ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

• « CBi Mibcoet.)' Entries close for the W.A.A.C. spring 1 carnival to-night. Sir. W. L. Dunn, the honorary secretary of tho Wellington Centre, kindly advises the following, list of meetings in his : centre's district for which permits have ■ been granted:— l December 7—Civil Service Club's even- [ ing meeting. 1 December ,10.—-W.A.A.C. Spring Carnival., > December 11. —Xarori A.A.C. evening' , meeting. - December.26.—Mauriccville Athletic Club | (i amateur events). . [ December 27.—Wairarapa A.A.C. meeting. 1 January 2.—Port Nicholson C.C. meeting. P January 2.—Wairarapa Caledonian meet- '. ing (amateur events). 5 January, 14.—Wellington Provincial 5 Championships. Besides which the Civil Servico A.A.C. and the Port Nicholson A.A.C. intend ( to hold afternoon meetings, if possible, _ the former on January 28, and the latter » some time in February. \ 3 Mr. F. A. 110110 is now the honorary secretary of tho Port Nicholson Club, s vice Mr. W. L. Dunn, resigned to take 1 over the centre's secretarial duties. t "Has Woodger in Hand." , . Mr. "Dorry" Leslie has W. A. Woodger . in hand for the Wellington Club's meet- * ing nest Saturday, and he reports that the champion will "saddle up" in good fettle on that date. This will be tho. first •, time that Woodger's preparation has' been under the care of an expert for ; a local meeting, and his running should s show tho benefit of the innovation. "Mercury" learns that tho speedy Petoneite may only bo able to turn out ' for the 100 yards, as he will bo on duty ; for the latter part of tho afternoon, but j that he intends -to mako a big bid for , this event, and will take a lot of beat- ; ing if the handicappers do not set him too big a task. The ICarori Club is putting on two open events—loo yards and one mile handicaps —at its evening meeting on December 14.. The other events are confined to club members, and are. 440 yards and broad " jump. Entries may be made with Jtrl 5 J. B. Jordan, the honorary secretary, Mr. G. Davies, care of A.M.P. Society, and llr. J. L. Picot, Main Road, Karori, j and close on December 8. 3 The Recent Council Meeting. 1 The annual .general meeting of the Council of tho N.Z.A.A.A. commenced on ? Monday,' and was a most wearisome-af-r fair for all concerned. The council > started, business at 7.30 p.m., and after 3 a little routine work began on' the work * of consolidating tho rules. At half-past 1 twelve a motion to adjourn was carried, and at this time only about half tho business had been disposed of. Thero were sundry jocular remarks anent "legislation by exhaustion" to be heard, but 0 in justice to the delegates it must be ' said that it was tho. magnitude of the ' task and not their own tardiness that occupied the time. This matter of the ' rules has been hanging on, for a year, ' and it was felt that it was time there ' was an end. And from • the time and J care lavished on the work it should bo found that tho end has justified .the " means—long-drawn-out and cumbrous ' though they have been. When the motion ' for adjournment, came, there was still the matter of tho Auckland Centre's appeal in _ tho Wilson' record case to be dealt, with, and as the adjournment was 5 to Thursday evening, it was too late for tho matters then discussed to get into g this column this week. The important (.• matter of R. Opie's 200 yards . record, s applied for by the Canterbury Centre, was also among tho business held over. _ Apropos of tho Christchurch sprinter, the C.A.A.C.. has been fortunate in securj ing his services as honorary secretary for 1 the current year. 1 - Athletic, Festival of Empire. 5 During tho visit to Wellington of Mr. 1 Wm. Henry, of swimming fame, he con- " ferred with the Council of the N.Z.A.A.A. with regard to tho big athletic festival s proposed to bo held at the Crystal Palace on Juno 22, 1911, in connection with tho ' Coronation festivities. Mr. Henry is;the J accredited plenipotentiary of tho council 3 governing'the. affair to the Australasian 1 amateur athletic bodies, and explained 3 tho ■ intent of tho affair very succintly. 1 The intention of. the council, headed by 3 Lord Desborough, is to attract to. Eng- - land for the occasion' tho flower, of the * athletic talent of the three gyeat sections ■| of tho Empire—Canada, South Africa, and Australasia —.thero to meet' in single °. combat tho representatives of Great J Britain. Tho departments to', be contested aro running, swimming, boxing, ? wrestling, and, perhaps, tennis. Tho running events aro to. be 100 yards, 220 J yards, half-mile, and mile runs; the p swimming distances 100 yards and mile;i whilo ths boxing and wrestling are limited . to middle-weights. Thero will bo no heats _ in the racing, all events to be "sudden death." Teams are to be limited to ten , men each, and although a trophy, ,£250 * in value, will be given to the team ?• scoring the greatest number of wins, thero is to bo no team-work proper. The contests will bo man for man—simply a ' four-cornered ■ duel in each department. Mr. Henry reported that Canada has already accepted, and ho desired to know the feeling ..of the New Zealand Council, in order to bo able to lay its views before the Australasian Union. Of course, there was only one course open to our legislators—to affirm tho principle that the scheme was an excellent one in every way, and to promise to give it every r consideration, but not to bind themselves 1 to anything until tho wholo business had . been thoroughly gone into—especially 3 with regard to its financial aspect. This i is what was done, and a message embodying these views was given to Mr. Henry to convey to the head body in Sydney. ' Whether or not the carrying out of our J portion of the proposition- is practicable 6 remains to be seen—tho wholo thing is | of such magnitude that it cannot be--1 dealt with off-hand. It will servo as a 5 "steady job" for tho new Council of the - N.Z.A.A.A. during the coming months. A matter of interest to local amateur . athletes concerning the-passing over of . Reggie Walker to the professional ranks s will bo fonnd in the "Boxing" column on | this page.