ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1461, 8 June 1912, Page 3

ROWING.

. - ? ■ — [Br "Mercury."] UPROARS-A NUMBER OF THEM. July 5 ami G-ITenley Royal Regatta. July 18 and 19—Kowinir Events, Filth Olympiad, at Stockholm. July 29.—World's Championship; Arnst v. Barry, tho Thames. > "All Out of Step But Johnny." Tliat very vexed matter—the amaicnr definition as applied to rowing men—has been brought very much to the t'oro by recent events. It was brought right to our door—in fact right over tho threshold into our midst—by an important decision of the Nov Zealand Rowing Association at its special meeting last Saturday night. . . A motion was brought down having tor its intent the alteration of tho present New Zealand amateur definition to bring it into line with tho definitions obtaining in Australia and tho Old World, so that, should occasion arise, our oarsmen should bo entitled to compete in "internationals with tho Australian States, and at tho Olympic Games. This, at present, they aro debarred from doing-the principal obstacle beiug tho fact that our code permits of tho competing as amateur oarsmen of professionals in other branches ot sport. lit The matter was brought to a head last year by the rejection of tho entry of 0. E. Stone, tho New Zealand champion sculler, for tho Australian Sculling Championship by the New South Wales authorities, because Stone had at ono time been a professional runner. Ho had, m fact, won New Zealand championships prior to his reinstatement as on'amateur athlete, in doing which ho was quite in accordance with the New Zealand rules. This lenicucy of tho Now Zealand code, and also the fact that at our regattas the crews compete for money notwithstanding that such money prizes aro not participated in by the oarsman winning them, is held in Australia to bo an effectual bar to competition by New Zealand crews in inter-State races in the Commonwealth. This latter aspect of the question is not considered insurmountable, and was not entered into in Saturday's discussion— the question was fought, on the first issue. The opposition to the alteration suggested was surprisingly strong—the Auckland, .Canterbury, and Southland delegates all attending with instructions from their centres to oppose_ it. This was more than sufficient to defeat the motion, so the position is that, for the present at least, our oarsmen must paddle their own canoes amongst themselves, and not aspire to honours oversea. That this is not as it should bo there can be no gainsaying. It is not for tho "ood of the sport, however much the conditions that led up to. the position may be for tho present individual good ot the various rowing clubs. Independence is a good thing-m reason —but vhen a policy of glorious isolation places the independent party in the position of ""the volunteer on parade who gave his doting old mother reason to (X-'iaim. "They're all out of step but Johnny, «t is time something was dono about it. Now, What is the Best Thing to Do? The question is, what is best to he dene? Tho Council of the N.Z.A.R.A.-or rather the associations it represents—say nothing." But is this so? Is it not tetter that some of tho New Zealand clubs should lose a few of their members than that the whole of our oarsmen should oe debarred from taking their plaeo with their fellows of other countries? Is it not better that our crews should enjoy the same privileges as our amateur Ixxers, our tennis players, our athletes, our footballers, in being able to test their skill against the elect of other nations, than that wo should potter along in our own back yard, absolutely barred from play'ing in any one else's, and, moreover, without being able to invite our neighbours to come and play in ours? Is it not better in fact that we should do a liitle harm to do a great gcod—that wo should look at' the years to come and consider the great body of oarsmen of the futuro at the expense of a very few. of these r.f the present? Is it npt better'in fact that we should refuse to be choked by our parochialism and swallow our insular jride, if by so doing wo can place the rowing of the Dominion on the same standard of merit in the eyes of tho world as has teen attained by our footballers and e.ihletes for their sports? Is the cause not woith the sacrifice and after all is the sacrifice so great? It is one that would lie felt less year by year, and as the now conditions regulated themselves it would disappear entirely. Even at present it is debatable whether it would have any appreciable result on the sport as a whole, and after all the sport is the thing. When tho question is raised again—and it is devoutly to be hoped that it will bo raiised again—and shortly, "Mercury" v;ould suggest that before it comes up for discussion the Council of the N.Z.A.R.A. circularise the associations asking them to ascertain exactly how many club members would bo affected by a rule as proposed—that is how many of each club's members rowing as amateurs are rated as professbnals in other sports. Such a measure would enable the c uncil to estimate the exact cost it would have to pay for tho undoubted benefits entailed, and "Mercury" ventures to prophesy that tho cost would be found to* be surprisingly small.

Henley and a Policeman, Going farther afield, the amateur trouble has been raised in Australia by a -cablegram received pn Sydney last week, running as under:— London, Wednesday. The Australian eight-oar crew bound to Stockholm to compete in. tho Olympic Games will row at lfcnloy Regatta, provided that the amateur status of 11. Hauenstein, one of tho crew, is confirmed by the Henley authorities. Tho oarsman referred to is a member of tho leichardt R.C., and is a police constable, and the point at issue apparently is whether, under tho Henley regulations, ho is not excluded on account of his profession. These regulations, which to our eyes are extremely conservative and nonsensical, not to say snobbish, debar all artisans and wage-earners, but it should bo understood that they are peculiar to Henley, and have no bearing whatsoever on what is written above. The Policeman's Trouble—A Rather Big One, Naturally tho cablegram caused a stir in Sydney rowing circles. Mr. Nash, tho president of the N.S.W. A.K.A., was interviewed upon tho.question by a Sydney "Sun" representative, and is reported as taking tho matter rather philosophically. "Of course tho Stockholm events are not affected," he said, "for Hauenstein, like every other member of the crew, conforms to the amateur definition as laid down by the international authorities. As far as Henley-on-Thames is concerned, if we send a team into their part of the British Dominions wo must conform to their rules. There are three or four points of difference between our amateur definition and theirs, which really includes a class rating. I think that the committee there is bound to administer the rules as they stand, unless representations have been made to them, and unless there is some way in which an exception can be made in spe'eial cases. It is a moot point in a case liko that which has been challenged by the Henley Committee whether certain non could row in their events, though our men are all good amateurs, according to our definition and tho international rules." "Very narrow," was tho comment offered by Mr." John M'Gregor, another official of tha A.R.A. in New South Wales, upon the action of tho Henley-on-Thames authorities. Tho Policeman Has Been Laid rn the Altar, Wo nave since learnt that the entry of tho Australian eight, has been accepted by the Henley executive, so apparently either Hauenstein has been sacrificed or else tho mutter has been arranged so that ho can row. In any caso the incident will not tend to make for cordiality between the Australian and English oarsmen. Arnst's New Boat-"Thc Squatter." We have been advis'd by cable that "Dick" Arnst's new boat has been shipped ' to him, and is named "The Squatter." This is the craft that being built for the champion by George Towns, from fund* ruined by public subscription. She has be?n specially designed for the strong following current on the Thames cruise, and her dimensions arci-Weighl, :'Slb.; ]cn"t:h, •JSff.'i ''cam. I- Mill.; depth (ceiitrn), Kill.; depth (bowl. t-Jin.; depth I iaft), 4Hii.; rigger spread, 4ft. I'lin.; - fijirln. Jfia,