ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 514, 22 May 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

' * £Bt t&amrarA PIXTUaK Atigust und 21.—AuBtralailaji Chdmpionnhlps, Kfi»bapo, ' Tho sub-co(Dmittpo of the Council of tho iN./.A.A.A., net Up to revise constitution and pjloa pf Hie ajsooiation, so ns to bring thqin into line ivit)i the ne\r order of things, su|ipiij,tod the'result of itj deliberation? to tlio qxoquiive pn iloflday night, i'w new hits yet to be adjudicated UIiQU py the opnrt(;3 beforo becoming l#H'i ,Nfi as tlio majority of the alterations are in ncbord \yith tiie rfcomniendat-ions pnsset} pt tho D-jnt-din Conforonco, thcro is smull probability of any matoi-ial amendnoiit, About the most-drastic 'alteration approvoil by thq oounpii is one affecting the lilpthou of scoring, pgints for tie championship- iaield; • The (nethod, \ip to the last, ohampipnahip meetjpg, hes bpen t-o allot a be' poijits for first places,'three for seconds, and ORO for thirds. The n °W proposition will have the effect af doing away with tho third plpco, and Will-give two pointy for a first 1 place, apd ono for- a geoppd,' 'Tjiis is distinctly'- a • proper alteration. It (jees away wjtfy the anomaly that has hitherto existed in .illnwipg three men to spore points in finals, when two only from each heat can conipete in such. It will also militato against the undue advantage that home centres, and centres within easy travelling distance of the meetings, have hitherto had of being able tq "pacV the fields with n\edlocro porfonnars for tho purpose of pickin" np stray third pjneea. Iho writer should have liked to have seen tho - matter taken oven further, and each centre iirpitcj to three representatives only i l * each event. This was suggested at the conference, but out, the chicf oppoqent pf tlio proposition being Mr. j. 11. Green, an ex-secretary-treasurer of tho counoil, and manager of the New Zealand team ; that competed so successfplly in tho last" Australasian •; ■ charnpionships. , Mr. ' Green mqdo a lot pf capital out of what he termed •the "inaliqnablo right of every athlete to oofflpota in any ehampianship meeting." iflis is a pretty sentiment, hat, had Mr. Grpefl been thoroughly versed in Sliph Blatters M his experience iWe wndp (ijp;, he wontd |mve . known, that this ''ipa4ipjia()lo right" ja pot reoognjaed by o'yr governing: body, the A.A. Uni<ni of Austraisin- In the conditions goverping the ohampiojiships,. appears t!*e follpwing r\ile: "No Biate, hpr tie Dominion °i few Zealand, shall be iihorty to "start mqre than tijjeo in fmy crent.'.'. However, the suggested aniendr as it nieqis % case fairly well, and no dophf. will meet with the approval of all concornod,* ■ ' A matter that greatly exercised the "minds Of ••cpimfillqrs, was t|)i) recsm!t|ejidi»tiw of the IJiinedin copferenco that, iu futurii, Nou' /.p.lhmcl teams bo pickcd by !\ coiniaittee of hyo, to bo represented thereon py one selector. In theory this is .po doubt ,S?HPd aii4'"deßirablC) as li];oly n>cii jn each u'.Stnpt Would have their claims thproughly exploited py ttjoir district's appointee, but it ' Was judged tp .bo tpo" eunihflrsQjpe '{of practical purposes if carried p.pt jn its eitr Woty, unless tl}o eoifflcil wero. prepared io ppar the o*nep?o of bringing; the selectors together. .'|his wa s "held to be '{irjanciqlly irripractioablD/ and so a compromise was arr rtved at. lfiajh selector wij) be nsfecd t<> jib- . Jij prejipijpary • cprrespo'ndenpe, wliich men in each centre available, apil then to submit to tho council a team.'placed in ordor of merit. From these lists, the council wi)| piake the -final choice." Tho damp and windy weather last Saturday (H(t not deter the Harrier'Clyb ffom, hold!P® ■' n Mpmbers at'.To Aro Uatop in su(Cejer)t :«tmbora to justify tWQ .pwka being fprmofl, tho %st of whic!) (Pf 4 rpqejved. « start of liyip fw.wteg fj-pip the fast paoK,' fhp latter wss wo eluh wptaip. ;a; . j. 0 Apypn trailed a course, but tp.oir ,e%ts w^re'wasted afl tljo '.lijgh VPd scattered the paper in all directions, and, as a cpnsequenpp,'the papk were fpr a fme lj|:o a ship without a'epmpass, After several fmtleM attemnts t<j get on tp' thp' t>rao]f of thp • pa^oSi 1 ' tho pacj; struck QUt oil a.eourjQ for itselfj ..bpt delay 'ij. •M'?:' 'tho 'haek .inarli'ers' to catqh them at, Wlbirnie, . From-hefej a was madp thvoiiph Hataitai'and but, as thp n!jsJUir3fhad bcoomo scattered conslaorably; tbp' cusfoni.ary "(run in'".' : )yas.'om]ttod. One ,of Saturday's "trailers" (Whyte) was forp.prly a.inember of"a club in Edinburgh, and has linen out of action for tho past four years.'. This'spell, however, has by np means damped his ardour.for the sport. Thfre is no keener-memlier ii> the clut) than ' At tho "last annual meeting of tho'harriers, Messrs. W. H. Pollock and Stuart Robinson Were 'olectpd life memjiers of tho club, and the' club'eoninjitteo have now decided, to present to thorn, aiid also : to Mr. W A Low, who has been a life member for anno years past, a Bold badge; . On tho froijt of the bodge the oluVb jnonogram appears upon a raised fiye-barrod gate, and on the reverse the reoipient's name and the words, - Life Member, Wellington HRrriers.'' Tho idea is probably unjqno amongst athlqtio ho'dies, hut the prospective ranplents &tb oonsidered descrying of something more than nioro forma} eleotiqi) as'; life: membors.:Messrs. Pollncls apd Robinson/ altliqugh rotirpd from active participation m the club's work, still evince a .lcoon interest in its doings, and are both members of the newlyrelectefl N.Z.AiA.A. Oounoil, wliilo Mr. Low, a)thqpgh seldom visiting Wellington nowadays, ijever fails to got - into toiioh ■ with tho ■ club officials when business brings him this way. Of the new members elected this season the most prominent so far are F. Hodspn, E. S. Fame, and \V. Chartres. A few montiha'' experience should mako good distance run, nors of all of iJlieae'men. There are also others who, while short at present of tho noceasary training, appear to possess plenty of paoo. 1 A ra?e for novipes, whioh is to be held en tlio Hutt Park' in a fortnight, is exoitinc plenty pf interest, and promises to houwefl ppntesfed,' ■ " " . ' ■

.E. K Fisher, New Zealand 220 yards ox-champion, passed through Wellington recently, on route for Sydney, lio 18 not certain of his Bnl>sequent movements, but pia'y stay on the other sido for some time. In iliat case it .is possible that he may ho seen running for Now SoutJi Wales in "the big iiißotang at JJrißljane in August. .... • 7" , 11.'K Walker, the Olympic runner, jiaa continued ta cut reoordp in ISouth Africa, and the S.AiA.A. passed 'lus .tines' Msec for 120 yards and 12 8-Bsep for 130 yards, ©lit of 0 2-ssec. for 100 yards was refused an tho "beat tho pistol" groupd, and lm run of 75 yards jn 7 3-ssoo. ' passed subject to a later measurement of tho traok. •: Walker has resisted yarjoijs offers to trirn profekiongj, oqe syndjcato iXmp|;ing him with £10,5Q0 and" expense fpf' a threo years' tonr. ' '

Apropos of the aboyp, Arthur Pqgtlo bap been giving an English paper bis yjeivs of the little fiputh Africaa wonder, whioli I append, It would nppea,r that t]ie professional is sceptical of the pertonjifinces credited to Walter, hut perhqpa' that is only natural. Says A.8.P.: i'Rcggie 'Walker is running well, and is credited with world's rpqpras every other dffy. 1 w£s]i'he would turp' professional, and race nip; ive lyoujd draw an enormous gate. AlsoJ I have otlier reasons for being.ltcen tp meet him; one of thoi));j6 hpqanse I luipi?. hip recent 'times are not genuine. I atn r«\dy fo .jdmifc Walter is a really fine for <inoep ,VP!!l)g; at the'same time I lirvv'P spen Jiiin yup, and fpel very cofti)i|i I poiild picis sovera) men \yliq vypujd be sure ,to beat . him. fjpivover, lie should improve. He intends, I brieve, competing'in thp next English phampionships, and ivhen tjmed there by competent jnoii, frp'n) a steady start,' hip times wiji ajpys ljo gopd, ypii ivill jill )je converts to my honest opifiiou that his times in, Africa (ire. iyrong, and, if allowed, terribly jinfflir to athletes >vho attempt tljoin in the future, find to . those. who may have Diado tlic-rn honestly in tlio past. Jlind, I do not refer to all his records, but particularly to the 100 yards in 0 2-6scc. ' If ho eijp •run six yards inside evens for the 100 yjirns, there are . a number of amateurs lioro wljp have recently b'gpn conipetipg ivjth AValjter that can boat evens.' 1 ,1 ' . ' 'flie . Vt r Centra ip prnjyioting a "Mqj-f4hoi)" over t||o tn.ie distance p¥" gij miles 385 yards. Preliminary 'arrangements ore in tlio hands of Messrs. noenap, Welsh, Short, Lwnhargj and Guise, and the event U soi down, lot Novoaiboj>\iuMst. I