THE BIG SCULLING HANDICAP.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 679, 2 December 1909, Page 8

THE BIG SCULLING HANDICAP.

, .« I NOTES FROM FOXTON. I | WEBB IN THE SLIDE SEAT AGAIN, PINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOE THE CONTEST. (By Tclceraph.-Spccial Boporter.) Foxton, December 1. Foxton appears to bo quite unconcerned as to tho big sporting event it is to viow tomorrow and on Friday. In contradistinction to Wanganui's exhilarating and whole-souled interest in the soulling . ovents that havo served to bring, tho • town and its river into moro/goneral ; and popular knowledge, Foxton's unconcern is very' notneable. Perhaps it is tho habit of the peoplo to be outwardly unemotional, though inwardly boiling with oxcitoment ovor the big handicap, but the fact •remains that on tho surfaco Foxton docs not seem to caro what happens. Thave boon informed that tho accommodation of tho four hotels.will bo taxed to the utmost to put ,up tho people that are coming. For the sako of Mr. Messena and his plucky committeemen, who havo. gono to immense trouble and o\penso'to arrango the handicap, it is to be sincerely hoped that there is no exaggeration in the report. Foxton's apparent lack of onthusiasmjnay be' due to. the fact that the town has no particular champion to become excited about. There 13 no excuse for this,

! for there is good water close handy and hundreds of lusty, young men are employed in the ;flaxmiHs-.who should ('take advantage'of it, but theydon'ti' so : F6xto"n'h'asnot' itsWebb.as' ;Wanganui had. - '.' . I; . ; :V: ;j. !-Webb.on:the River.;' ■"'•,' ■_,";,'!' ;T saw Webb start off on the river this after-, noon from' the town shedi rowing with all his old grace, and I-fancied with a; little more leg work .thrown in. I do not fancy, hdwover, 1 he is- quite ready'for racing, and/ would not like to,tip him.as.the winner..-'I rather fancy that, he will bo a'fitter;man when- the >Wnnganni' Handicap .happens next month. Tho service that Webb 'did for the Dominion has, I'ven-' ture to: think,' never been assessed at its"; true, value.'.By beating Towns for the championship of'the -world-he threw New Zealand into the focus of every sporting paper and club in the ■: world; -He was the first world's ohampion -who was'in every,sense a New Zealander, and'.who learned his business in New Zealand. The latest "Lone Hand" puts Webb's case in respect ,to New Zealand.when, it speaks.of. Trie-, ■kett'e services to Australia.. : It' says: ■ ".'■'-■■\ "Edward Triokett, our first great national; hero, whose victory as a young oarsman on. the Thames was-the first'call 'to-our national

pride, is almost forgotten. Searle is remembered: not only'for his Thames victories, but because .of the pathos of his early death. This point may appear 'laboured- and irrelevant, but, I use; it, because the; Trickett,, victory on .the Thames: was the first thing that an Australian did outside Australia' in the shapci' of, a contest that, became' universally known.,-.■"> It brought scullers from the United States. and Canada to England, thon to Australia, [and 1 the .best -'of. them, left their, laurels behind ithem. We .taught the world that our picked ;men excelled in ' their , own .particular . line, -the national pride was : aroused, - the national 'spirit fluttered : its wings". - Is it, too much to. say that 'Tricketfs. victory,-was the' initial step to federal, union, or fantastic 'to assert- that. the cradle of the) Commonwealth was'a .wager boat propelled by a brawny youth of six foot, a Sydney native, on the hoary Thames?" Arrangements' of Heat's. ' ('■. The following is the arrangement of heats for to-morrow:— ;< First heat, J. Mitchell, liscc.; S. Kemp, 2-isec.; A." .S., Green, ■ 30sec. j W- J. Ogilvie, 55sec.;; J. lawson,'6osec.' Second heat: W. Webb, scratch; R. Green, 18sec.;' A. D, Felton, 24sec.; F. ,G.. Green, v 35sec. ■ Third heat: "G.'.Whelch (a doubtful starter), 6sec.; E. S. Hagney, lOsec.; E.- Larsen; 20sec.j Te -Kewiti,- 30scc.; }/ Ellis, Msec..'. -The first and second in each heat qiialify for' this final,. ' . -. , > Whelch Absent. ' So far the only sculler not here who accepted is George "'Whelch, who-is not expected to arrive now, .as. his boat 'has not been .sent on, and were.hp to arrive to-morrow he would have to borrow a boat. Whelch has'not: communicated his intentions to tho secretary. ■ - :.Mitchell will riowbe ablo to• row, as.he;has | been drawn in a heat- in which Larsen is. not concerned, the latter' having promised- ;,the, Clarence Biver man' the use of, ..his , boat. Mitchell's boat is being brought on from Auckland to.' Wellington by. 6teamer, : and."will be transhipped there to i.WaSgiuiui,where • its owner .is to,-row. next .month.;:' ■ ' Whilst'.on.the : subject-, of boats,', it; ia: inter-; esting -to.' note .'that . nine! ;out' of -the twelve' boatsengaged ;in.' races '...we're'-'built' by George; -Towns,'''of rPatraniatta.v' J !Wcbb';is' to row 'in a boat of, his own' Building,-Ogilvie in a .New ; 'Zealand-made'boat,_ and-one'-of'the : others in' made'by CHris Neilßen; ' ' - ' Beach Interviewed. ' ■ V ' '.; ;■ Mr..'-' William ' Beach,; ex-champion-'; sculler, of the world,vhas.' boen .located Monday. Interviewed by your representative,; he - stated that he'had been over tho course above the Whirokino Bridge, : on the Manawatu ■ Eiver, and 'one.' . "It,very l ifiuch resombles our.Nepean' course," he said,, "only the'.'banks;.'of '-the Nepean- are hiphor : than ..the Manawatu,'and there is-,a 3J-. mile straighton the former, whereas Mr., Mcssena's Courses-has a: straight :a. - lot 'less -''.in length. i'But [there woa no .''getting;away , fromthe fact that it'was a' splehdid course,; : nnd one •fit to row. the 'championship' of tho world on. All .the. scullers' spemcd.'porfe.ctly „ satisfied '.with;, tho qourao', iind'.what-is-'.mpre : romarkablo, .they all seem 1 -to bo •satisfic'd-with ■ their,handicaps.' Everyone bf ';them thinks he-'has ;a, chance, which is ii bouquet: for Blackman; who -handi--capped thom." •• Speaking of the " individual"/ scullers,'; Mr, . Beach ami: "Sid. Kemp is, tho most stylish oarsman on tho river. He.is nearly perfection in a wager.- boat, liko his father, fetor Komp, who was one jof the. prettiest oarsmon in .Australia, "Lawson, of Ifelsbn, who is rowing in one.of Arnsfs boats, is a powerful lump of a ,chap, who is sure. to como on if he can keop his seat and guts going early j- ho will bo difficult Ja patch with liii handicap- (BttseoJ.

; T£emp and Bob - Green are the bost-condi-tioned men on the river, and one'or tho other will not-be far out at tho finish. Larsen is a good man, but I do not think he is in the best of condition. He has been doing a good deal of rowing. on the northern.rivers, and may hayo' overdone it 'a,bit. "Mitchell is,a man that is.likely to hold his own.. He is a stylish oarsman and a good'regatta.man. ■ "Rewiti, .the Native from Takapuna, is a'bit rough, but what is. worse he is liadly boated.' His boat was meant for a man of 9st. or thoreabouts, and.ho ,'must be overl2st. '..". "I saw Webb row in Wanganui. He-was' going very well, and ho tells me he is in good nick, but I do not fancy he has been domg as much work as he should. "Felton is. a big boy. He is not 21 years old yet, .and has a lot to learn, but when ho hardens up he should be ' a.'good man., At present I don't know whether- he will go the distance. ■ "Hagney (who is only in fair form) is rowing well and may havo something up his .sleeve." . Mr. Beach, who -was! almost killed with kindness at Wanganui, and- was cordially invited to stay on for the handicap to be rowed there on January 6 and 8, .desires me to publicly acknowledge his thanks for the courtesy ho received from evervone, and in particular Mr. W. Tuck.. He regrets that he will not be able to stay on until January. When at/Wanganui'he was taken over the course, which he thinks is a very fine one indeed. The Manawatu Course. The Dominion representative inspected the course this afternoon. As a straight piece of water, for racing it is all that can be desired, as from the start to the Whirokino Bridge, three miles above the town, there is a straight reach, of water for 1\ miles, a ribbon of silver I narrowing. to nothing in the perspective. From a picturesque point of view, it cannot compare

with Wanganui, nor do I think it as desirable a-course as Picton.;, On:the one side of the river there is a line of ; low-set willows alongthe bank, and on the other-there are low-lying river flats, almost entirely without undulation, and certainly, without any eminence,from which a .commanding view..of ,the/; M race .could . bei :B n .iMd/ Itis also, at a disadvantage .compared' : with Wanganui'owing to there being-no roads" flanking tho rivor,- which-renders it difficult ;if not impossible for vehicles, and cyclists to .approach. Pedestrians'and'.those on horseback may bo able to gain the bank 1 on-the side free from'the willows, but as they, will then-be almost'on. a level with'the oarsmen the view .irill not be; too" good.- When I was out this afternon there was a fresh in the river,' which 'was running strong only three or''four feet below the level of the-banks.: There has been no' rain ; here, but local people -say -.it.must have been raining in the mountains,- ever so far-away, . : .•;-.- >: ...