ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 627, 2 October 1909, Page 12

ROWING.

.. .'■ r;.'-/;, ilEttcunr.i/ v .;,:,;,; .':--■', ' ;,:■-■ : ; ;:: : y-/;;;;:.;v.;I?ISTURE.-.':;-'.r-■;■-■':'.';. ■ ;■ ; :"' January. 30.—Wellington; Kegattar ;.: : ; -.':'.■ •.' ■! ■■.-•■-, . Both town :■ clubs';hiTelclub-ir'a'c!cs in '. session, the ;W,R.C. their club fours, and ,they ? SjßjC(,: : w;ith!;the"ir;;.senior v and' junior fours and ibvice pairs.': "jiercury'('has: not;yet seen the "draw".,for,the former event, but the: Star crews.'ds published, give promise of.excellent racing/The entry is a good one, there being five senior nhd- eight-junior fours, and seven .pairs..ongaged^a'-total;.of;sixty-six , . club members in' training. ;'.'; : ; : v ■■•'■. ■;'.. ■■'.■'■■ It is top early in the day yet: for ■'■ criticism'. The. Fates have "been propitious during-the weok'as .regards the water conditions, with the result that both virtnes iirid faults are already making:;-themselves''apparent, but.: "Mercury" will withhold .comment on the form displayed 'until the : crews' have had more 'opportunity of getting, together.; ; ..;.:-■' ; -■' :. i■':■■'■:'■■<:.'■■'' ...The 'annual;.'general meeting , of • the -N.Z. : A.It.A. -is. to be' held . to-night, and • the .items on the agenda paper indicate that it will 'be' a very.'important -list of business discussed. The,- question I ',that looms' largest 'in- 1 the eyes v of yrowijig men' .is that' of the represontatipn, of New-Zealand at; th'o Hobart regatta., in' February.; : As Dr. : Newman pointed out,otf Saturday in. his."opening day" speech, the timeihas come when the calibre of tha'iDo;minion's; rowing- should be.'tested bver'sea's, and this appears .to be; the., opportpnity, 'wanted. Furthermore, the project is to receive financial' a'ssistahce from Eobart if it is decided to go on with' it,, a. sum. of having 1 been .sot aside for this, purpose from the Tasmanian Government grant. It is a pity that the opportunity shouldihave offered at, a time when the Dominion's rowing standard ia not what it; was in point of quality, for it cannot be denied'that the:showing of our.best prews last season was below the .normal, as'compared with .the standard' set by, the ;Queen> Drive,• Picton,; and the earlier performances' of the, jato Blenheim champion crew,'.' However,', that is the luck of the garae.,:Our rowing, legislators , should! certainly ; use every..endeavour;,tp ;bring the'expedition,, to Hobart about, : always provided, 1 of course,'- that/,a 'satisfactory understanding: can be como tp over the amateur -definition..".., • .i

. .Another matter of limportahce to bo Eottlcd to-night is that, of colours, and rumour hath itthat there js; to be tronblo over, this point. The position is that, as, the outcome of a recommendation., "last, year (made, "Mercury" thinks, by Canterbury),'the council went thoroughly into the, matter of club colours, especially . as; regards their; duplication \ by. different clubs. The," plan followed was that, when colours conflicted, the club with the earliest registration was , allowed 'to. retain form, while those -of':.the ..later'- club or. clubs were altered either in colour or design, Thus as the maroon and white' of the Wellington B.C. was previously registered by another club,. the W.11.C.', regatta' uniform has been altered from. its present -form;;.toa : white singlet with a crossed bandolier, arrangement of maroon by way.of facings. Again Petona'e dark blue, has been altered by the : addition of a-broad- gold: band under-the armpits. The Star Club. hftvinK. .bMIU. early ; . in the; field, remains,,.unaltered, ..several, other','vbJne,,'. and white' combinations'j elsewhere''having- .been ruled out.: As.far as-,"Mercury " knows the local clubs are quiescent in the matter, but clubs in other centres are proclaiming. their dissatisfaction:, iu. an unmistakable voice, and they promise to make things lively for the council -to-night. '. -. <■ , , As anticipated last, week, George Day's, onslaught on the Australian championship did. not result in anychnngp of address on the part of- the : .title.;.,.Tho;,raco, however,; appears, to have been a good one, although the ! cablos differ regarding tho margin of-thewin, somo saying tlireo, lengths,.and others only half a.length. Full details should bo available !next week when .further Jrefereuco will ho iinado to the race. < " pcn.".'Thbroughgqod, by ithoway, still iMitertains designs on the Aus"■tralian, championship, which was wrested, from 1 him. by Pcarco, tho present holder. - Ho rows IF. S. Hagnoy, the cx-cyclist, on October 9, land, has prncticolly clinched a match with ', Mitchell 'on-. November , I). ■, Inthb evont of his '"pulling: off "both these; races,- ho means to havo-another try for his lost title, -, ■ ■; J. Hughes, whorowed No. .2,in" tho, Star Club'a champion crow in ,1003, and who has since been in Eangoon'in the employ of-the Oil Company, ie at'preeent la'town 'on'-ft'.riJt-monthe'.ifiiaewili*.-.''..!' , .:. ■;■,".>■ ■