GOVERNMENT OF SPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 166, 18 July 1904, Page 2

GOVERNMENT OF SPORT.

Jlr .1. Elliott., as secretary to tlie Blur Football Club's sports committee, has received from the Klthum Caledonian Society an intimation that a meeting of delegates representing the various athletic clulis in Taranaki will he held at Stratford on Monday, the >Sth of August, for the purpose of considering the desirableness of forming an Athletic Association, consisting of the whole of the clubs holding sports gatherings lin the provincial district of Tarajhaki. The letter sets out that during the past season the principal clubs of this district have been holding their gatherings under the auspices of the New Zealand Caledonia™ Association. Several of the clubs had occasion to appeal to tho governing Iblody, |but in all instances have been entirely ignored by the paternal executive. Perhaps the most notable cases that have been treated in this respect were tlic Stratford Caledonian Society, which body in January last disqualified J. Stornaway lor a period of threo years for corrupt practices, and tho Bell Mock Athletie Club, which disqualified C. C&-

pel for six months and W. Wilson for life. The committees of these societies made repeated efforts to have those disqualifications endorsed by the New Zealand Caledonian Association, tat without success, not even to the extent of an acknowledgment of their correspondence. I'nder these circumstances, it is urged, it is entirely useless for the various clubs in this district to bel'.ing to the association. Athleles who compete at meetings in Taraiml.i i-mj.U.y such very questionable tactics at times that is is absolutely necessary that some control be placed over their actions, and thus we have this proposal for a union of the dilTerent bodies for the purpose of purifying sport ami maintaining jas far as possible the honesty of athletes and the protection of real

'"triers." With such an association it will bo possible to appoint an executive whose duty it will b; to intpiire into all reported cases of "stiff" running or other dishonest practices, and if strict supervision is exercised it may lie once more possible to see men meet for a contest on their merits, irrespective of the machinations of the bookmakers and hardened sinners on lite track. At present the love of sport is almost entirely swamped by the desire for pecuniary gain, which must lie obtained at any cost, and by fair or foul means.