Mauku Athletic Sports.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 260, 29 December 1914, Page 2

Mauku Athletic Sports.

!TO THE EDITOR.]

Sir,—l would like to draw the attention of the people of Pukekohe and Mauku to the great inconvenience and detriment to eport that will eventuate if the Mauku Sports Ciub hold their meeting und.r the Timaru Union instead of under Auckland Union. The position is this: Som: e'.ght years ajo the Auckland Province club's formed an asociation of themselves to prot3ct and guard against unclean sport After good work tor some years several competitors wished to go to the Hibernian Sports at Blenheim, on St. Patrick's L)ay. To enable this to be done we affiliated with the Timaru body, but out of 800 competitors in Auckland Province the most that went South in aiy one y?ar was eight—or one per cent. But for this we had to pay half of our fees to Timaru—in one year we sent down £55. The Auckland clubs realised that this was bad business, and that the money could ba kept here to subsidise clubs which suffered a las?. Accordingly a general ni3eting of clubs (at which Mauku was represented by their own delegate) was held in August, 1913, and it was decided unanimously that Auckland clubs go on their own and manage their own affairs independently Of Timaru. This was confirmed at another general meeting in July, 1914, by 57 votes to 5; and 4 of these t> have already joined So the clubs are quite unanimous over the matter.. Since July only one club (Morrinsville) has held sports under Timaru Union, and the competitors were of course disqualified. Probably some of these disqualified competitors will compete at Mauku. lam sure the people of that district would not support or patronise sports held under such conditions. Would they hold a racing meeting for disqualified jockeys and horseowners who had been placed under the ban by the racing body? As for local competitors they will be unable to compete anywhere else in the Auckland Province, as reference to the daily Press will show you that all sports are being held under the union of the clubs—the Northern Athletic Union. Our work on behalf of clean sport has been highly approved by the Press during the past eight y3ars, and 1 hope that Mauku \yll not run in opposition to us. or lo the interests of the other clubs in the province, and will not be the means of getting any young athletes disqualified. —I am, etc.,

T. P. UILFEDUEK, President, Northern AthleticlUniun. Auckland, 23rd December, 1914.