THE PLAYGROUND

Southland Times, Issue 18840, 5 June 1920, Page 9

THE PLAYGROUND

Sports and Pastimes

From a financial point of view the St. Patrick’s sports meeting recently hold in Christchurch was not a {treat success, a contributing factor being the expense of meeting the board hills of athletes compelled to awc.it. a fixture postponed on account of bad weather. Ilowesvrr. the managers of the gathering did we!! to make it pay under adverse circumstances. The high cost of living is hitting up billiard rooms in England. and it is thought that many of them wdi take the knock as a result (remarks an Australian writer’. Here in Australia it is also reflected, cs

much as -10 p-'-r yard being asked for b.iliard cloth. At in it pr;.-” it would cost about t’bd to cover a table. It is not many years sim a complete tabic, with all accessories, void ! Iv purchased for ,110 in England, and about C2O more in Australia. The only ihlng that has no! gone up is the price per game, which .-till remains at the same old price in many looms, even though mark-'rs’ wages have been increased 50 per cent, in recent years. Writing from London, under date April 15, the English correspondent of Christ - church Star says that whilsi slicht altera, fions are being made to Shamrock IV., the yacht with which Sir Thomas Lipton is firmly convinced he will at last win the America Cup. the old .-shamrock has set sail for Sandy Hook to act as a trial boat. She was ketch-rigged for the long voyage across the Atlantic, which is expected to take a month, and she carried two lifeboats on de;-;-, for she had no escort. Usually S -R- Thomas has accompanied his yacl.it on the Erin, but she was sunk during thm war whil-t acting as a hospital ship. The alteration which are now being carried out to Shamrock LV. on the other side where she has been since 1914 are only -light. The old Shamrock, on the other hsnd, has been vastly changed and, it is believed., made a vastly better boat. What would happen if it turned out that kite proved herself to be better than tho actual challenger This is not anticipated, but the point has arisen whether under the terms of his challenge. Sir Thomas ■wrmld be allowed fo substitute the old boat. Colonel Duncan Neill, a member •i’ the Royal Ulster Cun Challenge Committee. who has sailed to New York on the Adriatic, scoffs at the idea. Moreover he does ant think th.' American authorities would agree to any substitution of boats, and he holds that they would be justified in coming to such a decision. At the same time America is at a, big advantage in this respect. Their boat--. Resolute and Vanitie. have ya. n> be tried, ami until it is found which is the better no choice will be made. Colnnel Neil! is just as confident as Sir Thomas that th- 1 cup will be won. Before leaving Liverpool he said: "Though we shall be giving a greater time allowance than ever before, the biggest boat has always w n, and Shamrock IV. will be the biggest, boat on this occasion.”

Several items of special interest to New Zealand riflemen appear in a recent issue of the London Field. A‘ the annual meeting of the Army Ride Association on February 25 it w.is announced that a new rule had hem issued deeiuring that, “in the* light of battle expcricaci. i' had been decided that during this yam's programme the bayonet should always b<_ ii.xed when tiring at or under 200 yard-'. ’ Major Rixley made an important M an-ment regarding tin- new targets that had been approved by the War Office. It had been di-v’ded, he sail!, that owing to the known inaccunny of the .-hurt service nile, it would b * netv.-sary to revert to the dimensions which were used tor the Martini. At 2()dyds tip- t ill; a. eye would be S inches, at 309 12 inches, and at odd and 60U 24 inches. In a later issue there is a very interest big article on "How to Improve’ the Shoot;n ’ of the Short Service Kifle." ()n» statement made is that with Mark VII ammunition the shooting at 2oil yarris with both short and long rifle will not sxrnup, ;ind yet :.T it. is vt*ry good, the ii ll * <>t lh:‘ hmui luhnir the c:U!>e. With Mark VI it shoot - well at all ranges. Mr W. Lock, who died at. Tiniaru last week, was in Irs d ■>’ one o; the Keenest bowlers in .'■ •utolaa! and was one of the found: 1 rs ol pm r'mP.ih.n.i ;>o',\hng (dub which in the earl;,’ days h*»: its green at. tin* back of the site now occupied by the tduo Hotel. Messrs Ham. S?bo and W. Smith are about, the only lm al bowlers iett who were associate i w;t.n Mr Rock when the Southland clno v lorn: ; ’d some oil years ago. For mtuiy years Mr Rock was greenkeeper aiui in this conievrion an amusing story is told o; Ins watchluhiess over the destroying t-part''nr. I reqivni ly he went to the caretaker, Mr Bayne, who is at present employed al Mr R. A. An-;e.": ; ‘ ’U. s p-.np'ii.v at Victoria Lark arid say’ Mill. dorm. I notice a httle brown patch on the green. What do vou think we should do with it.' The reply invariably was. "Ho what you think best." Thereupon Mr Lock would say; 'VVcll. I j'.mt think that I will dig it out and replace it won a utlL of th:u nice green turf over there and sow some fresh seed. Id! just key handy and have a read ;md see mac the sparuuvs do ict eat tho .-eed." Mr Loea frequently competed at the loeal tournaments ami with his three sons was skip or ini* first fanulj. ru.K to compete at a tournament ui New Zealand. They reach"*! the semi-finals but went down to Twists' rink from Milton. Under his tuition his ?an- aI! marie excellent bowlers and each have held the honour of winning the championship of their clubs. .1. (i. Rook won the lira: champion of champion singles match placed in Southland and has since won a similar distinction.