PEDEDSTRIANISM

NZ Truth, Issue 84, 26 January 1907, Page 3

PEDEDSTRIANISM

(AMATEUR.-);

i (By Centre)" I . ~ -. The president of the Otago Centre of the N.Z.A.A.A. is bringing forward a proposal at the conference of delegates of the .various Centres to be held m Christchurch at the time of the Colonial Amateur Championships, to alter the existing constitution of the New Zealand Council. Briefly, . the. proposal is that the present council should be abolished and that an annual conference of delegates should ba held ,at the championship meeting, each year, at which a oouncil consisting .-of -a president, secretary and treasurer should, be appointed to carry out the functions of the council for the ensuing year and until their successors should be. appointed. These officers would be resi- ! dents of the town m which the next championship meeting is to take place. Extended , powers would- be given to centres, and on any important matters a mail vote of the centres would be taken. Personally, I am dead "agin" the proposal, which T wp>u.l^- I am ;3ure, 'p'l'.civicie nadcii"' tod-* riiachinery for the smooth administrative working of the sport m this colony. The methods of the Council, as at present constituted, may not be altogether satisfactory m, very many respects, but a change m the direction indicated' Tjy the president of the Otago Centre would knock things right out of shape and no final itv would' ever be, reached. No I sooner would , one administrative body have affairs connected with the sport on a • satisfactory footing" than another would come into office m the succeeding year and undo all the good work accomplished by its predecessor. We can't afford, to tinker with amateur athletics m New Zealand simply to give rein to the faddish' notions of a small .coterie of busy bodies. " •.,/'. ! A new innovation has been introduced by, the boomers of pedestrianism m Kaigpbrlie (W.A.) m the form of placing before" 1 the public, championship, sprints for ladies. I notice, that a cfaamnion lady sprinter has been unearthr-d," that, may yet clip, the winpis of the Yanlcw damsel, who is "credited with 18 for lOOyds. The Westralia girl is a Miss Loyal !• Forward, .and .it is reported she lias I run . lOOyds m I 2? f sec'down hiU, of course, down hill, and has also covered the' distance of 50yds m; 6 -3-ssec, of course, a.<rain. down hill. Anyhow, it was a good perforn-ance of Miss Forward. Here is a chance for the Wellington Centre to distinguish itself by forming a lndvls sprinting league; I commend the scheme to "WaUv" Larkin, Jack Pollock, and other enthusiasts on th.? Centre.

McDnngall, a youthful Dunedin poiifnt of heel; and toe, is making a name for himself m the Southern city. He has go^d stamina and only want?; good coachinr/ and ' traininc to brihtc him richt to t-hc very front.

I "Tr.ttler, 11 in -the Svdn*y "Sports* jman," is pleased 1o hear that j amateurism m every branch of the ! snort) is on the road to success, and, [ without m any way,,.w.-ishmji.;l-o past |iflie slip'ht^st- as^rsjoin, ;rvn his /pro- : fossK^nal friends. ■■"vprv'!iu'M-Iy So', in- ' de-c-d. The gowrmn-er bcvilv of the poor, deluded tiro, ppds.' iclubs and. promoters,' 'ha"w» a * • ir»i.l v p.r.d fat" timf of it on th** money svibscri-bedc and h? notices that, more raopey, by way of registration, is coming: m from, many quarters, and without any possiMe hope of am' food accruing, except, of course, for those who get seven bob a sittinc and secretary R. X Oo,tfn. . The ' Sydney writer hf»s be?n Ki^ne: the "prop" and those who cater for- the cash element, "beais" of ''lat 1 ';. " Profpssionai athIptics ppem +o l,e vcrrv "smelly" on ths o^hflr sidii just now.

A coTnmumcation can^e' to the New Zealand- Council from the Otajro Centre rpferr'-n<r to the nermis-'3ion*nrrant-ed by the governins: Ijiklv for professionals .ami amateurs to compete toother at the Bible Pass Union sports' as ultra v ires , : and tending to belittle the distinction between amateurs and professionals;. Mr Green, hoTi.spc. of i\y 'Vivnfii. s*id the permission had been granted because it was coJisMpred to be m +he interests 'of the sport ivnd^r the circumstarices, and. a's/th^rp were no prizes the amateurs' status was not affects . Ijj was dcci del to reply to that effect. ;