ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1693, 8 March 1913, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

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FINANCE AND THE BASIN. We Pay Our Share. "Insinuendos" have been thrown alxiut of late ns to tho small amount of moiiey put into the Basin Reserve by the athletic people. Well, for three Saturdays this year tho sum of thirty pounds has been paid by the Centre and the Wellington Club—the only club which hns had a day meeting this year. Then again, every individual training on tlio JBasin has to pay five shillings for tho right. to use the dressing rooms, and if all this money does not go into the ground it is not the fault of tho atliA point has been urged that a sports meeting, always results in damage to tho turf. The answer to this is that a further sum 0f..£10 has to be deposited whenever a meeting is held on the Basin Reserve to cover any damage done, hut not once in the whole, history of athletics in 'Wellington has this snm been, called on. Athleticism at Easter Carnival. . Tho Easter Carnival is drawing near, but the programme of the sports section has not yet made its ' appearance, and athletes are beginning to get somewhat restive. The charge is made that all the sporting bodies in town are hot doing their, fair share towards the gathering, but tho athletic section at any. rate is willing so long as they get fair notice of what they are expected to prepare for. "Mercury" appeals to all our runners to do. their best to help to make the carnival n success. The more they, show their practical sympathy in the interests of tho city the more will they have claims to fair Slid equitable treatment in. the matter of grounds. Good Men to go to Westport. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. W. H. Pollock, this Westport Club will probably have (as attractions at the sports on Easter Monday) A. T. Duncan, J. Wiltsiii and L. M'Kay, who have intimated their willingness to make the journey- to tho Coast. ' , Here is a case in which the Council might very well allow the expenses of the men concerned to be, paid bv the . club. The sport has made, a good istart ,in ■ tho Buller district, and the presence of. three New Zealand champions would help it along in a.manner that would justify, the Council's giving the desired permission. Lo! The Poor Indian! , The San Francisco correspondent of tho "Weekly Press" lias the following to say on . tho exposure of the Indian athlete, Thorpo:— , The line between professionals and amateurs in sport is drawn very closely in the United Stated, and immediately the suggestion was made that James .Thorpe, the Indian, w'ho was tho sensation of tho Olympic Games at Stockholm last year, had three years ago played baseball for moiiey, a rigid investigation was set afoot. Within less than a week after Thorpe's amateur standing was questioned lie wrote to tho Amateur. Athletic Union, which' controls non-pro-fessional sports in America, "confessing" the truth of. the charge. In his summer vacations from school he had, ho admitted, played baseball for money, not because ho needed tho money, but because ho liked the gaine. At orico the union stripped Thorpe of his amateur standing, and' ordered the return of all prizes won by him since 1009—the' year in which he first played professional baseball. ■ All.the prizes and points won by liini tit Stockholm in behalf of the United States are forfeited. The loss of the six points gained, .by the Indian still leaves this country winner of the Olympic Game's by a wide margin, However, the total standing: United States, 79; Finland (in second place), 29 points.

The Birj Cash Meeting at Blenheim On the programme of the big professional meeting at Blenheim on St. Patrick's Day arc two events , for amateurs— li liuiidreil yards ami a furlong handicap, tlio prizes for which will lie trophies to the value of ,£5, £3, and .£2 in cacli case. To those local sprinters who arc desirous of getting' away for Easter these events should, prove the attraction which they deserve to be. Weli Done Waikariae! An amateur athletic club has been formed at AVaikanae and it is to be affiliated to.the Wellington Centre. It is rather late in the season now for the neiv club to hold a meeting, but next season there will be plenty of opportunities. Waikauae is within easy train journey of Wellington imd « Saturday aftcVnooh nipeting there would draw a large number of city- peds. Saunders in His True Form. The running of the young Southland crack-, N..G, Saunders, at the New Zealand championships. was too bad to be true, aiid his performances since returning home have boi-no this out. At the Otautau Club's evening meeting on Wednesday of last 'week lie won a 50yds. handicap in 6 l-ssec., and a 440 yds. handicap in 51 l-s?ec., both from scratch. Up here Saunders has been regarded as purely a short Sprinter, but he is evidently developing into a crack „<iuartermiler. Put a second on to his time given above (and it is not likely that the timekeepers were this much out), and it is still a very attractive performance. Dormer, as Record-smasher. Congratulations, to A. W. Dormer on his successful attempt to put up a new Australasian record for flip thousand vanis. The event in which he accomplished his 2min. 10 Msec., was a special handicap ht the Auckland A.A.C.'s 'lueetins last Saturday. Giving away big starts (up to 95yds.) he jumped olf smartly, anil running at a great bat right through, was only beatpn by a' yard for first honours by C. I!. Kobertson (Gsyds.). There were four watches on him, the times registered by each being 2min. 1G sec., 2miii. 16 2-ssec,, and 2min. 163-ssec. All conditions being complied with the slowest time will necessarily bp the one accepted. Dormer's time is within 3 Msec of the old world's record established years neo by L. E. Myers, which stood until Melvin Sheppanl lowered it .to 2miii. 11 sec. The Metier of L. J. Mark. Though Dormer's ran whs'the best single performance of the meeting the hero of the gathering was L. ,T. Mark,- who won the 100 yds. Provincial . Championship in 101-Ssee., the 300 yds.• Ladies' Bracelet from virtual scratch (syds.) in 31 4-s";ec.. and die '.UOyds. Handicap from virtual scratch (syds.) in 52 2-ssec. In the 100 yds. he nearly met with defeat through starting slowly, but coming through at a great rate in llie last '.Mlyds. Hp was level with' the leader at 95yds., nnd beat him home a yard in the last five. I'lio runner-up, ,T. J. Mulvihill, is evidently a runner of class, and after Dimcan and .Mark, probably the best hundred yards man ill the Dominion at present. In the 300vds. and quarter Mark was thoroughly extended, but the duality of liis running may be judged from (he fact that in the former event lie conceded Dormer ,2yds. and beat him. It will be a great: race when they meet at the quarter. It must bp difficult to judge attendances at Auckland meetings, for one paper estimates the gathering In-t Saturdiiy to number 3000; another gives it as 2000; whilp a third stales it was only fair, and that the club will barely cover expenses.