ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1705, 24 March 1913, Page 10

ROWING.

THE DOMINION ASSOCIATION. SPECIAL MEETING. STATUS AND OTHER QUESTIONS. A. special meeting of delegates to theNew Zealand- Itowmg Association -was held on Saturday night to deal witli applications for reinstatement and to consider ccrtain proposed. additions to the rules, ilr. A. S. Biss presided, and tho following delegates were present ■—Wellington: Messrs. B. A. Marris, J. J!. Widdop, and IX K. Menzies; Southland: Mr. 11.I 1 . H. G. Galviii; Nelson.: .Mr. A. D. Bayfield; 'Wanganui: Messrs. A. Gray and Geo. Lauchlan; Canterbury: Messrs. F. D. Kesteven and M. S. Gentles; Otago, Mr. E. W. M'Villy; Auckland: Messrs. It. J. Mason, E. lnnes, and E. Coghlan; and Marlborough: Mr. J. 11. Morrison. The Hon. 11. 1). Bell apologised for absence. An application ' for" reinstatement was received from i\. A. Christenseu (Union Club, Wanganui). In consequence of ail opinion given by the council in November, 1910, in answer to an abstract question, Christenseu was deemed to be a professional as he had built a boat and sold it to one of the clubs. Ho immediately resigned, and is now a resident of New Plymouth. His application, for incut was recommended by tho AVaiigaaui Association. Mr. A. Gray explained to tho meeting that the AVanganui Association was convinced that Cliristensen's infringement was purely a technical one, and was anxious that the stain of professional should be removed from his name. None of tho AVanganui clubs -would benefit by his ns instatement, as Christensen was now living iu New Plymouth.The reinstatement was agreed to. T. Davis (North Shore, Auckland) also applied for reinstatement. He had started in a professional handicap at Wanganai and had gone to the post for another professional handicap. This application was not recommended by the Auckland Association, -and was stroifgly opposed by delegates. Eventually it "was unanimously rejected. The chairman congratulated the meeting or tho unanimity snown in dealing witli the matter. Ho was rather surprised .it the North Shore Club sending on an application in n case where there had been such a flagrant breach of tho' "amateur" rule. .. ' . ■

In consequence of a statement made by one of the Auckland delegates, it was suggested that the. secretary of the North Hhore Club should be censured, but after brief discussion tho matter was allowed •to drop. . Mr. Morrison said ho had been instructed by iiis association to bring nnder tho notice of delegates. what appeared to be a breach of the spirit Of .rule. 10—the caso of an oarsman rowing for a crew outside his own district. Asked as'to'whether he referred to a member of the Wellington Eowing Club's crew, he replied in 'the affirmative. The. chairman advised that notice of motion should be given to have tho question dealt with at'tlio next annual meeting. ■ The Southland Association- gavo notice (through Mr. Galviii) that it was desirable to have the weight limit reintroduced in clinker boats. Mr. Mason (Auckland) gave notico of motion in the direction of'establishing interprovincittl championships in place of the. present system' of . club championships. The main business of .the meeting was to consider a proposed alteration to the "definition of an amateur." At present the rub defines an amateur oarsman oi sculler as olio who—

(a) lias never entered or competed for a stake or money prize, staked bet, or declared wager. Tho council desired to add .to this the following .words: "In any branch of amitotic shorts." Mr. A. D. Bayfield, who moved the motion, briefly explained the council's objects in desiring tho change—(l) To prevent any. professional'from competing in rowing events in tho Dominion; (2) to bring the rules into lino with those of other bodies; (3) to enable our crews to take part in classio events iu Australia and to compete against tho English crew jdien they came out; and (4) to permit Oi a New Zealand crew being sent to tho Olympic Games when, wo had tlio right men. ,

,Mr., Jleuzies seconded tho motion, end explained that it was not'intended to bt." retrospective, but merely preventive. Mr. Kesteven .(Canterbury) strongly opposed the motion, which, lie Said would do an incalculable amount of harm to many of the clubs, who had th.en loyal supporters of amateur rowing. The rulo might bo all right in other countries, but would not work here. He was of opinion, tliab they should not worry about racing in Australia, but rather foster tho sport here. • ill'. Gray (Wenganui) also objected to tho motion. He know of one club that' would s be completely wiped out . if tho motion were carried. It was tlrango that this of professionalism was only raised in Australia after .one of our ciews had defeated them. ' ; Mr. Mason (Auckland) said lio liad been instructed to vote against tho motion becauso of tho fact that it would completely cripple some of tho clubs in his district. He pointed out that Australia had been anything but consistent in dealing with the amateur question, and laid reinstated more than one godd oarsman from Now Zealand for (lio purpose of giving him a. seat in an Australian, crew. ■_ ' Mr. M'Villy (Otagp) and Mr. Galvin (Southland) both spoke in favour of tho motion, but regretted that they had to carry out instructions, and vote against it. •' ' .

Mr. Morrison (Marlborough) spoke in favour of tho motion. The chairman, who was asked for ; liis opinion, considered that delegates 6hculd first look into the question of how the change was going to affect rowing locally rather, than-how it was going to affect crews going to Australia. It seemed as if tho effect would be serious on our club membership and finances, while tho change was not Tcally necessary to preserve the amateur spirit in our rowing. The motion, on being put to the meeting was lost by 15 votes to' five. Several other notices of motion, which dealt with amendmonts to the rules, and which depended on the previous motion being carried were withdrawn.