ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(BY MBBcoEr.i

August' 18 and 21.—Australasian Championships, Brisbano. ' . ■ ■ v •

twenty-throo entrants for' the Palmer Cup race faced the starter, last Saturday ; afternoon, and, judcing, from tho keenness displayed, cach man fancied hiß chanco of landing the prize; Some BUipriscs wero sprung, on the numerous spe<£ tators by the excellent running of a num-' bor of the competitors, notably that of F.' Uodson, who recently won tho novice hari'dicajv Although beaten ■ for fastest time by thirteen seconds, and for. first plaeo in the soalod handicap, by. one second, Hod son's performance was undoubtedly the oiitstanduig ono of -the day, and it : was, hard, tack tor nim that he encountered such a Wonder-fully-improved runnor oa Lamb. • Hodson displayed great judgment in allowing tho scratch man to. make all tho paoe, 1 never onco attempting to v .forco it until noar the finish, rihaui'tof 11 ® sopd.offort, although almost . Hio-.improvomont in Lamb's running eaii bo,, gauged by comparing his handicaps on r ,° t occasions on which ho has succoodcd in wulning the cup., , Two years ago, with an Allowance: of .240 sooonds, he won with a marE lll of--^seebnds■ ;from C. Johnson,while, on the present .oocasion, lie was able to just .win ..ok .the 100 -seconds mark. ■- His victory wai; a woll-desefved and popular one.- ,- Salok , rather distinguished ' himsolf .by nnislniig. sovonth,. and securing third-place in - the , handicap. .Runrfers who 5 failed to . ( mako good", Bennett, who was stiffed "iff from acute, neuralgia and : risked) his' putatiou;.by..starting| Bust; who "shot his bolt early m. the i race;. and AVatt, 1 who sacrificed 01-good chance in- a sportsmanlike spirit by. waiting to assist Power, when the latfcor ; . pulled up with -a ricked - knee. l ' .'' , ' The''powers, that be", of the local athletic world wore well represented •at the scene of tho race by:: Messrs. A : Marryatti Stuart Robinson, ..and WviH.: Pollockj- members of tho Council,of the - N.Z.A.A.A., ;Mr.' J. ,;H. Pollock, of tho Wellington:' Centre,.; and Messrs. W,. H. Bennott and' C.' W. I'aimer, pi-csidcht. and vice-president of -the harriers. . , Tho is to ; be '. presented with the oup. at rthe .club's' aanual dance on next, lii addition'. r to' which,- advantage will be;takehiof the' occasion'to prcieut-life-mO'm-bers' badges .to Messrs. Pollock -and Robinson.. , .Tho iiext harrior race will take tho form--of,r a 2J: milo steeplechase over 'the ■Trentham course obstacles on July 31.' ' , /.In commbni with j in other •'centres;.' t-hea WellmgtMi Hsfrters have 'oxpressed jgreate satisfldtioninai the- notion : of }^' < CdunMKof'VthoVNj'ZvA;Aii/S.-' | .iii'r^Mtabfj lushing: tho aiibual cross-country' bhampiohr ship. . It:'only -remains- now for : tho' athletes -in -thewinter: department: of,' ''th'e spoft to ); woTk up ■ interest in - the affair, and sustain, the,' interest' after -it has been worked .Up,- as, an: ovpnt'of this.nature must .ba.kept alive, by :tho mon engaged therein. , Owing to lack of; a- "gate!'', the; time of: year, etc.i''tho-public cannot do ! looked to aa'. a great lector in. tho matter, so•' it devolves upor: the-.various harrior, clubs And ..their officials to,, see that the rc-ostabliithod nxtupo: does: not, siiifor,; and.- evohiiially dio from the, inanition that .proved fatal.to it-s prpdccessflr,'! Tho .sub-committee ! appointed to draw up : conditions 1 for tho contest has .done.,its ■ work well,.and has rightly kept in vie\r. ,tho" .tact; 'that the ..centrof conducting the.; ehampibnahip should - not be -.financially penalised thereby. The clauses setting forth I that the council should givo tho' tropnies, a gold medal, to tho winner of : the individual championship and four ■ badges .to • tlie winning team, and, that the con-trolling oentre for the time' being should take 'flio 1 - entranoo foes- as an olfset to any expense that may he. incurred, should make it quito worth while for any centre,-to handle .the' affair. Tho only , section of the conditions (as drawn up by the sub-oommitteo) that calls for further retork is olause .S,-which says: "That tho team, representing' a province' shall consist of five .members, four to oouiit for the teo-mB 1 champions." , Suroly the word "shall" in; this, olariso should be - ''may.". :;If only four men aro to count as a team, thon each centre should be allowed to: start onlyfour ;if;-it, ohooses,: with itho .right- of starting, a rOGprve man i if. considered necessary, but, if it is. not considerod■ necoesary, or if financial or other,: considbrationa ;como :int6 play, tlien why. should a 1 province bo, saddled with the cost of aij .extra man ? (. .'Pho first oross-coun'try' championship - vwdorthe now 'condition s Las been allotted- to tho South Canterbury Harriers, .with a rooommondation- that the event I bo hold : on September 2. "Mercury" understands that tha local'club intends, making a big try to get: a ,team away for, tho occasion, and wishes it every success'in ite endeavour., V.; v Tho rumour that steps, wero being taken in Dunedin to send M'Knight to Brisbane ivith tho New . Zealand toamy as , reported in ' this column 'some' time ago, lias Emu confirmed, and it is confidently exported that £20 will: bo ; raisod for . tho purposo. It is proposed to enter. M'Knight for the < Marathon race,.and threc'-milo championsliipi In'i the latter event' he will make a good showing, though,: of course (if fit and well),, Dickson can, hold him pretty safe. : Stillj-J his performance; in .-Dunedin'. in-'March in I Kettiiig inside the New* Zealand standard of 15min. 20sec'., (although running a hopelessly losing : raco 200 yards behind Dickson), stamps 'hinT'os; a sound performer,; and a useful addition' to the' team. Anowicr '.ac-| qnisition-'.to' tho New Zealand fories .will bo. our old friend,' L. M'Kay, for whose appearance. "Mercury"' understands that private enterprise will also bb 'responsible. Tho good work reoeived a start last Saturday at the hands of the Harriers, who' opened a list,- and mot with a good response. Mr. Coombes reoently expressed tho opinion that M'Kay's chance in the polo vault was a good ono, andi' thobgh liis lust cli'artipionship performance was not up to sample, na did hotter on everyi other appearance last season. -Twice he successfully negotiated 10ft. 6in., and that Without opposition to spur him ;_on. And though Frawle.v, tho O.uccnslanaer, his most forniidablo rival, cloarcd lift, at Hobart last year .when M'Kay established his 1 Australasian record, still the Matter's penchant for rising to the occasion (figuratively and literally)when necessity calls should bo taken into consideration. Tho selectors were justified in picking the successful 6ix before iM'Kav. but- hw friends .are .equally justified in thoir confidenco in him. .

The cable man in England lias boon in an acßravatiiiG mood this. week. Ho lias informed us of tho results of tho English tennis championships lind of tho fact that l'ostlc beat Day in a 220 race but, on the subject of tho '-English' athletic, championships held on Saturday -Inst, he has been muto, with the solitary exception of the'news that A. E. M. Rowlands walked second io Webb in the two-milo walk. The appearances of R. L. Walker and V.' Duncker, the South Africans, cave the nicotine a peculiar interest, and the results wero watched for locally with 'much interest. In view of tho fact that Walker lids been- plnyinc havoc with , tho existing sprint records, and that he will be seen in'the Dominion' next season, his doings on his present tour will bo closely followed by Now Zcjalond enthusiasts. i. To prevent, complications in the future,' tho

Now Zealand Council aro asking this Australasian Union to grant u general amnesty to all thoßo ; rupners :who took part'in the Auckland and Ashburtori Marathons last year. On both theßO occasions tho valuo of the trophies awarded was in execas of tho ,£lO limit laid down by. the union and, atlfoueh tho then Isow Zealand 1 Council sanctioned tho events .undor thoso conditions! it has sincc been decided by the A.A.U. that such sanction was ultra vires. Dixon and M'Knight both competed ati Ashburttfn, and it is principally on tl)D|r behalf* that, tho, Council is moving. Tha action is a' wiso one as, although it is extremely 'unlikely that any occasion for the "whito-washing" would arise, it would bo quite competent for: any of. the Australian States to Wotest against, the two New Zealandcrs. Then sorious friction would occur, and there, has'been friction enough and to sparo in Now Zealand athlotios of late. •• .