OPEN ORDERS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 52, 25 November 1926, Page 6

OPEN ORDERS

SPORTS COMPETITORS ABUSE PRIVILEGE “MUST PUT A STOP TO IT’’ Palmerston North, November 24. “This sort of thing lias been creeping into sport for some time past and a stop should be put to it,’ said a member of the Manawatu Athletic Subcentre at a meeting to-night of that bodv, when an account for two guineas was received from local tradesmen for goods supplied. Tlie order was an open one, given to the first Manawatu competitor to finish in the recent road race from Palmerston to Wellington, and stipulated that articles supplied should be engravable. Tabulated items on the tradesman’s account as goods supplied on the order were two nairs of socks, a pair of trousers, a Manicure set and one collar stud (value twopence). The chairman of the meeting objected to the nature of the goods purchased, in view of the fact that the order had stipulated engraving. The secretary said that a competitor in Dunedin recently had purchased a bicvcle lamp on his order, and when objection was raised bv the authorities to the nature of the article, the competitor had had his name engraved on the lamp, which he forwarded for incnection. Members recalled other local instances were competitors had purchased groceries, while it was also mentioned that in one case it had been asked what part of the value of the order be used to pay the winner’s affiliation fee One member said that the object of the stipulation for en- • gravable articles on orders was that a medal, or some other such trinket, should be obtained as the most suitable memento

The meeting agreed that a stop should be put to the sort cf thing instanced and in regard to the particular case under review, it was resolved to advise the voung man responsible that the account could not be passed as it stood.