ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

, ; ' (Bx Mekoohy.)

W.» ; !STo-Aay .$NjZ;'- ; Championenips" (Auckland). March an<L Port Nicholson Wfs£i. - f A:iA\Cribombined -ineeting -(Basia:; Be'•A'&i— 'Kecrea'bon Ground). \ :; '■ .V^? , . >\. .V\'>-'-: ;, "'; ;|;:|fM^h , (Basin £§ f f!akeT^Mpnday.-^ln^ i'.liament.;-.•■■**-'.-:/.''-: :: '-/i^--'.;'.:'-.'■-■.' ' ' '.-: (witness; the/aninaisdistii-; J SiS t4tir athlotio';comm^ity"of,'ilie;Dominiori. ; siffClhij' presant .gathering ;is;the':twenty-first: j tie.' series, ;anil. ..is;.",the'Vfiiiet '.held -in ■ft^'Sop^,;terf;;ife''.'3^;:-l<^iest^an4;:i6Tei

is [appreciating'. ] Vμ: compliment' of y;sjbeing .thVv,loiale ;ip'f J;ench fanVviraportant ;: 'd, jhappeniigj-'imd 'that-ner.peppleVwill'.trirn: ; ';Bj':out.iif V^'"en^:'of'aU,oil»afHeKp , .'iwfeM;i;:'/:ri':?;/.; , ': :iiS ii; 'S'nce'.'those': tappy'days:, (for C.C.) the'sport r has\fal]en: V-.i:iiapon.leai : times,:- *?& it :was'wita the'inV";i'>7teaition ; ; of;'giving-it'v a' iau'ch.}ieeded : -'fillip ■s# ! rear:^a^ttedv^>'Auckiand>4;thet;;;;honflUTi

3jJ' (anil ipjeciinaafy sj'adyahtage) '• of j; c6nducting it'iefnoy einpty- : honour.'- iiTo-day's,: :'■%; meeling,'!i ; if;';c<Midrtions .We/fayonrabie'-.'ee': 'M'% -of 'wind; and ■■drynesaVof _ ji^Kbgtraekj'ishould' imafkedfby; M. (ex-' j/;itMpfionally;liß:h*'Btandard , of .performance. gJrSlttS.fac£" i tiiwould' surpriso if at.le^;twb:'NewZealand leoorda' f;;?j----"■-V^V-thisC..*veaiing.: iii;. : :a:V'fihiattefed,, !'St mantled -'condition;:': iFor;, this, there';, are

f5>S two "iconWbutbryi class :'.i0.0f,; tile ;perfoTjnaaMe.'.this- : yeait;of some'iof fM lindoiibted :' ; rj4j^fasiii^'-/oi";tno^-Bomaii ; thack.'-''.-'Most: Sffi7NeW' : Zealaffld ; .':r^rdsi-'.;at ; ione:' tim6:;and a ?fSAnother,.;':have.-been^-established" , ;in ' the i!-^%Kmaiii;';Jaad^tij^y. : Vα': fitter.

■{■. ;r ;•' i/1 ■.-'.,- '&■& .'day-^the. : competition':between.ithe:centTes. S^.forithe-.ChampidnJShield "eovH. bejkeeaer.' tiZ( tast-r seaeon v . the".. Wellington .-. ■y ; ;tiv€a' , fo6k"^tK?' ; much-sought-after'bauble'

¥ffeSber£piind ; mettle': Of i: the' , I elect:'of - Canter-' ■'SvPtuiy,- :aiid-rethried^^-without fiSlate.':. .This'.time;"tier* ', r'has.beeii inbi'mis-; ucin,'-. ,; withput ..bor: l '-^^'uiiglfLccused , of lindue' bptiznismi-look-'upon SSJtheTeMeld' as;ba<!k ; -keeping;of ithe; KCj;;localKcentre;;;-f &i.-~:hs'Hs& : }\: : .r]--? : v'-*'ii'i'' : : , ; Whether; thi9;xbuld ;hsiyexbeen'so i: ; ,had I |£-!iCanteburyAinaiiaged; ! .to;;get:vai?ay:va; fnll; iv'A'xepreMii(^dttV'''B-'"av:V:jnpotv , point > '".tjrt,;- ■ vV , ' ,^^VotE'i'centrS'i: atv-th«ir.'"be^;../at:; : tr / es<int,:: ?t* Ellington, is -the It^would/seem: ?r?■': to'''*brfc; ■' bit \-thia - way: : - Por s'WeUington/ ;i i !feiM;>22o,.'^;»and^Bßoryards/r v one ; mil«, £r :; b6tti : a ■>V-terHury'e'jthreeimfle; ranjr'ilO.'.-linrdl^Sr.lufh 1 ='-s>/jTt'mp;''ftidS''6hotpntting/-.'?, L The-V.bioid: ihuidleSf • andi.hainmer-thrbwiig "wi;l''jiie:-doubtful. : \<^ f tl'>£x&y;&?rf}'.< : r : ; i : ?V. J'-'oiii':app4rently.';Scorß-;,only,:in_;the; yt'Kfieldieyentsi:'andidbn ,, the -above"i computa-;; :i^ ! i&i absblutely- ib "to;' the:j'.i'vlbcal" men'sonslaught ron'tlje l premiership : 5? s^vA'^lSa^intoT-, , ";jpr6l)ili,le i%?*yetitfmay::be"bf !sinterestsiiffrjtS v} S:';> & ; #Sll(ip ;;ya^ds.rjThereVshouldC;b>snb ! ichahge :"buis,'''isHE«>: Sf'/ipresentrNeTf.f i*? ■6print Cch'ainmbnr? arid.? as;- it :;will,-;;.barring ; ' :; ;£#£.perjormwoe;?tojbe ? » i M>.',22o;';:,Taids.7-The;' aboyepSremarkß' 'j, also^ K#tmsj;sea»n'!^ ■^Jtfing'sn'ejtNSffJiZemnff^ 'cbvenneMiti.'in!, ! ;2li 'i;aridi:he t.i-?:mayyreasonably > .;beyex gv^:epmething;.|iensatibnal^;.y;v;:A;j-:;i-""?,t"Sv^.' S-iJjS^ltt'.iKTurdKTr^^'-a^ain^uej'Welliiißtdß..' ?/i'«:paTticularly ; . fact,- it"is"debided-:. sS;gly.j'aVca»;;'bf>einb;arrass^^^^ i^^.W|9wKt."aU:'MutJ/ther<i!j.app^ars/tp'be: scoring;; places : } to;;F;i:Wilsbn<and Suy: : Hardiiig. : '■ lmitek's9seo;;'fprV;the; i\'.vjhalf-mile Sth is' ■seasbni'ran'dvhbthpare at ; ; S ■■>;£': long sgbbd-by'eftb.Hector VBurke'sANew tjoi Zealand of '58;lT8seo*j' e' veil. iltfflmm: ',56 ' ; issec^±i'?"i': : :j:Ji : *~'i->-f'W '■■?■:>: r .of; doubft'ente'r :ini n i:The : 'iff i'i'threeVto"' decider the 'qoestipn ;in- this ■ case' v&S"e::undqubfedlyVHill J ;M<WellingtoD),V: and 'ftPughV-: (Canterbury);, / 6hain'pi6ni'sß;E , J. "^Steele I ,', lot : ..ist'npt :'startiiig..-.V Hill's jpfe--' V"^-^'i|'e?b^.(oV«r^i!'^ije"-fe\s:pwlang.vfrom ; . ■frfe&em'p'^iy'iiiiniSSSs^i-.SHeffe'r^-hasKdoiie , |f 4-ssec:-'and ;lmin:> 32 jj-J£ season, '"Pughv recently; ■ got .vimini; '■• 30sec.. /{Sf.frb™'y<ft<'3Syd.;-.-maik/.'-''so"!app i areiltlj7;-tlie first- two/ 0n ; (;4;K:figu_res,'::Heffer" appeal ?{v^s oi' ;it,-:an'd Vwini- tbut -it.-'is : his-first :'v;;o^a^nio n :ftlie.-track/.:and;:he'haS'all^the; : sJ^xdisadvantages: of iliis inexperie'hce.:;"lV^■ '>: '{■ Ki;|t;ThrfeVMJle.-^ioksbnV/:th'e /.Canterbury; •j^'iiMd'Sahd-;AisiTa7aaanVtides^.is-'Mt , starH :';;:.i;Mngi;andiJthis 'leaves ..the ',-three : mile;:event >■'■' {jsvwy ; ' open-:- indeed.".; :;■ '• has". Hill, "Wellington.: , : has as:;-it:'appears "to .the. gUWriterr'the."probabilities--Tare ;:'vffith .Jv?tf:Aucklan'der. ; - :,'/:"'.'■■• : :■ \■<:'' :' : 'events KjjVand-iwe'got'.tp. thc.walks; for .which, there ; : .U?.-:'.dM3:not ap'pear.'vtb;.be'anyone; capable of bi;'Wellington,; cause :;,:*■; for-anxietyiy;-At;-.the v ,same r -time,:if.'the" jAJ^'Australasinh'ichampion'/is:snbt; properly v'ii-Lwbund/.up,; he-'will.haye}; to ,-."..tfalfc';-.;right SS.S.felknn,-representative; : iffom ':this .centre; 5:;!?;-. always; granted , that ;Cashman satisfies the

r 'judge, : as yoVhis : gait.,,, ; :In.f the' V^j,thr^-mile.K€rr^should ; 'hav«: no '.trouble. s!';He stated.some-time'ago'tbat heiintended HKUtrying;to. lower iW.iVmisbn's New : Zealand ;•' va-Tecord'.of -21mm;v37sec.; ; but '.since then' ho :^v:;;';' ;,:'O:; .•!'■:'; i 55K the/present ;chiih-'■>;■>.6firting,::which.sieems-Vto' leave. the'.event

V:':S : - ; befeen-!St^ ; AubTO'iMiin;aj : : - :'(Caiiterbury). i.'cS'fand •EvensehiKWellingtonyi. .'.-The'former ViifV'has-an extraordinary?pencliantfor:falliiig championship.: events;' over this :/i: : r;< > distance.vi'Heftliasydbne ■ jt>"on ■ f6ur.:,sue- <:'.|" cessivf.years; and:'it.i3 i "in'.this ! habit that iSJylWellington'sfKopoi-meinly; lies, 1 as Murray, .',;'/>;.on'the' occasionsi^'herijie.has;riot'fallen .V:'S.oredit/^;vi : i : '^;:;^ ;; M'::S-VW'i\;> ; '~ii.i ; ; -.■■.:

7:; v ; ->40.; gurdles.—There- is only, one man :.:,i'i. 'in.; this event.to."be considered—St. Aubyn '!if ; :'Murfay, the, presont^NowV and ;;;£■;■■ ex-Australasian.'champion, -and:.New.Zea--;i".;JaiVd : Olympic'.games'•'.representative;: , :-:. '.:■ i; fy, '■■ The :■' field Xare > all fairly open /.■-•-';t>xc'ept.;the High "Jump , , whichj'should go ij 'to ;the'.present, champion ■, Zea- ;.;;; land-record:holder;'C.vL.iOrbell, of Can;:.i':; terbury.i'; Since 'jumping;- at' ;:the; : last •;i-*' championship •meeting,- Orbcll- i: broke . a : :; .theVlmntihg field, and has ;.;-.: '•nofperfofraed -ihVpublic 1 ., since,. :but. ap-,;j;..Vparratly.%the.,-selectors 'consider':that he Ji':: -has not -beqn affected' by' the Occident;, "'. : , ,y \, '■•'' The hammer • throwing' should again go :;;v: ; to-''Jack'1^yalIaco,iof-Auckland; the pre'■!■:,■,Mnt;.: champion;; although" ,VJ. . ,H. : Madill, '' ; !' ; 'and old-time champion and holder : of the -■. .New Zealand record'of yl3Gft.4}in., isin '■•li':'.the , ;! vfeMadiUV:fignies3 were t..y,:, :established iby.-al throw , from ■'.: a. 9-foot /;:!:- circle,'. and "as ' the circlo; .has 1 iiow. been V-;:.-.i.reduced ;toV7f t.;: and the "present 'is the ;';:.':first occasion upon, which' it has been in ■-V.--.iuse ata New Zeajand championship meet-v';-.;in(!,: new 'figures'.are; sure to be estab-;;-:;:::;iished."'';t';'..:/^-.;;i;/-■-,''/.; ■"''•■ '■

:::The:shot-putting:event should to .Mnciarlane,,,of; Otago,: in-the:'absencorof Dβ. Thiers,, the "'present■■holder; and the broad jump'shouldalsb go south through the /agency: of Mitchell, • AVelling- | .ton's representatiye .can- get :in of his lucky: jumps. -Last.eeason: G.-p.'Koddell won this event;, at, Dunedin, : with ; a leap of 21ft".'4in;,'; and, on the! same day> at the "Petone';meeting, : Hubbard'got'.in a jump ■-~.'■;'-.■'. • .:'; "Tho: pole ,vault;:ie more open than is usual.-.-.L...M.WKay (Wellington), the l (uoadi.hoat). champion: ;s not'in-Ms ono-.timei.'i'orm.'-and.is: opposed to two 'old champions in the persons of C; : Ci L'aiirie and-E.;Ma'ctay,. ; both-p'f Auctland.;. :-, ■-■ ;:.-.lt ;\vill;.bo: seen - ; that-:the..interest lies .not so .much in .which.centre will win .the ■shield,:but much".Wellington will ,wiri, it- by, "and how her : representatives i will-, bej.placed >.in'-i the 'different "events. iln;;the;jquarter 'and..the^half -this .is: a Burning-question.- Is-it : Wilson or' Hard'?,§ '»■: the :qne;; and wjiich" of the quartet, Harding, 'Wilson or Ward in the other? -/We :have had .Ward very highly, recommended by-'Tat", Webster, and , he .will. be:, given-; tho'::best"'test, which he ..could.have'asked for' in: the company he is'engaged! against... ■V;:"-:'' 1 ''---' -",- ■-■'"■■■■"■ •'-.' !■«"»■: MrV: P.'- ?.'• ion. • secre. .tary; of-.the--' Petohe.Junior , Club, "A,A.C.' comes.a'.programme, of .tha.body's second annual ■■gathering:..': Tho ■: meeting" /' takes place on the: Becreation: Ground, Petone, •■ on .March' 12; ■'The' dub is'doing'excellent.worfc)in"■lccepirig .the;sport, going- in the Valley,."and,;,as a.goodly, number .of the town athletes'intend comneting; : the meeting.:should';be a 1 s'uccess > ful*one..j The list of events' run and .date! of closing entries' will no doubt be advertised in due course. .? Duringitbe ;week'.the writer stated-that .he" had" been;told";by :Gny : Harding.that, : after a'JongVwait,-he had : been informed by:the:Wanganrii"AJ..C. , .that his attempt qn,.the;New Zealandirecord.for 1000 yards' on'"B6xing Day ■had.;been';rendered,null ,ahdivoid.through a;mistate,in.measuring ; the':tfack. r :Seein'g.that Harding had formally Vintimatedy-his . intention., of. trying ■tdrcutdo'wnVHasldn'Si figures:,Eome time :l}?forehand,;:'and\that •this intention , had been .plainly' announced by tneWanganui Club/'and,' more/- especially''as: Harding ■ had;;to",(ravel-,-across,' from i.Napier: at i his : own expense :for? tbe'-eifpress pmrpqsc, the negligence!of. .the 'authorities in permitting: sneh: a'V, ■bungle: is inexcusable.: Harding: is ".naturally very '■and* rather/sore -over the business/ and his annoyance-Has ,not -beei abated '".by'..the , long, wait-rbefore.he'.was,informed of: the, ■ciroumstances.:; Thevgallingrfeature' of. the , business. from the ■'.-..runner's' standpoint'is! ■that., even; ; had , -.the, ■ cdnrse .been, -the re- . quired ; distance; he would still have beaten three, ■seconds.-in four, feet , ;which;was ,the 'distance,short.:;:;.; '••'■:'.■?■■•?:

'■ ;The. explanation furnished by the seore-' tary'ofSthev'Wanganui: Club, ia not ..very' satisfactory, and was only, obtained after Harding ■' had-written; for fullrpa'rticulare.-Itirnns.-r-'Tn:reptyV'to yours bfy.the 7th' irist.j'X'mjght-.expain: , (l). that thei- lad'; who "'ytah'i responsible ■ forvjmeasuring':'. the track; prior''to.ith« staTts :, .wa3 ■;,not. an' ; he-haß : had.'a deal. , :'of,- ; ; experience! - assisting ■ .his >,father,. who'-is'an'anthorisod snrroyorj (2);jt.wa3 ithovlatter:who'was; engaged to 6uryey ; the' ■track -after Jthe sports;.; (3) Vboth, measurements' w«re/made ii:accordance with; 1 the .conditions, ■ .yiz./iVia .inches',,; out ::from; : the , pegs.'-: :Eyer.-'- smcevthe.' 1 : track was ■: ;£rst formed ifc.hasibeeh the custom to. measure' "'.baokvfwm ■■tto'-'flutelde", of/the'"glass oval :21/feet,"and this has' always been accepted' ■'400\.yards to the ! oval;;.,,VEhe; ;same' plan '.was.-;adopted■•.oil ihis.'pccasion/- ■ anjl,,' as , .' a, safeguard, V.I ■ got, ■:■to, ;pnjb/;^~~ebAU' : roQndLY'Vlu<:h'. ,> he^didi l :un{ortinitely;he:maa« v ai'mirtake-in'some' iway,' ■> wh'ich,:lie .never,;discovered -{iiiitil ■'explaining to •,hisSfather.:how,;he, Kadi made' his/'calculations.''V. ; This ':;was'C after ;- : the fatner^had^Bnrveyed^the:;track. / Itpears ; .;thatithe ijouter'edge.vof • the .grass' jtr.ii ck-;bad ■ gradually, j crumbled .away,; and that'probably a^fqot:has,been'worn away. .by'Vains and .'usage 1 'since'Vit! .'.'.was ; first f6rnie(l, : ?the : ;itrimming,toiwhich.itVwas, : subjected ■■ a: fewS days ,;before'., the sports'. ! ieduco\it.'Eomewhat.v ; : •.'■•> .competitors ;.and:.r the..: public ;afe''remindedVof ,; the|continued' i ','W.AiA , ;C.. ;; and "Port; ..Nicholson "meeting ■ next : Satur-; day. ;: :Witli'i.the,.competitors;vfrom. ; ;..the 1 their, honours and !■'.condition";thick :.uponii- them,; ',the' pothering-should '-be :a'noteworthy. -:one; men-who'.- are,\ With-, ion'e.t exception/v all icompetingr'at.. Palmer-' stqn .next; will , wait over-for. it>t>;- and:"; jthe;'chanceV of ■■■: .seeing '..the'. Doininion's-ibest ;;so; : ; Boon,j-.'after',. ■: their' championship.'appearaiices' •■■ that ; should'not;-be; missed.';•;■ f-^v.-"' ;;.;-.