ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1545, 14 September 1912, Page 12

ROWING.

[Bi "Merourt."] SAD NIGHT AT THE PICTURES, Is the Old Giant Dreaming? The only fresh development of the championship sculling sitaation during tho week has been Arnst'e very cxtravngant offer to Barry for a race on the l'arramatta. The offer was for expenses and a guarantee of between .£SOO and .CfiOO ris the champion's eharo of the steamer,; money—in , all with the etnkenione.Vj something over £1500. ■I This'- 1 is tnlkinpf'ih'ibi^' , figtl«s:and one rather' "wonders how the wherewithal could be found. "Master Dick" must place a. whole lot of faith in his good standing with hig backers and the Sydney public, if lie meant the offer to be taken seriously. However, it is unlikely that the matter of raising the wind will ever arise, as Barry is showing no inclination to depart from his declared attitude of defending his title upon the Thames, and there only—luro the charmer never so wisely..

A Night at the Pictures—The Melancholy Story. , • - v During the week moving pictures of the 'recent championship race have been showing in town. Barry's clean sculling and excellent watermanship are very well displayed and are set off by the contrast with Arnsfs very evident discomfort in the rough water in the latter stages of tho race. And the pictures show the water as veryrough indeed. The jobble was not just tho ight lumpinesi which is generally characterised as bad sculiiug water, but a decided "seaway"—such water in fact as to cause a local oarsman who was present to ejaculate: "Why, I wouldn't let a 'four' out in that!" The worst patch appeared to come- at about the 3-mile post, and here it was i that the race was won and lost. To Barry the broken water seemed all in tho day's work—his shell just danced over the jobble—but to Arnst, obviously tired as he was, it was fatal. His boat lost its run and he appeared to simply lug it along with the only possible result that he lost pace and his lead. This is tho story of the raco as told by the pictures, and if the wnter conditions, as depicted, arc the usual thing, there is no wonder that Barry, with his life-time experience of them, considers tho Thames course worth ten lengths to him. Mr. Bay field's Circular to New Zealand Clubs, Follo.wing upon a suggestion emanating from this column, Mr. Bayfield, honorary secretary of the N.Z.A.E.A., is circularising the rowing clubs throughout tho Dominion asking for a return of tho number of their .members who, although rowing as, amateurs, havo broken their status as regards other sports. Mr. Bayfield's object is to ascertain exactly how many of onr oarsmen would be affected should the association resolvo to fall into line with the amateur definition obtaining in Australia and tho Old World, and alter onr present system 60 that no one would be able to row as an amateur unless he was an amateur in all sports. The Sort of Thing Which Progressive Men Have to Fight. It will bo remembered that it was this aspect of tho proposed alteration that ha.s been put forward most emphatically by its opponents. For example, to quote the minutes of the special mooting of tho association at which tho matter was discussed last season. Mr. Kesteven, Canterbury, considered the present definition quite pure and sufficient. In Akaroa, for instance, littlo sports meetings, such us bicycle race?,.were held at different times of the year for small money prizes, nnd it would be unfair to debar men who coinpcti-d in thosp events merely for their amusement from competing as amateur oavsiiien. Mr. Chambers endorsed Mr. Knstoyon's remarks nnd was stronsly against any iitloratiiyi to (he dMinilioii being made. Hn I'niif.idcrerl Hint if it was made narrower the membership of clubs would bo (rrently reduced and competition at I'Qgntlas lilso. Surely this is parochialism vim mad. That it should bo argued at all that tho whole prestige and welfare nf New Zealand rowing should bo stultified, as it is at prtwnt, -in order that a club hern and them might not loso n few members seems absurd, but. that such an argument should bo put forward by those to whom tho management and control of our sport has been interested seems inconceivable. ' However, Mr. Bayfield's circular should result in showing just how manv men will be affected, and "Mercury" ventures to prophesy that their numbers will be so small as to render this objection null and void.