SCRAP BOOK JOTTINGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 2, 25 September 1937, Page 18

SCRAP BOOK JOTTINGS

— _ — » • INTERESTING NEWS ITEMS Amusement Tax. It should be interesting to discover at the" end. of the Springbok tour how * much the Government has received in the amusement tax charge on gates for the various matches. At the first Test the amusement tax amounted to £929. Spring-heeled Crieketers. New Zealand's touring crieketers were a spring-heeled lot in the field, commented an English critic. They seemed to pounce on to a ball, and their fingers were as clinging as tpitacles. When Page dived to a cut from Croom, in the match with Warwirkshire, he revolved in the air, and, falling on his back, held the ball aloft in one hand. Springboks and the Ball. In their matches in New fcealand, the Springboks have consistently asked for new balls for each match, and the requests have been granted. An unusual feature is that Brand initials each of the balls in a matph in which he takes part; . hence, there is usually a rush by souvenir htmters at the end of these games. / Rugby Union Tn Australia, .Writing to a friend in Auckland, S. J. Malcolm, a former Australian Rugby half-back, and- captain, says that the game will be much strohger in Australia next year as a result of the Springboks' visit, newcomers of quality having forged to the front during the season. The All Black team which to- 3 Australia next year is therefore likely to encounter stiff opposition, more especially as every Australian player will be fighting for his place in the side which will yisit Great Britain in 1939. Crawford Not Retiring. Rumours that J. H. Crawford, tlie famous Australian amateur lawn tennis champion and Davis Cup player, has contemplated retirement, have been denied by his wife. "He is only 29, and has completely recovered frpm the illness which he contracted in England," she states. "His physical condition is now splendid, and he is looking forward to defending his title in the New South Wales championship in November." Australian Rugby League. ' Although some writers stated during the winter that the Rugby League standard was as good as ever, the League would like to be convineed that the public indicated it had this view by the attendances causing iriore bulky gate receipts, says an Australian writer. Everything points to some restlessness by the controlling body. Now a suggestion is made to have an international tourney with France and New Zealand competing, if the former proves up to standard against the Kangaroos. With the Australians meeting either of the visitors there should be a good gathering, but twc foreigners will hardly attract. Long Service to Swimming. Wishing to commmorate the long and splendid service given to swimming by its late president, Mr. W. E. D. Bishop, of Christchurch, the council of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association has suggested to the various district centres that his namb should he perpetuated through a trophy or some other means. The Otago Centre has proposed that a challenge trophy, in memory of- Mr. Bishop, should be awarded for the 100 yards men's championship of New Zealand, generally regarded as the chief event of Dominion swimming. Strickland Helped. Perhaps you would like to know why my manager, Ted Broadribb, and I were so anxious to have Maurice Strickland help me with my training in America, wrote Tommy Farr, the Welsh heavyweight, just prior to hfs recent matcb with Joe Louis for the American championship. We have made a pretty close study of all the films of Louis in action and we both hold the opinion that Strickland's boxing style is as near to the coloured champion's as makes no difference. With the New Zealander as a sparring partner it is not unreasonable to suppose that I may find a counter "to some, if not all, of the moves of Joe Louis. I am r-tisfied that if it is humanly possible for a native heavyweight to give the world -championship back to Great Britain, Maurice Strickland will help with hands and head. Great Girl Swimmer. 5 Miss Ragnhild Hveger, Denmark's conquering young mermaid, who broke two world's records recently, is probably the greatest girl swimmer of all time. Virtually unknown until last year, Miss Hveger, who is 16, has not only placed to her credit an amazing string of world free-style records, but has defeated in competition nearly all of Holland's famous stars who triumphed at the Olympic Games in Berlin last year. When she established her extraordinary time of 2m. 41.3s- for' .200 metrcs ••backstroke, eclipsing Mrs. Eleanor Holm Jarrctt's listed. world record of 2m. 48.7s., earlier this year, the Danish girl conclusively took the measure of Miss Nida Senff, Dutch "Olympic swimming champion. Great Swimming Feat. An outstanding natatorial feat was that of legless swimmer Charles Zimmy, of the United States, who on August 30 completed his swim of 143 miles non-stop from Albury to New York on thc Hudson River in 14S Hours. It was a wonderful performance for a man whose legs have been taken ofi to witliin a couple of inches of the trunk. The longest river non-stop swim on record is that of Pedro Canciotti, who swam from Santa Fe to Baradero on the Parana River, 211 miles, in 71h. 55m. Had a doctor not persuaded Candiotti that it would be dangerous to remain longer in the water, the swimmer probably would have succeeded in completing his self -irrposed task of swimming to Buenos Aires, a distance oi 310 miles