NORTHERN BOWLING ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 888, 6 August 1910, Page 10

NORTHERN BOWLING ASSOCIATION.

Sir,—lt in matter for regret that the Wellington Bowling Centre's meeting the other evening was informal) as) its deliverance, authoritatively given, would have been us light and leading to all bowling clubs throughout the Northern Bowling Association's terri. tory. !

As "Fair I'iay" in the columns of The Dominion has demonstrated, the association has somewhat tardily discovered itself to be a spent force; and its determination to resuscitate itself by absorbing the vitalising influence of the centre movement is evidence of its desire to again acquire a governing authority in bowling if bowlers aro willing. On the terms tho association offors bowlers, I predict, will not agree. Why? Because tho association, having done hitherto su little, now wants to assume too much, It wants to remodel itself. Its methods are obsolete. Tho centre movement has shaken the association to its foundations, and reconstruction appoars to bo the only remedy.

According to the "revised constitution," representation of clubs on the council of t.ho association is to bo abolished.' Clubs will have to contribute to tho up-keop of the association, and will liavo no direct say in tho management of its affairs. This proposition surely demonstrates to conviction tho violation of that democratic principlo 011 which . all representative authority rests.

But, it will be contended, the clubs will croate tho centres, and the centres will, under the proposed regime, creato tho association, tho association will govern all. Lot it be admitted that this is the aim of this remodelling, the question comes:. "What is tho uso of the association at all?" If the centres aro to control all local or district

fairs in bowling, even to the conducting of local tournaments, then what is left for tho association to conduct? Very little. Perhaps biennial tournaments at Wellington or Auckland, and what is to hindor those from being undertaken and carried out by the local centre? It has been shown that local centro tournaments have been better conducted than association tournairionts; and it was the centre movement that forced "the open door." policy upon the association.

Looking at the whole position, it .(qems to me that unless the clul>3 are to be direotly represented on tho Association Council there is no obligation upon the clubs to contribute to the association at all. If clubs are only to bo represented through the centre and tho centre cannot elect one of its members to be a member of the Association Council, the intention i» manifestly to make tho association moro of a hole and corner affair than ll is a.t present.

Bowlers generally liavo seen through the fallaciousness of the whole remodelling business; and with Mr. Hueston, chairman of tho Wellington Centre, they consider there is absolutely no necessity for the remodelling, unless, 1 would add, tho a-ssociation is abolished. Tho centres have justified their creation, and demonstrated their usefulness to bowling; and the association, which has all along tried to kill tho centre movement, has suddenly ltecome' hypocritically solicitous for. the status' and well-being of tho centre movement. What more need be said: Tho associa. tion may propose to remodel itself, hut it cannot have the support of bowlers and other clubs to the proposed constitution,. They would rather 'lot tho association pass out.—l am, etc.,

TOUCHER. Wellington,- August 4, 1910.