BOWLS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 811, 7 May 1910, Page 13

BOWLS.

NORTHERN BOWLING ASSOCIA- ' TION. MR. ■ DIXON APPOINTED SECRETARY. _Some thirty delegates attended last night's meeting of the Northern Bowling Association, Colonel' Collins presiding. ■•.•■■•••..■■. Featherston Club notified that . Mr. William Glendining had been appointed to represent the club on the council. A letter was received from Waitcmata Club, giving notification of its intention to. withdraw from the association. It was pointed out in the letter that the club noped to become reassociated later if more members 'gave their support and if the club's liabilities were reduced. The sub-committee set up to consider, the appointment of a successor to Mr. J. H. Mentiplay (secretary) reported that applications had been invited—(l) for art honorary secretary, tho honorarium to bo fixed by the council; and (2) for a secretary on a fixed salary. The committee recommended the appointment of Mr.'G.-H; Dixon (Thorndon Club) as secretary, at n salary of £40 per annum. Mr. Shallcrass moved, and Mr. R. Mothes seconded, the adoption of tho committee's recommendation. Tho chairman said that there had boon five applications—thoso of Messrs. Dixon, Churchward (Wellington). Cartor (Kelburne), Higgins (Victoria), and Wilson (Thorndon). '

A member expressed the opinion that tho committee had erred on the side of liborality, and the chairman replied that ono of the applicants had suggested o salary of £80 per annum. (Laughter.) Other delegates expressed satisfaction at tho appointment, and stated that tho remuneration was not by any means too large. ' Tho council agreed to adopt tho recommendation, amid applause. Mr. Dixon thanked tho council for having decided to give him tho appoint ment, and said that ho hoped to retain tho confidence reposed in him by tho council. Ho wished it to be known that ho was prepared to havo undertaken tho secretarial duties oven if the position had been an honorary one. The chairman notified that about 35 guineas had been subscribed for a presentation to tho lato secretary, Mr. Mentiplay. The presentation would bo made about the end of tho month. A sub-committee was sot up to inquire into the matter of bowl-testing. The council, desiring to express their thanks to. Mr. H. l'\ Allen, late acting secretary, for his. services, voted him a bonus of ten guineas. Mr. Allen briefly acknowledged tho vote, of thanks" and the honorarium. Mr. Percy Brandon was voted a donation of two guineas for his services in onnjieotion with the recent tournament.

MANAGEMENT OF BOWLING. SHOULD CENTRES BE FORMED? The sub-committee of tho Northern Bowling- Association, set up to revise the rules of tho association and tho laws of tho game, submitted their report last evening. A unanimous recommendation was submitted to the council as follows:— "That, in the opinion of this subcommitteo, the tiruo has arrived when the clubs under the jurisdiction of the Northern Bowling Association of New Zealand should be formed into centres which would be under the control of the association." The chairman (Colonel Collins) remarked that a big change was suggested by tho committee, who considered that the present constitution did not allow of a proper working of the association's affairs. The committee had not come, to any decision, but it' had been suggested that centres should bo constituted in the districts over which tho Northern Bowling Association had jurisdiction. The idea was that some ten or twelve centres should bo formed —one in Wellington, one in Wanganui, one. in New Plymouth, say, two in Auckland, one in Napior, one in the Wairarapa.one in Nelson, and one iv Marlborough. The committee considered that all clubs situated within a centre, should be deemed to belong to that centre. The headquarters of the association would be, as now, in Wellington, .'but each centre would have headquarters of its own, to be fixed by the clubs within the centre.- It was also proposed that each centre should be managed by a committee of delegates appointed within the centre. The clubs would still have delegates in Wellington, and at the annual meeting the officers and members for the council would be nominated, their election to be carried out by the clubs. If the formation of centres was agreed to, the control of bowling would still remain with the delegates assembled in Wellington to a very large extent. There was also'_ a suggestion that an executive committee of • about- seven should be elected by the council. These were some of the proposals, likely to be made,' and he moved the adoption of the report. ' Mr. Brunskill seconded the motion.

Mr. T. Ballinger said that tho report came as a bombshell. He did not think the council had power to act as was proposed without referenco to the clubs. He understood that Auckland—where there was some difficulty at present with tho local centre—would lose soveral members if the centre system were adopted.Mr. G. H. Dixon, said that tho subcommittee had recognised, that tho matter would have to bo referred to the clubs. Tho committee had 1 made the present recommendation, in "order that they should know how to revise the rules.. If the proposed alteration in constitution were approved'by the clubs' the sub-committee would know that the rules would have to bo framed on the centre, system. Mr. Haybittle "to see the-ne-cessity of this report. He agreed that it was a bombshell. If centres were appointed it would moan doing away with tho "open-door" policy. The formation of centres would mean that each centre would have to . undertake . a tournament, possibly' early in January. After , competitions, the successful playere would have to journoy to ono district to play off for the champion of champions: 'It would be futile to adopt the report -and ask the committee to go on revising the rules, because the proposal would in the end be lost. .;, '

Mr. Brunskln said that the council could not shut their eyes to the fact that centres already existed, and worked quite independently of tho' association. There was, he believed,, a centre in Wellington, one in the ■ Wairarapa, and .one in Palmerston, and, if this were so, (■here should bo a controlling body, having full jurisdiction over the centres; He _ suggested that the rules should be revised, and then the council could, explain tho proposal to the clubs. Thu committee woro only too willing to unuertako' thu work, and he considered that, if-centres wore formed the affairs of the Now Zealand Bowling Associa. tion would becomo much more manageable than they wore at present. Tho '"open-door" policy would remain unchanged, and ho considered th© proposal «:as a good ono. Mr. Geddis said that ho favoured tho establishment of centres, but he did not agree that there should bo any change in the representation of -the clubs. Centros wore forming automatically and ho did not' consider that it would be wise.for the council to force any district into tho proposed system. The best course would he to allow the centres to form voluntarily. Mr. Bush'said that.it had been tho unanimous opinion that centres would bo formed in the North Island, soonei or later. The committee had brought down the present report for tho purpose of ascertaining whether tho council were also of opinion that centres would be formed. If such was tho opinion of tho council, instruction would be given to the committee to proceed with tho revision along the lines indicated. Tlie chairman' said that there was no alteration in rule or constitution bofore the meeting, at present. All. that the council were now'asked to decide was whether they would instruct the committee to pursue their revision of tho roles on the basis proposed. Captain Edwin moved-that the council issue instructions to the committee to proceed with the revision of-the rules on the basis of the formation or centres. ' . , It was pointed out that bhe whole matter would com© up for discussion again, and the motion was carried.

HONOURS EVEN. By Tcfccraph-Press Association-Ooiiyrfcht (Rec. May 7, 0.35 a.m.) . , . - . Sydney, May 6. _ Advantage was taken of the presence m faydney of a number of New Zealand bowlers Messrs Broughtoh (Auckland) and Steele, Bullot, and Smart (WPlymout-h)—to play three friendly matches, lhe first ended in favour of the visitors by 35 to 16, the second was won by the local men by 23 to 20 and the third resulted in a draw. '.