ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1889, 18 October 1913, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

LBt Mhecpbt.l

HIQH-HANDED BPORTB BODY,

Vlotorla'a Ultimatum. A very regrettable situation lias arisen botwoon Iho Victorian and the New Zealand Amateur Athletio Associations in regard to tho Australasian championships. The latest development has brought previously strained relations to breaking point. It arrived on Monday last, in the shape of a cablegram from tlie Victorian executive, reading as follows: —

I "Council absolutely unanimous; regret cannot remit American moneys until assured that you [Now Zealand] will be properly represented in January [at the Australasian championships on January 24 and 26]. The "American moneys" referred to means the £160, whioh the Victorians pledged themselves to find as their moiety of the expenses of the American tour. At the Pistol's Mouth. A special meeting of the council was held on Tuesday to consider this, and it oan be readily understood that muoh amazement was expressed at the attitude taken up by the Victorian Association. , This attitudo must be desoribed as extraordinary. In faot. It is an absolute "hold up." The N.Z.A.A.A. koldß the V.A.A.A.'s written pledge to find £150 for the American tour, but apparently this pledge is to bo jettisoned unless the New Zoaland body allows itself to be dragooned into lino in an affair quite extraneous to and apart from the matter of the American visit. Our Shot In Return. No association oould allow itself to bo browbeaten in this fashion, so tho outcome of Tuesday's deliberation was obvious from the outset. In short, it was decided to "call" Victoria's "hand," and to out the State Association out of the American tour entirely, but without prejudioo to the binding nature of the £150 guarantee. This decision has been conveyed In the following cablegram:— "Cannot guarantee representation. If forced, will finance Americans without Viotoria._ Still regard your contract as binding." What Will Happon Now 7 This naturally will havo its effect on the financial aspect of tho American tour, but so much did membors of the oouncil feel it obligatory to oarry tho matter through, now that it has gone so far, that they are prepared to face inoreased monetary strain—even at the risk of personal sacrifice. Whother or not Victoria will be content to leave matters as they Btand at present, and carry on without either tho "Americans or the New Zealanders, or whether she will find, on reconsideration of the position, that the difficulty about the ohampionship dates iB not insurmountable, is in the lap of the Fates. Of one thing, however, there is little doubt — her athletio administrators have done nothing to advanco the cause of amateur athleticism in Australasia by this stylo of oversea polioy. A Brain Wave from Otogo. Before finishing with tho matter of the Dominion's representation In Australia, "Mercury" has to refer to a very excellent suggestion emanating from tho Otago Centre. This is to the effect that' if tho New Zealand team bo not sent to Melbourne, tho funds, oi 1 a portion thereof, that would hayo been spent for the trip, bo used in sending h. small team or our best athletes through the Dominion with our American visitors. This would secure a certain amount of competition at every meeting and tho educational result that would accrue to the New Zealand party through their constant association with tho visitors in their training, etc., would be immense in its value. Tho knowledge thus acquired would bo passed on to their comrades by our men, and so tho good seed would bo spread. The idea anpears to bo well worthy of the earnest consideration. Mr. Unmaok and His Stars. The last American mail_ brought a letter from Mr. Unmack in San Francisco, reporting progress o& to the work of selection of the visiting party. Inter alia, ho writes:— "At the present time we have our distance man sure of going, and you will bo delighted with Jimmy Power, of the Boston Athletio Association. To my mind he is one of the greatest milera in the country to-day, and is only coming into his prime. Ho has beaten euch milers as Tabor and Kiviatt more than once in the last few months, and lias beaten such a world-famous hnlfmiler as Melvin SheppaTd. "Ho hns done 4min. 18 4-sseo for the mile, and tolls me that in practice ho has got down to 4min. 15seo. He has done lmin. 57sec. for the half-mile, and Omin. 93sec. for tlio two miles. He has never done much work for more than one mile, but thinks he can pot down to 9min. 25seo. without trouble for tho two miles for the present tour. He is a fltar of unlimited and one of the greatest men this country could send you. " 'Rio' Temploton, of Stanford University, and the Olympio Club of this city, has been selected as the all-round man of the team. Ho will be my mainstay in the hurdles. He is not the best hurdler in tho country in the matter of times, but as an exponent of form he is one of the best. Ho has done 15 2-ssec. for tho Bft. Gin. hurdles, and you will find that he will get 16 seconds or under every time ho_ starts. I think you will admit that this is good, and that your men will have to go to beat him. Ho is a wonderful boy over short-distance hurdle races, and at present holds the world's record for 75 yards low hurdles in 9sec. Besides his hurdling he is a wonderful nole vaulter, and a pro at high jumper. He is better than 12ft. with the pole, and has done Oft. 2}in. in the high jump. (Australasian records respectively, lift, ljin., and Gft. 1 8-lGin.—"Mercury.") Ho is also good for 22ft. in tho broad junw. can throw the javelin and has done 146 feet wjth the spear, and can also-outer for a fow standing jumps and other such events." Interest In tho Tour, As evidencing the interest which the tour is causing in America, Mr. Unmack also sends a copy of the San Francisco "Call," which prints a full-length picture of Tempjeton, the actual figure being eighteen inches in length, under a big 3-inch head-line. "Stanford Boy Who Has Been Named to Invado Australia." The American manager also reports that ho has engaged Dorths for tho team, which sails on November 12, and arrives hero on December 3. During the week tho local council sond Mr. Unmack a sum of £100 for initial expenses, so it may be safely said now that tlie tour is an absoluto certainty.