ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1091, 1 April 1911, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(By Mebcbbt.) Eastertide Meetings. Tho end of tho season is close upon us now. The only outdoor meetings in view arc tho Easter gatherings, of which there are two within reach of local athletes. These are tho Axeman's Carnival at tho Upper Hutt and a meeting at Kopuaranga, at both of which amateur runners aro well catered for. Kopuaranga is eight miles from Masterton, and the honorary secretary writes to say that there- are five amateur events for trophies totalling .£l3 10s., as well as a gold medal for the highest-points' scorer. Another Easter fixture is the University tournament at Auckland. Victoria Collego will be represented by A. T. Duncan in the sprints, T. liigg in the distances, and Slrack in the hurdle events. Novelties for Wellington. A novelty in sports meetings In Weihngton is being organised by the cxecuTr V n ol tllc Kll, S' s festival at tho Town Hall, commencing on Saturday, April 15. The programme consists of a tu"-of-wnr every evening, a high jump and Marathon race for amateurs (the latter either five or ten miles), en Tuesday, inter-col-lego high jumps, and walking race on Ihursday, in each of tho two weeks of tho festival. Cyclists are catered for by home-trainer" events. If the idea catches on, tho intention is to institute a regular series of indoor athletic contests during the winter months. In America this class of contest is very popular, both with the athletes and the public, and now a regular code of indoor records is recognised by the Amateur Athletic Union. A circular track of one hundred yards is obtajnablo in the Town Hall, and the contests promise to furnish an interesting novelty, Some Victorian High-Jumping. Tho Victorian championships on Saturday last brought forth further evidence of tho fine standard of high-jumping in that State. . In J. L. Davis, Eric Bussell, and the latest record-breaker, Kelly, Victoria has easily tho three best high jumpers in Australasia. , Russell, in Hobart last year, set a main by topping six feet. This lias now been raised to Gft. o£in. by this latest exploit, and, now that, the six feet standard has been reached, there is a possibility of the Old World and American example being emulated by Australasia. Tho world's amateur record is Gft. s§in., and stands to the credit of the great M. Sweeney, of America. Tho English record is 6ft. 43m., established by P. Leahy, then of tho Irish A.A.C. The present Australasian best is that of Kelly now under notice (a string of Irish triumphs), while the New Zealand record falls sadly to C. L. Orbell's sft. lOSin. Another good performance at the Victorian, meeting was J. L. Davis's 120 hur- ' die run in 1G seconds dead, although the gloss has been rather taken off this by G. P. Kcddell's 15 3-10 sec. at the recent New Zealand gathering. A lime that docs not look so well is G. Whcatley's 4miu. 50sec. :for tho^nijjo.flat, but.judgment on this must be withheld until further particu'laVs" come : to hand.' 1 '' 1 It would not be 0 matter for surprise if tho poor showing of the Festival representative is to bo laid at the door of tho cable man, and that tha correct time. should bo 4min. 30£oc. Hill's Mile at Christchurch. Commenting on G.' N. Hill's splendid milo at Christchurch on Saturday week, the_ Auckland correspondent of tho "Weekly Press" says:—"Some severe comment has been made on the committee of the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club in not asking for a trial run between Haskins and the Ancklauder before the choosiiur of a representative for the Festival of Empire Sports. Concerning this a local scribe says the appointment was a bit hurried, for after Hill's performances at the recent New Zealand Championship Meeting, it is practically a certainty that tho Aucklander would beat Haskins over a mile. To the ordinary mind it is hard to understand why Haskins was not asked to meet Hill, especially after the latter asked for permission to challengo Haskins." Praise for the Festival Committee. The "Press" correspondent then goes on to pay a well-deserved tribute to tho Festival Committee. Ho .writes:—"No one I seems to know definitely who the Festival of Empire Committee are, but this much is certain, that they are a pushing livo body, who are not getting much assistance from outside centres, the whole of the work being pushed on to their shoulders. in Auckland aro complaining that Hill was the best man to send, hut what steps have Hill's club, tho Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club, taken to see justice done tho Auckland champion? As far as can be gathered, absolutely none. Whether it is our climate, or. whether we havo been accustomed to being spoon-fed, it is hard to sny, but tho fact nevertheless remains that at present there is not enough 'go' in Auckland athletes to 'push a baby's cart.' What should- be everyone's business is nobody's. Take the case of Champion. He is an undoubted top-noteher, and a paltry .£BO was required to pay his expenses, which it is thought would havo been forthcoming in a week. However, it. was not until the energetic officials of tho Ponsonby Swimming Club took tho matter in hand that anything near the amount was forthcoming, and now, thanks to the efforts of the officials of the progressive western club, the sum required is practically assured. If tlio Auckland Amateur Athletic Club aro desirous of seeing justice done to Hill, let them be up and doing, and not finding fault with the gentlemen in Wellington, who havo worked so hard to f make it possible for Now Zealand to be represented nt all." To which very sensible remarks thero is only one thing to add—which is "Hear! Hear!" Locale of Australasian Championships. The. Council of tho N.Z.A.A.A. is to meet on Monday night, and the proceedings promise to be fraught with much interest. The weighty question of the allocation of next season's Australasian championships is to come up for settlement, and it remains to be seen whether the recommendation of tho Conference of Centres that the big meeting be given to Duncdin will be upheld. - Tho paints upon which the question -will bo, settled appear to be five:—Firstly, convenience of management (for such a meeting must bo controlled directly by the council, and cannot be delegated to a Centre to run); secondly, convenience and expense in assembling the New Zealand team; thirdly, consideration of the benefit to the sport; fourthly, the grounds available both from the athletic and the "unte" aspect: fifthly, the financial outlook. The whole matter is a weighty one, and unless the delefrates are tied by instructions from t'>e Centres, the deliberations promise to bo both lcnethy and exciting. F. Strickland, late of Votor.e, continues to show good form. In Sydney, at the Pt. Patrick Day's celebration .-prints, he was awarded SJyds. handicap in Hie 100 ' yards, and ran info second place in the final, won in 10 l-10sce, from a field of over fifty starters.