NEW ZEALAND ATHLETIC UNION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 395, 2 January 1909, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND ATHLETIC UNION.

. ( ANNUAL MEETING. 1 (BY TELEQEira—rnEsa-4.BSOCIi.TION.) '( Dunedln, January-1. e '.'The annual 'meeting of':delegates of_tho , . New'' Zealand ■Athletic .Union::qpgnod - hero; > to-day,- ''Mr:' W.'> \Woods"presiding;- --Tho'' - - following dclegat'es - wero - ■ J. ■ Clarke' (Taranaki),;A:■ M. • Ongley (Feild- ~ ; ing), Thomas DuncaV (Wellington)., Robert ' Smith : (Wairarapa)j'-L. Morton and,Corcoran .: Bay), J. Duffey, It. C.' Heffernan .< (West Coast), :R.:H.' Rankin and, J. E.\ ■ Goodo (North Canterbury)/,J:'.'Kennedy, J; : Bimms ; (South'Canterbury):-Robert-Wilson;'- -] . J.' Bell '(Southland))' C; E;-. Beast, D. -F. •' : ; M'Kaj', R. Hobbs, A. G.' Fenwick\ (OtagoT J. Centre). •! > The president, .in iwelcoming .the ;delega.tes,' ;• made; special reference, to those who', had at■/tended, every'conference; since,4h;e:ijiaugura-: tion of the union. .Tho union was-to be com- >' • plimentcd on: the- rapid strides made' .; _' ' years, thus' causing' it .to rank as.the. strong-, : J est body -governing j athletic* '/sports in' - the' world. .. 'He referred to the large initial - ex-;penses-borne in th'o formation of the union; ■ . which were ungrudgingly borne by members. . , ,':V,: of tho executive. This showed that the : union , , .was'composed, of men who had the- interests j of, every athletic society: of the,: Dominion»at . ; ' heart, < arid • whose whole ambition was 'to ; purify, and provide a healthy pastime for ' ;--:. , :;\Me;.:rising7-gen6ratibn;v't..',Tlie-rprMideht ; marked'.' 3lmt centres were .ni existence . throughout'the Dominion; wjtii\the exception. ; Y of Auckland/ and/duringthe'incoming" year, . be •taken 'to- organise/a; centre in: _ that province. - : :It' was decided .to wire .to, the . Wanganui .Caledonian'. Society';that"','uxless. they "affiliated ; at once with tho union all competitors com- ; peting. at their sports on January 22 would , ,W'disqualified,i'-.'She'.union,'disqualified, : duf- ■ ing their''pleasure,: all.' competitors who had ; . taken, part at the' Southland -Caledonian,'So- , ciety's sports on December 31 and January 1. - Tho annual report .and balance-sheet - showed thstt 175 bodies held sports, and that ~ 1690 .competitors were registered for the past • ; v ; season. .The' finances are in a healthy condition, the credit balanco being £58 ss. ' . 'A man named Robert Bell, of Birtley,.near '. Newcastle, .an ex-policeman, has : died from' ■ .:■■■. injuries received during, a struggle -with -a gamekeeper'in a field near Limesley. Bell, i in company with two.other men;"waß'seen' to shoot a hare, and was pursued. The gamekeeper, overtook him, ■ and. the lattcr's gun accidentally.^went^off/during a. struggle ' tor its'possession. .' ,; Embellished.' ".with '. drawings.-, of. ciipids' ' 7 " hearts, -burglars the. house of ' Mr. Jonathan Westoby, of Grimsby," left behind them a note' wishing , him'- " a merry Christmas." . "Too old at fifty!" oxclaimed Judge "Willis - at Greenwich recently, when tho common ; . ~:'oomplaint was mado■ to-him.'-' A man is no . good for work until he is fifty. .Ho docs not luow what work'is." : When a witness referred to Lord Tennyson nt 1 the Southwark County Court, Judge Willis • interrupted. "I knew him when he was Mr. Alfred Tennyson, 11 .; he-isaid.. "He did not - write .much good poetry after ho became a Peer."