ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

THE COMPLEX AMATEUR RROBLEM,

(By aiEncuuT.)

The result of the mail vote of the associations affiliated to the Australasian A.A.U. on the question of the status of Rugby' League footballers is likely to give rise to complications ill amateur athletic circles in New South Wales. It will be remembered that at the instigation of the New South Wales A.A.A., and. as the result of a difference of opinion between that body and the Sports Federation of Now South Wales, the union tooTf the mail vote to ascertain the rulings of the associated bodies on the point. The decision of the New South Wales Association Hint a Rugby League footballer, could retain his amateur status provided he could subscribe to the amateur declaration as set forth in the rule book was unanimously sustained by the voting association's. This has given rise to the present difficulty, which is set out in the "Sydney Mail" as under:— The position is this—that, while the view taken by the A.A.U. is upheld as regards league players, the associations that have voted express the opinion that the A.A.A. may subscribe to the federa'ion's amateur definition. As far as can be judged then: does not appear in-no much chance of the A.A.A. remaining iu the federation, though both sides are averse to the parting. The A.A.A. is frightened that if out of the federation the control of athletics will be' handed over by the federation to one of the athletic bodies remaining in, while, on the' other hand, the retirement of the A.A.A. may awaken..the. federation. The 5.A.A. is of the-: opinion ■ that the federation should force the Rugby Union lo come into line, and cense playing, in its ranks' professional boxers, and also that' the federation alter its constitution so' as to admit' ' Rugby ■ League players who can sign a declaration, that they have not. accepted remuneration. There is very little likelihood of the federation agreeing' to. the foregoing. If they do so, then the Rugby Union would have no use for the federation. The. latter must stick to its guns. Complications have arisen in other directions. The' New South Wale* Amatom Swimming Association submitted a case to the federation: '/Would an amateur swimmer'lose his status by competing in n running .race against persons .who had. played football under the control of the New South Wales Rugby League, such persons having been accepted' as amattins by the New South Wales A.A.A. upon rurnishing the usual declaration that (hey had never received money, for playing football?" Thefederation'ruled tliat the amateur swiiiimer .woulci -. lose his status it lie ran against an amateur league lodtballei. •.' A mutter ot preat importance to IMiniuion amateurism was recently adjudicated upon by the Wanganui Caledonian Society, and.the outcome of the deliberations is one, that must be very pleusing to amateur athletic enthusiasts. Last year the society experienced considerable trouble with- the Athletic Union, the governing professional body, and. at, a recent meoting the "whole position was reviewed, with the result that it was decided that in. future'professional running events should be entirely eliminated from the society's sports programmes. This leaves a much-needed.-, opening for amateur runners in Wanganui, and it behoves Messrs. Corby and Co., who have the sport in charge there, to take every advantage. of it. . , ■■ Harriers: "Sport for Sport's Sake." . "Sport for sport's sake" was the spirit which' actuated the contestants in the Wellington Harriers' international race at Worser Bay last Saturday. The winning of the race carried nothing but the honour of victory with it, yet each man gave of the best he had in him, in the endeavour to place his team. in front. The race was worked up as a result of a friendly challenge issued by • the halfdozen club members who have previpusly belonged to clubs in the United Kingdom, and was fought out in keen but. friendly spirit. It was decided to start 5 men in each team, the first four only to count' points. A course of approximately five milts was well trailed by A. C.i Johnson and W. F. Watt', who, starting ■ from the saddle in the Worser Bay hill, ran down to the Miramar .flat.- at the back of "Wonderland," then due south past the cutting to the golf liuks, turning thence to the left-and heading through the Seatoun tunnel, back along the road to Wvatt's Kiosk at Worker Buy. • At the start-Salek, of the New Zealand team, rushed, to the front and ran headlong down the 1 slope, rapidly opening up a big gap between himself and the rest of the field. Britain started badly, through both Farrington and Finn coming croppers, on the uneveu ground neai the start, but neither was injured. Salek appeared to ■ be running too fast, but beforo a mile had 'been left behind he steadied himself, and kept up a wonderfully even gait right throughout the remainder of the distance. Curry and Bennett, who were next m order, were close together all. the way, and evidently were under the impression that Salek would eventually come back to them. In this they were mistaken,, as they scarcely made any appreciable gain on him over the second half of the distance. At the finish Salek, who was running in. a .-very free fashion, was close on a hundred yards ahead of Curry, who was just able to beat Bennett for second honours. The placings of the individual runners at the finish .were:—New Zealand team— Salek, 1; Bennett, -3; Laniberg, 4; Power, 8; M'Noilly.lO; Britain; Curry,,2; Earring-ton, 5; Finn, 6; White, 7.;Muir, 9. The total points for the first quartet in each case were therefore, New. Zealand lli and Britain 20, the foriher team thus winning by four points from their I doughty antagonists, the team scoring the I lesser number of points, of course, being the victors. Britain's team,' it will' be noticed, was the first complete, one' to finish, but New Zealand had secured-the winning advantage by gaining three of the first four places. After the race the. hope was expressed that a similar event should, if possible, he,held annually and this will probably bo done provided the supply of Old Country runners is maintained. Mr. A.'Marryatt, president ,of the N.Z.A.A.A., who is keenly interested in the cross-country section of amateur athletics in the Dominion, was an interested spectator and expressed, pleasure- at the sporting manner in which the runners entered for the contest. Members will go across the harbour for to-day's. onting, leaving for Rona Bay by the 1.15 boat. Brooklyn Club Event. •Brooklyn Club, spent, the afternoon over the broken country westward of Karori, following a trail laid by two ofits speediest members, viz., C. Murray and W. N. Beaven. After negotiating the stiff climb to the hill-top south of Wilton's Bush" a-descent was made into Parkvale and the gully, followed as far as the Makara Road, which was followed back to Karori. The Parkvale Stream was found to be in a flooded state, but this did not deter the hares from crossing ■ and recrossing it several times in urder to avoid the thick growth of gorse at. various points. The pack, which was larger than usual; after giving the hares a fright by almost dosing on them, called a halt and spent some time on the flat iu sprinting and jumping practice. On resuming they were kept well together until within a quarter of a mile of home when a rough handicap was drawn up for the run in, which was won by L. Barnes, with F. Delaney' and V. Hodson next in order. A steeplechase ha.ndicap race of 2V miles is to l>e decided' this afternoon on the Hutt Park Racecourse. " —^3l