FESTIVAL OF EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1149, 9 June 1911, Page 7

FESTIVAL OF EMPIRE

SPORTS COMMITTEE,

IF WE CAPTURE THE TROPHY?

A meeting of : tUo festival of Empire Sports Committee was hold last evening, Mr. A. Jlarryatt presiding. Other members present pere: Messrs. B. P. llauna, J. H. Pollock, (a. b. Hill, A. W. Smith, and B. A. Guise. The New Zealand Lawn Tenms Association wrote protesting against being struck out of the list ot events at the festival of Empire, and enclosing five guineas .towards the expenses of the New /.ealaucl team. "\frThe chairman reported that mt. Coombes, manager of the Australasian team, had protested to the ainhonties at the request of the Australasian Committee, and hoped to get tenms reinstated. llnskins and A\oodger bath wroU, icnortin? themselves 111 good condition. Champion had cabled his safe arrnal m "sceKtary reported the receipt of ,£23G 4s. 2d. as subsidy from the bovernment, and said there was another £1 os Bd. to come from the same source, lie had cabled ,£'>oo to Mr. Coombes, and there was left a balau.-o of .i-lo lbs. -,d. "\Vith small amounts still to come 111 it was estimated that <£200 would lit collected. This would carry a Government subsidy of <£ for £■ Custody of the Trophy. The question of the custody of (he Festival of .Empire shield in the event ot its being won by the Australasian team was further discussed. Jlr. b. r>. Hill had moved at a previous meeting that the following recommendations be matte to the Australasian Committee:— 1. That the question of determining n is to whether New South A\ales, \ ictoria, or New Zealand shall first have the custody of the trophy shall be decided in manner following:—Points shall be awarded for positions secured by the representatives in each event, and shall count three for first, two for second, and one for. third. In event of a tie in points lots be drawn in the presence of selected representatives of each of the places above mentioned, such decision to be arrived at in England within seven days after the completion of the contest. 2. The shield, after coming into the possession of tho manager of the team, shall thereupon lie handed over to the authorised representative of the State or country entitled to it by virtue of the decision arrived at, but before doing the manager shall take out such policy or policies of fire, marine and other insurance in his name on behalf of the Australian and New Zealand joint committee. 3. The shield shall bo publicly exhibited firstly, in the State or country securing the decision of award for a periotl of twenty-one days, and secondly in each of the other two places for a like period. 4. The shield shall immediately afterwards be returned to the Satte or country entitled to its possession, there to await competition in manner provided for in rules anil regulations to be hereafter agreed upon between the New Zealand anil Australian joint committee. No action, however, was then taken, the matter being deferred. At: last night's meeting, Jlr. Hill asked whether anything had .since been done in tho matter. Tho chairman said Hint the secretary "f the Australasian Committee (jlr. Marks) had been unwell, and no further rmnmuuications had pas.-ed. He thought that as the snorts meeting was nou-%0 close it would be better to wait until it was over. -Mr Hill still thought the rjtio=: ton ought fo be settlrd at once. To postpone it until after the meeting would not lie doing the lair thing by New Zealand. The Australasian team might not win the trophy, but they should l>? prepared for such a contingency. The committee should also remember that tliov had a duty to the As Iho ropre seniative of one association (swimming) on Iho committee, he declared that iho question ought to be settled at once. He knew that the rommiti'-e considered itself affiliated to the Australasian Amateur Athletic Union, but the New Zealand Swimming Association was not

j affiliated to the Australasian Swimming I Union.

Jt was pointed out lli.it Mr. SI arks had said that each of the Ihres bodies represented on the Australasian CommittM.--Victoria, New .South Wale?, and New Zealand—would have a voice in settling the disposal of the trophy. The chairman .--aid he sympathised with Mr. Hill, hut thought that as each ol the three. States would have an equal voice in the decision it was a mistake to Miy that Australia would have two votes to New Zealand's one. New South Wales and Victoria were foparale fiitities, and would not necessarily vole together. They need not have another Festival of Kmpire programme her: to decide it. 'L'heic was an Australasian amateur ohainpionship meeting, and it tennis championship meeting, .and (lie swimming could be arranged. The custody of the trophy could be dseided on that bitsis.

-Mr. Kecsing said New Zealand eonld not bo adequately represented at a general spori's meeting. Jlr. Pollock thought the Australasian Committer should bt: given to understand that the New Zealand Committee held that (he dispos.-il of the trophy (if won for Australasia) should be settled at a meeting in which the three. constituent bodies would have equal voting powers. Jlr. Hill said he would agree to this. All he desired in brineing up the matter was to protect. New Zealand's interests.

The following resolution was carried:— "That, in the event of the trophy being won by the Australasian team, a conference 1;? held o( representatives of the Festival of Emnire Committees (New South Wale,*, Victoria, ami New Zeahnd), each having equal voting power, to decide future allocation and competitions for the trophy.