ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1651, 18 January 1913, Page 12

ROWING.

(By "Mercury,")

SCULL HONOURS GO BEGGING,

January 22,—Botone Regattal ' February 22,—Christchuroh: Itegatta, (Cor- ' 6air .Bay, Lyttelton), March 22.—Champion Regatta (Welling- , -ton).; • ■ ..■;.'. . . ' ..•'"■■.;•. A Gllbertlan Situation. '' Readers of this column will bo familiar with tho circumstances that have been responsible for the present tangle over tho ownership of tho title of champion sculler of Australia.' Each twist and turn of the mix-up. has been \ set forth—how when Harry 1 Pcarc© was well under' way with, his training ■ for his meeting- with. Barry in July,' he was challenged for the local titlo by "Alt" Felton, Chas. Townß, and "Jim" Paddon, and how the; defiarioo of the- first-named of this trio, being first in, and being all in order, was adjudged to bo bona-fide tinder the rules governing the holding of the,title. •■■'.: Then came Poarco's refusal to deal with the challenge in any way; despite tho fact that theso same rules make it mandatory for the champion to accept a bonafido challenge* in two months. Wo have also seen how Pearw, in the face of peiy suasion and argument, has stuck to his guns, and quietly and successfully proeroded with the raising, of his stake'moneys for his English visit, 1 and how, at the expiration of the two pionths, ho was adjudged to ■ have forfeited liis title to Felton. , All these, things havo been told :liere.,.'•■■ ■■'•''•'■ .• : i" ■'■■.'•' '•■.:•'/ .■

In-addition, tho side .issues that from time to. time have complicated the' position and have led; to the,cross challenges between Towns, Felton, and Paddon: have been duly dealt .witlf,-: 60- it ' vrill require ■; only this sliort resume of the situation ;to enablo readers to understand the new phase which the affair has assumed; as indicated by, tho cablegram- in Thursday morning's .'issue. This message reported that Felton had decided that he wanted no bloodless victory, 1 and.vthat he '.would not accent tho honour without .winning it in fair,fight. • ;" :\- x . And What.Now? r 'y ;.'.''r It ha 9 been claimed,\ according fco the cablegram, that failing Felton? acccpt : ance, the title goes past him to Towns, ho being the next in order of the original oliallcDgers. ■ '■'■.■■. > •■;.. '■■' ; ■':'. • ■■' -. Pearce .himself takes an ingenious view., Ho says, that the title reverts to him again, and .that • Towns only comes into the affair ma challenger fromrthe actual date of Felton's refusal—in fact, that his original challenge lapsed when Felton'was nc'deVtSl WtlibWf&rlJPcWstihited challenger—and that, therefore, ho, Pearce, has, two months' in which to consider. Towns.. .-'.-.'..' .•■' ..' -;■.';•.. •■' ■' ■'■ '• '• ■ However,,in,any, case.. Towns: does not call for any : consideration, for' it is ei: tromely unlikely that ho will .bo so unsportsmanlike 'as to'make a claim; at any rata... until after his forthcoming, race with Felton.: ■';.': : „;:' ;;■',. Is. there any Champion? . Tho question' at present is not quite so much '-AVho is the champion?" as "Is there any champion?" And from hero it appears as though l tho -position,were the, better defined by the second query; There can:bo no shadow of doubt that under the rules Poaroe deliberately forfeited the title.. There can: also be no doubt that tho honour fell upon Felton. ''•,'■.': 'v The point is. as to whether the>'recipient -in such a case can refuse to. take.'delivery* If not, then he is champion, willy-nilly, until,he is cither beaten for tho title or forfeits it—if ho can refuse, then the title is vacant,.' and. its : possession can only be settled in two ways—by concensus of public - opinion, always,, an ..unsatisfactory method, or by: elimination' rades amongst the' claimants., ,- : ..,'., ~',' ;, This latter course'seems'to be tho best way out of the.present .difficulty..."As it is: Felton has matches, already arranged with both,: Towns and he rows' the' former on January '25 and the latter on February 15, both races over the championship course. " At this time Pearce will have left for England—he sails on February 13—so that there will be nothing to prevent the three, settling between themselves who "is the best,man. _ When this is'decided upon, there 'will. be time for developments. Maybo then "Dick" Arnst will shy his' hat'into the ring again, but if not the winner of the elimination races can then justly ns-ume tho titlo of Australian chammon. Then in tho very unlikelv event of Pearce beating Barry, it would still be his. while, should Pearce be defeated in England, tho new and old champions could race it out between thom-to. their own pront and for the well-being of. tho sport. ,

The Regatta at Petone-and a Suggestion. '; There is every probability that local juniors and maiden* will bo afforded an opportunity for a "flutter" on ■January 22, Anniversary Day. The executive of the sailing regattn at Petono has expressed a desire to add two four-oar races to its programme.' The .events proposed aw maiden and junior' fours, both probably in clinker boah(th;s question w to be left to tho rowing cl\lb«), and a sum of iv has, been voted for each race. , : Tlw only -thin? required is the sanction of the flowing AssociatJon. and anticihated that there, will bo no. difficulty in this respect. , .... 1 * There is only one point «™»* OT * « thematter that calls for attenton. The meeting is not. a.orW* conslitufed\r(IX Snder the K.Z.A.R.A.'s rules, ind nresumably'tho races proposed are for local crews only, . , ■ , , 'Tie-question then anses as to what effect a win would have on the grading nf Hi* men encaged. It might be as well to avoid f"C argument if his nucsHon %£• / considered and decided by the local association before the actual racing. If a suggestion that would serve to ; sidesten any possible difficulty in the future would be in order from 'Mercury," he S propose that instead of the nssoda ion sanctioning "junior and maiden' nccst should pass them as "inter-cub race" for junior and maiden oarsmen - in which case the winning of eitVr event would not affect the grading-of the men concerned. ■ > What Local Crewi aro Doing. The next regatta of importance is.the CliHstolmroh meeting on February 22. With six weelts to go, local crews are faking, matters § easily-too easily in fact-considering tho undcrendablo nature of tho water. ".' ", . • The Wellington senior four, as outlined last week, has not 1 come v together yet, nml tho Star seniors are, doing, very, lit lie work. There has been one change in this orew, the bow now bo;ng W. 11. Browcr. The juniors of tins club have also undergone a change—not in Dersonuel but in arrangement. Bird, the late bow, is-now in ■the stroke seat, and Holmes has gone bow. The alteration has been made with tho idea of making the rrew's wotU more snappy—Bird's stroke being liveler than that of Holmes s. The maidens also have clinngcd since the Picton regatta-Dinglo going in as No. 2 vice Hackworth, transferred from town.