BOWLING.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 145, 12 August 1926, Page 8

BOWLING.

SOUTH AUCKLAND TOURNEY CONTROVERSY. Writing in the Te Aroha News, Mr. E. H. Hankins, the Te Aroha club’s delegate to the South Auckland Centre, states:— “The action taken by the South Auckland Bowling Centre’s executive to stabilise the centre’s tournament deserves the support of all clubs affiliated to the centre, and every individual member of these clubs.' The tournament has been dying a lingering death for years past and has invariably been run at a loss to the centre. It is surely t time something was done to remedy the’ existing state of affairs and make the' tounriament what it ought to be, the outstanding event of the year for South Auckland bowlers. It should be the ambition of every bowler in the centre-to hold the championship certificate of the centre, which has a membership of over 1500. What better honour and reward is there fo r any club than to turn out the champion team of the centre ? The predominating cause of the failure of the tournament in the past was undoubtedly unsuitable dates, aggravated by thd want of support from the different clubs, as evidenced by the fact of the poor support and apathy of the clubs in regard to the North Island championship meeting held at Hamilton. The present dates of the South Auckland tournament are without doubt unsuitable for bowlers who are workers. They cannot afford the loss of time and wages and the extra expenses incurred to play in th'e tournament on working day dates. It is only fortune’s favoured few who can play on any old date, while the less-favoured stay-at-home bowler rushes the paper to see if anyone has beaten Max Walker or “ Pilky,” and how his lucky club mates .are getting on, while he feels quite sure that if he had been, playing he would have ‘ slathered the lot up a treat.’ It is up to every club and every bowler to help this chap and give him an equal chance to play by holding the tournament on holiday dates. The present intention of the executive is to endeavour to put the tournament jin a._solid concrete basis and claim the Cambridge annual tournament dates as the fixed dates for the South Auckland bowling tournament, but why penalise one club for the benefit of the whole centre ? I am of opinion that each club that can accommodate the tourney and have fixed holiday dates should as far as possible sacrifice something to achieve the object of the executive and as a just and fair compromise each share the loss of its annual tournament dates. For instance, say, take the annual dates of the following clubs, Cambridge, Thames, Te Aroha, Rotorua second tournament, and Hamilton, holiday dates if possible, and draw for places. For example, if Cambridge drew first place, the South Auckland tournament to be played there that year, on their annual tournament dates, and the president of the centre to be elected from that club, and so on. Each club would he doing its bit to make the tourney a success. The one-green clubs should do their bit by loyal support, thereby acting as feeders to the tourney. This suggestion of mine may not settle the dispute in regard to dates in its entirety, but, considering that each club affected only loses one annual tournament date in so many years, it still has a tourney on those dates. This seems to me the fairest way under existing circumstances to get out of a difficulty. In sporting parlance, every sportsman who is a member of a bowling club in the centre would look upon it as an honour and a privilege to be allowed to run the South ! Auckland Derby on its own course and find the winner was trained there and came out of its own stable.”