ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 657, 6 November 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

* 1 , ' (By. MEitdcnY.X . ~~-— j WXTUEBS. < Tuesday, November 9!-"VV.A.A.C. Marathon \ Meeting, Hasin Kesorvo. ( January I.—Wellington Provincial Champion- < ships, Hasin -Kcsorw!.- ■' " January 21).—Civil Service A.A.C. Meeting, ' llasin lichenc. , i I'cßriinry.—l'ort Nicholson A'.A.A. Mooting. Now jZoaldml Cliuinpiousbiii Meeting. It Booms hardly necessary to call the attention of athletic sports lovers to tha W.A.A.C. gathering on Tuesday next. There is overy indication that the meeting will be quite up to the standard set by our senior club in the past, evon without the additional attraction of , the Marathon rate. This typo of race has been somewhat discounted during the last season or tnp by tho pernicious custom that has obtained of calling any road race of a milo upwards a "Marathon." This, of course, is , absurd. Thus tho Auckland Toad Taco of last qeisan was advertisod as a "Marathon," and was made much'of on this account, whereas it Was only 18 miles. Likewi6o another affair 'at Ailiburton last February (18 miles) was boomed under the Barao false'pretences, as was also a 13-mile run round the Queen's i. e, i " ere last soasou - Only ono true Marathon raco has been hold in New Zealand ' to date, and that was organised and run,off by a Southland Harrier Club, and was quite , a local affair. Tuesday's event is the second in order, and is really tho hrst in importance, as the presence of Head and Simpson—the Auckland and Canterbury cracks—gives it an interprovincial • complexion. > £ Simpson:;fW.„:3V, of ; that;/; ilk,' '..familiarly Knownr.fi'"Simmy"):, should'.iieed no introduce ; n on the finest distance ■ v.nnnor: the 'Dominion'lhas'yet put into .the : amateur .field,'and still refains'a lot of his old prnwnss.--In;l)ccem]ior,;:l9flV at Aucklaud, ihe' ■ created an -Australasian record' of Umin. Wsee. ■'■ ? r T° m'J^ 0 milos !p in > ni»l\theso. figures" still stand.. lhis.Kcason M turned;cut in the Now - ': : «,? nl .<«wl.'.:. cyosa-eoiintry ■■•::- championsllip/- -v-.-at' \ '■ J y?.» r 'VJ 'stn'icy flyo. miles, andiWOn • easily.'; > .is ratlKjr./iin, .unknown „ quantity lover the full , i??P?&-i '■°*M*£toti*lW : ' to aten' miles 'there' • , is-no. .doubt,; ■; Ho Ms.:-a-: realty- first-olassrroad type, and ; .IftthmiiAt ■£;weak deal, of in Auckland^> ™ ' ; ,evirtenced'.by : his. Club's-action'jii sondinc' him - down.-.., ■ :'■,■ i..'':V'' .;■';. :.'*V-.'\' ■' .-v . -:. *> ! W^w U t n li 'l4* d i^ f i j.-localv competitors": ia nign.■■-iai-ithe ..best-known:/distance aen;»ro , and* ■F'^^wh.o/Wl first and third -.respectively : an .a ,13-mile race, mentioned above. ; G. Turner : the. second, man on,that/occasion,: and a'run- ;! "S-^* e suitadmir- • v-^ul-?t:' n '-fe inl ' l e' for v tll e i -PSesont. event ■■ : '% ' H 9 ' , f. h - : P« t --Wm''o»t.-.of action. ■/■ - •'■ m? n abroad ' -£Sv r ' : F , lU e e^l(l .''«. the • present' three-mile^ wslking.chanipion .of ; the>Dominion, In fact ! W'W,'- md ex-champions seem,. like tho •■ :-ffi*ffi? iV tho if4 sh ° vcl •"Hats,":.:menti6ned/in TL \ x % s £ to ba I« ite 'as "Plentiful as . :t»l)by'-\oata..^a>ere-are;;'Mliloahey"(road-r , ace' !'• «S*3s ■ ex-champiph)/, So patrons will ■ :?K^'^-th,nß^MPPi"n-;of^;!the'Wality»of-ii I th ®. out : to. them, in the Marathon ; v^A, % to.the,Bports;Droper,:flll/tlie .usual'cS 2£^ W n , V e iA(iiA in the Pfogramm t ; .except a long-distance;run and the open walks! ~ The.Mason^or-the:feclurfon of;th 8 Vclmile v. rnn.l3 obvious, and-also applies to the heel and .toe event,,a 3 ttowalkors are entered ;■ :^,^.Marat^n ( new Australasian champldn, ;is / entered; for -the sprintevent, asalso are tho best known of our ' -r'm.' l is ? ance mon,//.:T.he. two,colleges'are to •/ !Vfn ht - th / l r/ nlln , u al?contest,of ; i22fl..yards and ~ «0 yards: for: tho possession of the -Challenge , r Cilp,at, present-held by, t» Wellington. College! . --In .addihon.to.the/forelfoing events, i cycle races, '.exhibitions of wrestling,; and .. *, "push 5 ball, .match will pyo tho.afternoon the ncccsj/ sat-y tfmch: of..variety.:/ v;.;-. V. -;./,..;/ ;" ■. . [■-. / .'I ho Marathon inaeis timed to start at 130 t ftf-V an| i AN, '.sports . meoting : at 1.45, p.m. i'' .\"o y? jnan hpme ih : the long race is expected "; lrtst. o ; clock, ;nnd arrangements have ■j.! been madowheroby the/positions of the runners i'-at/varions.;Rtagos i pf-the.:-jovirnoy will bo modo '■ known-to the public, in theHesorve;' •■-•• » - : A/,c'ablc. message,/.'from / Jfolboume,' dated » !-RusselL.-,<Gy»loni»).mnrie:-the Vietorian hiuh f, :)ump':record Hit. lOJin:". This from an Aus- »■• standpoint is a good .performance. The e . ; Australasian, record stanils nt-sft. ; .UJin.—a< ro-J*r--.iwrd;Wcated:/ i l)y-;l\'-;j/.;;-13n7llBli-'ln''-'-tef>.-'-Thn ';. :-N'ew. Zonlktid..best :is-r,ft. .njih.r and 'stands tn 'fc itlie ; :cred.it/of. A^; > ;OrtellJ,Tiie Avnrl.l'"Zm■i. ftevreoora .'K/Cft.v:p|iH,;v "by M .' SSwMiJoy, : '-bf'-Amenfl'ai ,^^-'--.v'-^.;i:/Vv-v-r---- :■■••■'.■ -!i : , '; >t. -•'■;,Tbe;; Cantprbjiry: Amateur "Athletic club will jJ, thoM ;.its.-,sprinir. mwtihg;bn,l)ecnmboi' ; 4,' . n t '. , 'The .programme (includes'7s >f ; ;MO, /«or; and /yards:; 1 handicaps, /;hiaide r n ie ; ; races,', hiirdles,' u; :,rnc>v.',rel|iyyrnees, ,'nhd-V'h':':veterans' -hahdienn ,iy, /Kntries V.ojosp. lyitli'tlio /.secretary,'; Mr. 11.-" St tj, ;Ai/-Murr'ayj''oh-::November :23^.-/.,, r:/- ; i-. ■• ■ ' [y; tb'prlhta re. ir ply/ttu,^n?.objeotion>.'liby.y'Aiiinteiir,'': nf ■ the irt-''Otag'o-*WltiieSs'V/to/the p/6pdsed r inTitatloii of I

Wheatley.and another Australian to fill the gap caused- by, the cancellation of the Walker '! tour. ', Amateur" remarks' as under;, with much indignation:—"l notice that at a meeting- .1 of the.council of the New Zealand Athletic As- i sooiation, held in Wellington on Monday even- 1 ing,,a committee was appointed to consider 1 the advisability: of • getting Wheatley,' of rt Vic- ( toria, and another to tour New Zealand. One t cam scarcely read'the foregoing':.without .some 3 show of astonishment. Personally J feel if ( the committee formulates any such scheme they ( will be doing'.a .very unwise thing. It is one thing to, boom amateur athletics with world's ) stars like Reg.'Walker, the South Afrieah;nnd 1 Dunckor, the hurdle champion; but to attempt I the impossible with lesser lighfe : in tho athletic i world would;;bo fatal. Any such suggestion to i bring : ,across ; to New, Zealand a couple of, Aus- ] tralinu athletes: to tour in the interests, of i amateurism should he thrown out without the ■'. slightest consideration. Why, in a few'months '. wo will have the Australasian .championships i in Auckland, when; thb champions of all the .: Australian States may bo reasonably look*d for ' to compote, Wheatley included. Really, it comes ; as, a surprise that a suggestion; for Wheatley : and anotuei", to tour: New 1 Zealand should have , been listened to at,all. And here the'council has set up a committee to consider the question!":. :'- "l-."'.-'-. '-.' -■■.-' ■'-.-'.'•■ '■:"■:: '.- ■'.-'•• In a later.issue he modified this" to some extent., He-says-.—So far the only, writer who has not agreed, with .the council of the- , N.Z.A.A.A. in respect to the proposal; to'bring '. Wheatley and another. Australian on a tour of; the Dominion. As pointed out,, it is one :thing to boom- amateur athletics in New Zealand with world's stars, but to'attempt this with only lesser lights would be fatal and only court disaster. ,friend "Mercury" is of, a different- opinion :—"The project is yet only in its infancy, and may be found to be quite impracticable, but if it could be pulled off it would prove, an excellent substitute for ' the bigger .scheme. Wheatley,versus 'Jimmy' Wilton, Harding, and Opie, over a quarter,: and against Harding and Haskins (if he could be ; prevailed upon to come out), over a half-mile, would bo contests: only equalled by the 'goes' that would' result between Davis, St. Aubyn Murray, and Keddell in the two hurdle events. Wheatley could .beat anything the Dominion I has over a mile, but Hill, MTCuight, Steele, and Co. could make him ,hurry, and when I Wheatley hurries he is; indeed worth watch- .■-■.-.'•"••: ■'.- ..•-••; ,: ; v:. :■ : '.:'. '"':'■ ".•''" '■■"'' "Amatour'6". objections are really. so slight that they : aro difficult to' grasp and hold until they can bo knocked down. No doubt, as.'neVsays .in 'his first paragraph;:"to attempt the impossible would /be fatal/' It would. But it is far from impossible, to wake a tour .such as- is proposed successful both ahletically and financially. Wheatley is Still well remembered over here, and. "Amateur'* must Jinow. what a'stir: his appearance, say in Dunedin, against the resuscitated Hector Burk' would ■• create'.■',Wheatley-is.no second-rater—ln' ™ l > "tis-not too much to say that he is in tho hrst. flight of.amateur rollers. He.is now in his /hey-day—he is only 27—and his tunning ,at Brisbane,' ■when'he'. wa6\ admittedly short of work, proves that' be is quite capable 'of .getting' back to his best form—the form In which ho made an Australasian record,of lmin.. 56 Jrsseo., and again when he defeated Burk In Sydney over:tho mile .in'lmih. 23seo.' ! And this is without reckoning upon -.- Davis,/ the hurdler., -The-'athletio interest created by the : visit of a wotld's record holder performing over his .pot 1 distance, jfl..:worthy of consideration ; ; Again,- tho, financial standpoint is tob* eon-. ,sidered. The wholo tour for. two men should not oost more/than £75 or ;• There are five centres to gnaranteo tho N.Z.AJl.A.'against : loss and: to, pooket 'the profit*.-' It,is- surely ' not:too much to say that tho interest excited' by .such a. visit would, result in an additional ';£2fl : or so.beinjr'ladded to .the' customary gate' in each of .tho centres, '.;■■'• :;: : -..",., has appeared/in the "Weekly ! Press';.and ;"Otago - Witness" :-"Mr. -Cyprian E.. Bridge, manager of. the New'.Zealand Aniatour, Athletic Association's- team."at'',the. Aus-' tralasian Amateur Championship Meeting at Brisban«,,,writcs.as follows-'Myatteption has • :b«en drawn to a. telegram appearing 'in your columns, somb.few.:issues 1 -back, ■;having reference io. the report submitted-to'-th'e N.Z-'AiA.A •by' the; manager :of'the, recent ■ :New., Zealand Amateur,Athletio team.:-; The message,'under, notice -stated:; that the : manager' : complained. or the poor accommbdatibn,- bad fodd, and esor. bitant charges towhioh the team was subjected m.Brisbane.. .In fairness to the Queenslanders, i. must'contradict, this. ■■-~No. such complaint .was made; - The;unsatisfactory, conditions mentioned were .referred to as existing only until proper arrangements .could:'bo; mode'; /'arid/riot ' ,m.» .way. in, • tho.'nature, of : 'a' complaint . against the-; team s treatment' in Brisbane.' In'' fact,:for.;the..las.t.fiVo day's of .the week'spent ; thete, piembors of the team considered them- '■■ selves ...extremely, fortunate'in the matter "of accommodation, and; wore treated exceptionally -well • in/their; quarters. To;, allow;' the rriisstatement .to pass -.; uncontradicted I would be greyly/unfair to;the Brisbaneites; who. did' so much -ta.make r the.;6tay .'in.their: city enibyu it' w '•il- m ? B , ta3k ro»-'*o. publish: this- re. buttal, '.The telegram referred to was sent bs the Press Association from Wellington;" * : ■ri Mercury'' understands that a' similar'letter has been sent to other papers in the Dominion, in m \vnich the telegram referred : to has appeared. -The. noTvly-ionned Manawatu AthlotitJ-.Clnb' has decided' to-hold a series; of - fortnightly eyening...meetings. .: The,:first' takes place on November' 24.' Handsome 'trophies will' bo given,' and valuable prizes Jot most points .gained:during the season; ■■■ : ''■■"■'■ .-■"■'■'(" •:■': ;' Th 6 Napier Club was'billed to open its'seasbri last,'with: an;evening meeting. . During were: informed by cable that-'A.m; Postlo 'had'been defeated t>y the American';'• ped.;'?. C. JB. ; Holway; over 120 yds./ ■m lljsec. .This is evidently the outcome of a .cnaUenge recently.: issued, by Holway in England.;: He had just, previously been clocked inWales /to win ■ a, 100 yds,' race in 'sJyds. ■ inside ....-.■ evens, ,-a t nd-on this form, offered to. run'.the great runner on eveh terms, from lOOydsl to 200yds.,'/'for.any part of and : the championship of the world." ■ Postlo and hisbackers -are now sure\to use' every; endeavour to' bfing about- a'.•return match; and this and:N.-Cartmell's recen-t defection;to the professional .ranks makes tho' Australian's projected; tour -of New.'Zealand a very unlikely contingency.; ■ Postle is practically certain to stay, where tho':matches (and the. money) are to bo : found,- and it is extremely unlikely that .those negotiating for his presence, in the Dominion can offer'him sufficient inducement to turn down the'matches that now are open ;tb "him,; - ;>;;;;, , ..; ; :-';;: ,; 'fi,.. -;.','..; : ~-■'■ .'/■„, ;' ■•'.;.'■-;,,.. .