ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

LOCAL HAKEIEE PEOSPECTS. (By "Mercury.") The local harrier season is fairly under way now, and, through tho courtesy of the correspondent to whom "Mercury" was indebted for the interesting budget of weekly notes that appeared in these columns last year, ho is enabled to again publish a regular record of harrior doings. The first instalment is to hand, and runs optimistically as under:—

"Every dog has his day," and that of the cross-country runner has now dawmed without a sign of a cloud on the horizon. Since last season an additional harrier club has sprung into existence in Wellington, and no longer will tho Wellington Harriers "plough a lonely furrow."

Brooklyn is responsible for the foTination of thie new club. The little stranger is very welcome, and is to be controlled by an enthusiastic 6et of officers, of whom P. A. Wilton and P. Hodson (both previously prominent members of the Wellington Club) are the leading lights. They are acting as captain and secretary respectively. The Wellington Harriers opened their season last Saturday at Island Bay with a muster of 30 members, including a big sprinkling of new runners. B. W. Curry, who has rustioated in Neslon since last season, made an appearance, and was appointed to pick up the trail laid by the "hares," -Press and Chartres, and also to regulate the pace of the pack for the benefit of the novices.

A course of siz miles in all was covered, and, at the conclusion of the outing, afternoon tea was partaken of by runners and their friends, amongst whom was Mr. W. H. Bennett, the club's president. The programme for this month is as follows:—To-day: .In company with the Brooklyn Harriers, from Fullford's Hall (as guests of Mr. A. H. Fullford). April 23: Erom Karori. April 30: Prom the residence of .Mr. H. A. Lamb, Coromandel Street. ■~ . , -..■•..

The Brooklyn Harriers tan from Tβ Aro Baths with a good initial • muster of 15 members. A hilly course was covered, and a profitable afternoon spent. By way of a finish, a fast "run in" was held, in which C. Murray proved to be too speedy for Don and Hodson, who filled second and third. positions. ■ I Apropos of harrier matters, there are rumours of the formation of a club in Christchuroh, and it is to be hoped that the report will prove to be correct, and that tho winter sport is to be taken up by the southerners. The country at their disposal is. of an ideal nature for crosscountry running, and it should need only sufficient enthusiasm and organising ability on the part of the prime movers at the outset to make the pastime a popular, one in the. Cathedral City. ■ To "Mercury," from far-away Tasmania, whore apparently. these notes penetTate, comes a report and sheet of the local Amateur Athletic Association. TJie report, the eighth, is. a voluminous one, owing to the fact that the. association controls, not only walking, running and field events, as in New Zealand, but also all the amateur athletic organisations of the island. It is thus practically a federation of all amateur sport—"games" such as football, orioket, etc., not being included. A "combine" on similar lines in the Dominion would, to use a somewhat unoriginal term, "supply a long-folt want," and would go a long way towards solving a big.question now exercising the minds of the local executive—tho Olympic games representation difficulty. However, that is another story. ; Among tho events controlled and decided were the swimming, boxing, cycling, track, and five and tenmilo oross-country premierships. Thus it can be seen that the council was kept fairly busy during the season. In the opening paragraph, the Teport 6ays, with pardonable pride: "We can safely say that the past season has been the most successful one we have yet had, judging not from the quality.of our athletes, not from : a financial standpoint, but from the number, of competitorswe have now registered,',and' from the excellent feeling pervading them. During the season, we have, registered 67 absolutely new '; members, and our roll has'more than 'doubled-.itself, totalling, at the close of the season 325. These figures do not include swimmers and boxers, who have to comply with our rules, but do not require to be registered. It will.easily be seen, therefore, what a splendid duty the association is fulfilling, when otherwise some of these 67 would have drifted into professionalism, whilst the majority probably would have verged into that poorest of sports, the rail-sitting criKo." Financially, the island association is sound, owning a cash balance of .£76 10s. 9d., and apparently in the personnel of its controlling officers it is equally fortunate. The writer feels euro that, in wishing tho T.A.A.A; a continuance in its good work and prosperity,: he is only voicing the wishes of all New. Zealand amateur athletio entUusirltfs.

The Council of the N.Z.A.A.A. is not, after all, to lose the services of Mt. J. H. Pollock. As reported recently, Mr Polloek resigned his seat as a delegate from the Wellington Centre, but has gone back as a representative of the Otago Centre, vice Mr. W. H. Pollock, resigned,