton (s); McKeefry, Watson', McDougall, Duggan (s).

LINWOOD CLUB. Rinks for Saturday:— Four-rink championship, againßt Canterbury, at Linwood—Kinvig, Bryant, D. DickGon, Cooper (s); Hilson, Read, "Williams, Kershaw (s); Kearney,' "W- Heale'y, Penlington,. Hawojth (s);, Taylor, Inwocd, Good, Burton (s). Ponnant matches, Seat-ion A, against St. Albans, at St. 'Albans—Drayton, Blackwell, McKinley, Douds (s); J. A.. Clarke, Phillips, Cormack, Allen (s); Lascelles, Byford, Crum, Buchanan (s). Section C, deainst St. A'bane. at St. Albans—Johns, Bridget, Ambrose, Archer (s)J Hannah, Yellowlees, , Iggo, Killner (a) • Murison, Kellaway, Sprpsen, Redpath (s). Section D, against Belfast, n* Be".?a-<— Tustin, Vincent, G. Dickson, Ramsay (s); W. Stewart, Muff, Horsley, Pepps (s); W. Butler, S. Jones, C. G. Butler, E. Jones (s). The following teams will play friendly games against Beckenham. at Beckenham— Tomkinson, R. C. Horsley, Matthews, 'Brunt (s); Smith, Pullar, "Wilson, Kingsland (s); "Williamson, Crowhursit, Pegg, McKenzio (a).'