BILLIARDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 13

BILLIARDS.

PROPOSED GRAY-STEVENSON MATCH. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. London, December 1. For tho purpose of making a match of 18,000 up between Gray and' Stevenson with crystallate balls on a Riley tablo, Riley, Ltd. 1 , offer £200 and fees if Burroughs and .Watt will release Stevenson from liis contracts. RUeys are also' willing to present £250 to tho winner, and subscribe £100 to tho Dawson Fund. YACHTING. The Tc Aio Sailing Club's season will be_ formally opened to-day by his Worship the Mayor, who will- start the first race at 3 p.m., from tho Clyde Quay "Wharf. . BOXING. HEAVY-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ' V/GStpopt, December 2. Much interest is being taken in tho boxing contest at Millcrton to-morrow for tho professional heavy-weight championship of New Zealand between "Jim" Mitchellj of Millcrton, present champion, and "Bill" Rudd, of Wellington, challenger. Both men have gone through a vigorous courso of training for the event, and an interesting contest is promised. CYCLING. CHAMPIONSHIPS ALLOTTED. '(By Telegraph—Press Association.) Ciirlstchurch, December 2. Tho New Year cycling championships for this season have been allotted to the Christchurch Cycling and Motor Club, and will bo dccided on December 26 at Lancaster Park. SWIMMING. The Wellington Amateur Swimming Club opened their sports season last' evening, with a 50yds. handicap at To Aro Baths. Tho following was the result:— First heat: W. O'Meara, Bsec., 1; L. Bridge, 2sec., 2; A. M'Arfie, 4sec., 3. Also started: Donovan 9sec., Pearti • Bscc., Hatch 4sec., and E. Levy scr. Time, 3S l-osec. Second heat: F. Murrell, lsec., 1; A. Crowtlier, 3soc., 2; Blundell 3see., Bruce 3sec., and M'Lcan 3sec.,' dead heat, 3. Also started: H. Wynno 3sec. and W. M'Gregor 3sec. Time, 32 l-sscc. Final: O'Meara, 1; Murrell, 2; Bridge, 3. Time, 38see. SWIFTS CLUB'S LADIES' BRANCH., Tho annual meeting of tho ladies' branch of th© Swifts Amateur Swimming Club was held at Scott's Rooms, Manners Street, last evening, Mr. F. Wilton presiding over a fair attend- ' anc(i of membors-

Tho annual report showed that tho membership had increased considerably during the year, and a groat improvement had been shown by tho majority swimmers. Splendid facilities now existed at the To Aro Baths for swimming in all weathers, and tho City Council,was deserving of thanks for its action in constructing a special bath where beginners might learn to swim in safety. A "series of races was held last season, all of which were closely contested, tho club championship being a particularly fino race. A race for schoolgirls proved popular, twenty-six girls competing. Results were as follow :— ouyds. Club Handicap: Miss O. Moyes, 1; Miss 13. Aiken, 2. 40vds. Novices: Miss H. Murrell, 1; Miss E. Wilton, 2. 50yds. Seniors: Miss H. Murrell, 1; Miss S. Murrell, 2, 50yds. Schoolgirls: N. Bentley, 1; A. Cairns, 2. Uub championship: Miss O. Arthur, 1 ; Miss H. Murrell, 2. It was intended to iioJd an afternoon carnival for lady members during the present season. 11l auks was duo to Mr. W. Skegg for donation .of a gold medal to tho championship winner, to Mrs. Wilton for a trophy for the schoolgirls* race, and to the members .of the sub-commifcteo (Misses Moyes, Murrell, Smith, and U llton) for assistance rendered throughout tho season. Iho following ladies were elected as an advisory committer to tho club's executive Mrs. Lamb, > Misses 0. Moycs, 0. Smith, D. Webb, G. Turton, H. Murrell, aud S. Murrell (hon. secretary). It was decided to postpone the elec£l of i a P atronos & and other officers until tho first meeting of th© committee. A suggestion to form a life-saving class was received with enthusiasm, and_ it was decided to do so as soon as an instructor could be appointed. It was announced that tho first raco of iho season would bo a schoolgirls' breast-stroke race (on December 16). A race for seniors is to be held early in January. The newly-formed l Island Bay Swimming Club is holding a sports meeting art Island Bay to-day. ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL. THE NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL. t, n" ,°f the New Zealand Football Association was held last evening, Mr. H. N. Holmes presiding. Writing t-p the chairman of the council, Lord Kinnaird states that ho has admired tho' performance of tho New Zealand Rugby team, and lias longed to see tho Association game also taken up whole-heartedly in New. Zeai' jort ' s ' l 'P 6"es on to say that hi thinks that tho "Soccer" game has many advantages over Rugby, for his keenest Rugby friends had to give up their game, as jt was too rough, at 25 to 30 years, while lie was able to play for l?i years longer than they could, aud was moro or less afole to hold his own with younger players. He added that he would consult his friends oil the Homo Football Association as to what ho could do on the lines of helping tho Association game in New Zealand. Ho was also very glad to hear that the game was making suoli strides in tho Dominion. In answer to a request sent by tho secretary of tho New Zealand Football Association (Mr. B. L. Salmon), as to tho possibility of an English professional Association team visiting the Dominion, Mr. A. Gibbs, New Zealand's London representative, wrote stating that-h°.haa had an interview with Mr. Wall, secretary of the Football Association, and -it f was Mr. Wall's opinion that the council would not consider the project, except upon similar linos to thoso 'upon which tho recent tour of an English team in South Africa had been carried out. In this connection, tho South African Association undertook to pay first-class fares, and hotel bills of tho team from London—out and back, together with other travelling expenses in .the. colony. The South African Association took all tho gate-money and all the risk. In tho caso of Australasia, tho real difficulty was tho timo which would bo involved in the tour. Tho Homo Association was dominated by the clubs, and, in Mr. Wall's opiniou, it was not possible that, th cclubs would allow any of thoir leading players to be absent from England during any portion of the playing season, for it would be out of the question for a team to leave Home on May 1, carry through its programme in Australasia, .and be back again for the opening of the season oii September 1. Possibly an amateur team could be secured, if the Australasian associations would jointly guarantee tho expenditure involved, but Mr. Gibbs doubted whether a visit of weak players would do tho gamo any good out here, either financially or from the standpoint of play. Mr. Gibbs suggests that the N.Z.F.A. should, in tho first instance, decide whether they would bo satisfied with tho visit of an amateur team comprised of men entirely unknown to fame outside their individual locality or 'Varsity. "Should direct representation for Australasia on the Football Association come about this month it might be possible to induco the council to bear some of the cost. But at the moment of writing Mr. Wall had assured Mr. Gibbs that nothing of this kind could be hoped for, beyond perhaps provision for an extra spare man,' or perhaps two, in tho team. ' After considerable discussion it was moved that tho secretary be instructed to write, all the. Australian associations with a view to ascertaining whether they would be in favour of bringing an amateur team out to Australasia. It was' reported that Mr. A. Gibbs had consented to represent Australasia on tho Homo Football Association, provided that they grant Australasia direct representation, at a meeting which is to be held on Monday next. It was decided that Messrs. H. N. Holmes, Fordham, Roberts, and Salmon bo a sub-committee to attend to all urgent matters connected with tho N.Z.F.A.' between tho seasons.