ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1896, 3 November 1913, Page 10

ATHLETICS.

[Br, MEP.oukt.] OUR CASE WITH VICTORIA. Moral Support Here. The N.Z.A.A.A. Council has been buoyed up in its clash with tho Victorian Association over tho Australasian championship dates by the knowledge that it has the backing of its affiliated centres and the approval of tho athletic section of tlie public of tho Dominion. This moral support has been strengthened from outside sources. Australian Support. The reinforcements como from New South Wales, per medium of the week's mail, in the sbapo of favourable comment by the sporting writers in Sydney on New Zealand's attitude—or perhaps' it is more correct to say unfavourable comment on Victoria's attitude. Thus tho "Sydney. Morning Herald's" athletic writer, after a review of the situation, sums up in this wiso:— ' "There appears an easy solution of the whole difficulty. It is not too to alter tho dates of the Australasian meeting at Melbourne, which would permit of New Zealand being adequately represented. It soems altogether unreasonable for the southern delegates to expect tho Dominion authorities to sacrifice such ' an important fixture as tho visit of a team of America's best athletes, foi which it is essential that the best local men shall be available. Tho Australasian championships are run every two years, whereas our American friends provido a very Tare luxury. Tho American visit has involved tho New Zealand Association in a big financial undertaking, and tliey cannot be expected to withdraw in favour of tho Australasian meeting."

A Powerful Word For Us. This is gratifying enough, but evon moro influential support of tho local executive is forthcoming. In the "Referee," Mr'. 11. Coombcs expresses his •views in no uncertain terms, and it will be seen that theso views aro totally and Wholly adverso to the Victorian, attitude. Mr. Coombes, as president of tho A.A.U.. of Australasia, is peculiarly fitted to.speak on tho subject, as the union's championship is so immediately concorn'ed in the issue, and his utterances must carry weight among the Stato associations. Inter alia, ho says

Commenting on the Victorian attitude, "Mercury," of The Dominion (Wellington), ■ says:—"lt is tantamount to saying, 'If Victoria cannot havo the Now 'Zealandcrs, thon the Neiv Zealandcrs cannot liavo the Americans.' " On the other sido. "Harrier," of tho "Australasian, writes"ln effect, New Zealand says: 'AVe havo 110 intention of keeping our contract, but expect you to keep i" i

yours. » TJio position, as I said last week, is as regrettable as it' is unforeseen. But if the matter is approached in a dignified manner, ami with eacli side in earnest in thoir efforts to: get out of the cul-de-sac into which circumstances have driven tliem, I think it easily possible for the steps to be retraced. But I must reiterate what I havo said about the guarantors to the American tour fund. No matter what the happening, it is "unthinkable that Victoria should withdraw from a pledged agreement. There is no parallel in the cases of the Australasian championships and tho American tour. For a State or the Dominion to be represented at an Australasian championship meeting there is nothing more than a moral obligation, certainly no contract, although it is true " that non-representation carries a line of £5. On the other hand (continues Mr. Coombes, in a splendid paragraph), a groat nation is sending a team to these shores at the invitation cif tho governing body of Australasia, and a portion of the expenses of this tour has been guaranteed by Victoria, and, no matter what our internal troubles, there must be 110 semblauco of affront to tho United States of America. Our visitors cannot be, as it were, held up as a sort of pawn on the chessboard in con-, nection witli a dispute of a local character. Such would bo unthinkable — .something that should bo impossible. Why Not Re-sliufHe the Cards? There is'much food for thought for tho Victorian athletic legislators in tho above extracts, which, of course, would havo reached them long before the mail arrived here. They form as complete an answer as could bo desired to tho attempt of the Victorians to : secure the co-operation of New South Wales in withdrawing from the American visit guarantee. Our Victorian friends must surely by now realise that they are not only playing a lone hand, but that the hand is a very poor one to play. Wfeeroforo, "Jlorcuri," U

yinced that, they will ask for a fresh deal. He will be very surprised if the New Zealand Council is not shortly ad■visetl that if the Stato associations are willing to keep their teams in Melbourne long enough to permit of the Australasian meeting being held oil two Saturday afternoons, the dates, will bo put forward to lato in February, in accordance with New Zealand's original request. So mote it be. I Dormer at his Best. Labour Day was. celebrated in Auckland with a big athletic carnival in the Domain, at which a crowd estimated at '13,000 was present-. The chief item of interest in tho amateur events was tho very fine running of New Zealand champion A. Dormer, whose good form this season has already been commented upon in this column. Starting from scratch in tho half-mile, ho ran out an easy winner in lmin. 58 1-oscc., thus tying the New Zealand record, standing to tho credit of Hector Burk and himself, a performance lie could havo materially improved upon had lie been pushed along in his race. Later in the afternoon ho evinced a good deal of sprinting ability by winning tho 300 yards handicap off the four yards mark in 31 3-ssec., a time that would give liis scratch man but littlo chance. Neville Kill Retires. Apropos of the Auckland champion, it is now definitely reported that his team mate and rival, Nevillo Hill, will not do any running this season. "Mercury" was in Auckland some weeks ago, and then Hill was doing some preparatory track work,' v and in tho absence of any definite reason for his retirement, it is to be presumed that the Australasian ono and threo miles champion was not satisfied with his preliminary efforts to strike form. Hill will bo missed when tho Americans are here. Idea of American Form.

Somo American performances of noto chronicled in the "Referee's" American letter wore crowded out of last Saturday's column. Two of tlie men referred to aro probable members of the American tour'ning party for Australasia, so tho events possess peculiar interest for us just now. _ One of tho twain, J. A. Powers, mentioned by Mr. Umnack as definitely selected for tour, won a niilo at Montreal on September '20 in 4min. 23 4-Ssee., and the other, T. J. Halpin, on the same day, won the "quarter" and half-mile, the former in 49sec. flat, and tho latter in 2min. Halpin was also responsiblo for a fine performance just previously at Toronto, when he figured prominently in a- great "quarter" won by Ted Meredith, of the University of Pennsylvania, in the astonishing time of 47 1-5 seconds. Halpin was second, beaten by s}x iucres. Tho distance was run bailway round a lialf-mile track, aud is tho fastest clocking registered over a curved course. Tho best quarter on record is M. Long's 47sec. for straight-away traClC - - . • , Kf At the same meeting at which Moredit ran his phenomenal 440 yds., a fel-low-Univorsity student, D. Lippincott, distinguished himself by running tho 100 yds. in 9 3-osec., thus equalling the world's amateur record. Another oxample of American athletic prowess is to hand, in the news that P. Ryan, of the Irish-American A.A.C., has established a now world's figures for the 101b. hammer throw. Tho previous best was held by the redoubtable Matt. M'Grath, at 187 ft. 4in., but this has been replaced by Ityaii s new throw of lS9ft. GJiu. Obit.: A Croat Shot-Puttor. Whilo on tho subject of American "weight" men, "Mercury" lias to chronicle a sad event in tbo death, from typhoid fever, on October 19,'0f Ralph llose, the great shot-putter of the Olympic Club, Sau Francisco. Roso was in bis twenty-ninth year,. and was a giant in 'Statuto, standing just over Gft. sin. in height, and 20 stono. The writer bas a very distinct recollection of a description. of tho young Amorican giant given by Harry Kerr, on the lattor's return from tho 1903 Olympic Games. Our walker related how in the shot-putting event lloso stood at the "pit" and nonchalantly tossed tbo , weight back to each competitor with an underhand throw until bis own turn caino along. Then he heaved out to 46ft. 7-Jin., which, though quite a bagatelle for him, was 'sufficient to win tho event for America. His records _ would fill a column, but his best will serve. In 1909, from a soven-foot circle, bo threw the 161b. shot out to 51ft. > At tho last Olympiad at Stockholm he won the 10ib. putt (both hands), and was second in the samo event with one hand.

L. Mackay Recovering. Tho indisposition of Len. Mackay was referred to last week, and now "Mercury" is glad to report favourably on 'tho condition of our popular polc-vault-er. Ho is at present making a very ■ satisfactory recovery in a privato hospital from an operation performed last Friday, and expects in a week or two to bo up and doing again.