LEAGUE OF WHEELMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 104, 30 October 1933, Page 11

LEAGUE OF WHEELMEN

REPLY TO STATEMENT

ATHLETIC CENTRE'S

ATTITUDE

"In the Press Association message from Christchurch appearing in Saturday's 'Post' Mr. J. Sturrock, chairman of tho council of the newly-formed League of Wheelmen, makes use of my name and, if correctly reported, states that I mado to him the following statement: —'That the New Zealand Cycling Council was prepared to drop out and let tho league carry on,' " said Mr. A. C. Kitto, president of tho Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre, today.

-"Not being a member of that body and with no authority to speak for them, and also not knowing their views on the question, I give his statement an emphatic denial.

"As far as tho Wellington Centre, N.Z.A.A.A., is concerned, it is incorrect to say that wo.will support the league. We will place no obstacles in tho way of the cyclists here if they desire to link up with the New Zealand League of Wheelmen, and if the movement proves itself I see no reason why the league and the athletic centres should not work in harmony. Our attitude is due, not to tho belief that cycling will benefit any more than it has in the past by the now control, but to the fact that a certain number of cyclists have been continually stirring up strife and that we liavo become sick and tired of this discontent.

"For at least twenty years we have done our best for our cyclists—wo have at times given them even more consideration than our own athletes. They have had the benefit of perfect organisation, and if in the face of this they wish to break away, then, we say, why stop them!"

Mr. H. I. Austad, chairman of the New Zealand Cycling Council, also said there was positively no authority for tho statement reported from Christchurch. Apparently Mr. Kitto had been incorrectly represented.