ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1587, 2 November 1912, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

IBt "Mxbotox."] DISGRUNTLED CUBS OF THE EMPIRE. The Astonishing Cold Shoulder at Home. It is eriteresting to note that Mr. Hornimari, the manager of the Australasian Olympic team is against the proposed British Empire combination for tho next Olympic Games, on the ground that tho individual units of tho Empire do not desire it. This statement will bo a somewhat unpleasant < pill for friend "Prodigal." In connection with the whole question of a combination with England, W. Murray, the Victoriau walker,' throws considerable light on the coolness between Australians and New Zealanders, and the English authorities. Ho 6ays that both Hill and he were treated with scant courtesy by the officials of ; .tho English A.A.A., and, oven though they were invited to that body's annual dinnor /)h tho night of tho chairipiorishdps, thev were put carefully in tho background; and made to listen to long diatribes against the Americans arid ;everyono else (including themselves, presumably), or .rather against their claim to be considered. ama r teurs^ Murray further states that in England, tco, a -very well-defined distinction is made between,.athletes themselves and their officials, who place themselves on h. higher plane altogether, and, strangely enough, are accepted-at. their own vaiua- ! tion.... Hill's statements are thus confirmed, and the tolo is not new. Smith ..and Simpson met with much the same treatment in 1002, and friend Wobdger could tell a few convincing- stories, on the same subject.' ; % " ■ ■ ,'~ •'.;. v "I Was Treated With Every Courtesy. .".;. Imaginable," ; " Mr. Cpombes, while noting that nearly all Australians imd New Zealanders, who have been home, make the' same coinplaint, ! expresses wonder at it,, stating: that, when Home -with the Festival of Empire team last year: ,"1. was treated with every courtesy imaginable.". • Which is all true arid easily explained. In the 'first,place, Mr. Coombes-is, ah Englishman himselfj and, in his. younger days, was a well known athlete. Secondly,: the. present -rulers! of. .the. English A.A.A. wore .his contemporaries, todsome few. of them,, ho ■'doubt,- his personal friends.. Thirdly, asa ruler of the game, Mr. Coombes has somewhat of an international representation, and as prosiderit of the Australasian AiA.IT. and a member of the International Olympic,Comioil would be. an important guest in\ athletic circles anywhere. , ■'' But How Fared Others? ' ' But there is ' no cobiparisoh "whatever between his'position, during ,a,.visit to BoglaM and that of the athletes we send Home. They are sought as "gate'' attractions, but, after the meetings, seem to be 'carefully avoided.' It is no wonder,.then; that the are against' the'proposed All Bed combination, and the great est. obstacle is the factthat an. Englishman would undoubtedly be coriimati'der-in-chief of the whole team. , A Letter Bearing on the. American \Visit. ~Very,interesting, indeed, is. the lengthy letter written to; Mr. Coombes by Mr; Urimack, of San-Francisco;-.anerit the proposed American visit to'these parts this season. .The president's proposal that the team ehould consist of five men; who, together would be ablo to cover ! ah ordinary programme, has been brought under: his notice, arid ho approves cf it. , He suggests, in the first place, Ealph E.ose aud:G. Horirie, both world's record holders, who between them would cover a big .selection of events,;. including the high' jurrip, pole valut, hop,,.'stepv and jump, hahnrier arid shot,.arid the (to us) | unusual javelin.'.thrW,;' and 561b; weight contests. If available, F.. Kelly and Hawkins are the suggestions for hurdles and sprints, and Clarence. Edmundsun and Hoenisch for middle distances. Such a, team. would, in .'addition to'b£ ing a big attraction; teach our men much of which at present-thiey are. not even aware. As an example, take this extract from;Mr.,'D'nmack's letter:—At the South London Harriers , .Sports .bri Septeriiber M,'.';W'. R.. Applegarth won a hundred yards handicap. froin scratch in lOsec; and a scratch race in 19 Msec, a world's, record. Applegarth fan exceedingly well-in the, 200 metres at Stockholm,, finishing a close third in tne final. His experience .there ' has evidently improved him, arid; on present fonn;.he is probably the best sprihtof which England has produced for,, many ii long day; not.evenexcepting.J.-W.-Morton.-The endfin'ous : dtteridarice of 30,000 gathered,at Ibrox Part, Glasgow, on thf '.occasion'of the sports .promoted, by the holders of the Scottish Football League championship.-• Among the runners were Hanries Kolehmairien (Finland),- Meredith, Sheppard, arid Lippincott (America), and'Braun (Gerinany), but none 'showed up to any great advantage, the Finn' and schoolboy Meredith being particularly, disappointing, 'both running as if stale. Sheppard ran one good race—, a heat in a.half-mile!handicap in.lmin. 56 2-sseo., and on another occasion beat Bfauri, but was. not at; his best. W. A. StewaTt won. a hundred yards ' handicap in lOsec. from 2yds. The American amateur athletio cham-, pionships were held at Pittsburg on September 21, and were productive , of some splendid performances, - though the absence pf many .of America s Olympic champions detracted somewhat from tho importance' of . the . gathering. ■ Melviri Sheppard won tho half-milo ii s lihin. 57 2-ssec, and Kiviat the mile, in 4riiin. 18 2-538 C The other:performances wero rriiles better than anything ever' seen in these quarters, but, for American cham-|. pionships, were riot so much above ' the average as to warrarit any special mention. . ,', .Probably tho. most noteworthy feature of this gathering was the appearance, of Hanries TMehmairieh, who won the five miles by a largo margin in .• 25miri. 45 2-ssec. Tho following day at Celtic! Park he won.a five miles handicap from scratch in 25inin. 9 2-ssec. From this it would appear that he' has, got, back, into something liko his best form. It is likely that Kolehmainen will have.strong inducements; to. remain .in the Hnited States, arid probably the Irish-Ariiericai and Now York A.A.C.'s will bid liigh for ■his membership. The first-named. club, if it ooiild secure him, would, without any hesitation; provide him with an Irish pedigree. Thb Carlisle Indian, James Thorpe, who created such'a sensation by.his-all-round perforhiarices at thb Olympic Gaines, set the seal on. his fame by winning the American all-round championship, securing 7470 points—nearly'7s.per,. cent:—in tho ten events, smashing Martin Sheridan's record, by nearly a hundred points. Thb English jibe, about Ainerican specialisation would seem to fall.'somewhat flat when applied to Thorpe. ; Wellington Labour Day Sports. It was unfortunate that Labour Day chine so early in the, season, otherwise ~the fields in the amateiir events on Moriday would,have been much bigger: ~A fair field turned but in the "hundred" and in the harrier event, but, in all tho others, there' were few starters. None, of the performances were of exceptional merit, but none were.dcvoid'of it, several showing promise of good things later on in the season. Of the sprinters, Hubbard irand-Duncari showed up' best, the former..: giving a gliriipse of his old forrii by, annexing the "hundred" from 4yds. in 10 2-555 c., and the latter fan a very faif race'iil tho 220 yds. Prbvincial 220 yds.' chariipibn M. Pool ran very indifferently. V, Byrne performed attractively, winning both-'the quarter arid half; . and, D. Caslunan made a valiant aueriipt to first honours in. the walk, only failing by abbiit 15yds. in 6min. 35 4-ssec.

In Brazil, at the funeral of an unmarried woman, tlib mourning colour is scarlet. . Tlie coffin, thp hearse, the trappings of tlio horse, and the livery of thp driver are all scarlet; An amendment of the Government Life Insurance.' Act was introduced in the House :of Representatives on Thursday. It pibvidos thAt\the Cttnimissioner may eniploy, canvassers and fix their remuneration. The int-cntioi is to hand over to the head of Hie Department the making of such appointments, which have now to lie made by the Government. For Children's Hacking Cough at. Night, Woods' Great Peppermint ("' "v Ift fid.*;