ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 19 June 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(Br Mxscobt.) August 18 uid 2ii—Australasian Championships, Brisbane, ■ . •

T)l6 Harriers went in for more Alpine ' work an Saturday last, the country round j about Kttrori being tho ecetie of operations. ■ Laraborg and Power, who were appointed "trailers", for the day, took no chances of beilig .caught, getting away with fully half-ah-liour's start of tho pack. Tholr selection of a course was rather a poor effort, the Uountry covered being altogether too rough fflr Buything approaching fast work. In fact In eaine places tho going was aotually dangerous. 'Phe pitek had, at ttniM, to display great care in negotiating hill-sides, on'account of the loose metal therootl becoming dislodged, and rolling down on the men at tho bottom. This is the kind _of conn- . try which the wise "hare" avoids, and with good reason, as, under such circumstances, a/nasty accident is liable to occur through sdtno evefceaget: runnef rushing headlullg : downwards in Order to keep to tho front. Another unpleasant feature of the coUrso was the groat amount of gorsocovered country (that bete-noir the Harrier) .which was included, notwithstanding tho_ f&ot that a short detour would have avoided practically tho whole of it. It was not until. the road' was struck below Wilton's Bush,, and faces wero turned for home, that i -anything' liko tui unbroken run. was possible, and ■ the ' club captain fflado the most ( of ■ Uib opportunity. He threw . out a solid pace-maker—A. Whyte-'frhilo he himself remained With the rearguMd, spurring on the laggards, and, "Father O'FlynnlikO) helping the laisyonefl wid a (figurative) ®tick, to such good effect 1 that, although Whyte kept up & ftill hftail of steam, he was unable to .shako off tho newer taen. A quarter of' ft Jflila frtaa; home, the, whistle blßflr. i» halt,■:and a "breather" Win taken before the "run-in" was Bounded* B. E. i ' i i ex-iioUtlilander, secured first plafle in this, with a goid ftln, being followed hoffie .by B. • Forile, who just taanaged J? * on ß enough to beat H. Lamb for Befiond place. Lamb rather surprised everybody by his, poriortnanoo, this being the first .time he has succeeded in . gaining- a ft.!,.? 1 the cltih J.™ . ,^l, - at, Woraer Bay, the TOfi commencing. froni Wyatt's Kiosk. : bf tte cotfrso laid rmv±.. y , -ft 0 portisal of soma Hints to the Hunted*' that appeared in this eoltimn some three weeks bafck would evidently be of great hclp tp those chosen infUtltrt: for this impbrtant post. , Mercury has to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of a.neat little hand-book mull the harrier club containing rulesi lists of club officials And ex-officials, and the , list ot mils for tho and.other informal : tion of,interest.. , . .: v - ;. ' / A <5 yards'footb'allors' raee, hold in Napifer rtfently, wns Won by a brother of AV, Wood' J'Ul' Idea) sprlutfcr and bolder df; tho 100 and 220 yaralSow Zealand championships— in the very fair time'of 8 l-ssec, 1 -il Short, but .very, troubled existence the New Zealand Sports Federation had been dissolved, and' has. riow : been re, legated te tho limbo of. things that; were but tktp jnot. -Tile, federation started welljo and: hlitfht_hav6 made for great good in Donliulon but mismanagement and internal dissension had their usual' result, and the . last, act of. the now. defunct body in dividing ita funds among the various: organisations , originally affiliated'is likely to bo the : most) perhaps even th 6 only, really popular step it has taken.

, Matters m oonneetjon; with the selection of the New Zealand representative team for the Australasian championships are going ahead, if nob taaptjy. "apace". at least with; as diuoh: celerity ; as the otmiberoua mode' of sekoUoa: will permit. The latest item of lm« portance comes from Christchureh, and-la to the effect 'that St. Aubya Murray cannot made the and'so will be unable to dofend Ws 440 yards hurdle championship.title.. This would seem to lighten tho selectors' task somewhat, and to leave tho Belt! more open to one or both of the lumpers, Keudttll and Orboll. .According to a sotft-herji 'cfc.' change, tho'former is training- hard, wood'i ger also, Is keeping, in trinii no easy pr pleasant "task under easting cllm&tle <*>»" dltlens.U'Hnrfy. Kerr 1 has" beet*' comniuiii«' cated ..with, but, so far', as' "Mereury" can gather, no wo«l has : been re4eiv6l from liim regarding his movements or intentions." ■ The- only selector who has not, at time of writing)' giveti soma indication of his idori of .the personnel of tho team is.'the Southland nominee on thai eomnilttoa. ; As- a matter of fact, tho southern" wntro lis; showing regrettable apathy over the whole .business, and had hot, at the' beginning of the week, even; advised tho council who its selector is, four of the team may new be looked upon , as certainties (always provided, of course, that they can make the trip, and, in the ab» sence of advice to tbo contrary, it is pre* sumed that' they' can), via., Dlokson, Wood; geri v Hasklns, ' and Kttf,.attd.as the council will hot be" able to send more .than six at the" outside, the other two places look warm for tho jumpers already' and Wallace and M'Kay stand* ing by to fill vacancies, ' , i New South. Wales ;evidently, intends making a -serious effort to ' wrest the championship baiihor frwn New The A.A.A. el New South, Wales has voted £26 to\vardfl;th6 expehses br a, team 1 of'slit for:, Brisbane, and the athletic . clubs throughout tho Statb ato holding .meetings at which special events are -being put-on tlio programmes to try out likely reprtsktativds. In' addition--to .this.-the.'.executive'intends holding "test" events in the endeavour to find-new blood, and to keep the old up to propor condition. The.selector (Mr. R. : Coombee), is especially On the look-out for a short sprinter, a polo vanllers and a broad jumper. According to the "Referee," Nigel Barker will only turn out to defend his 220 yards and quarter-mile titlesy benoo the 11 c(xl, of • the : 100 yards man. SayS "Prodigal" hsgard t6 the pr&pOS&l to Invito;Hi. 11 Wilkef, of Ihlrbia, to tour Australia. and New Zealand &t ,the Conclusion Of his visits to England and America) - replies are coming' to hand.from the associations, in rtspOnee td the inquiry by the eiecuti«> officers Of the A.A. tJnion of Australasia.' The Taimaniaa A.A.A. heartily approves tho proposal, and asks 1 for particulars as to Sipenfio likely to be charged against Tasmania, on £he other bana. the N.S.W, AAA. (anfiflt at present See its way to kgKS to an invitation, befog extended to Walker, fearing tho sharo likely to be chargeable to ! this Stoto-toay' be more than : tho assocltttlflh can bear. I think, however, if New Zealand fthd Victoria "yes," New South Wales will ioiti hands iii the Jnovei'nent. -It seeffls to be generally taken for/granted Queensland will stand out of the scheme, although why I eannot sav. No. reply from South Australia is effected.'"