N.Z. ATHLETIC UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8168, 30 July 1906, Page 2

N.Z. ATHLETIC UNION.

CONSOLIDATING SPORTS GOVERNMENT. INTERIVEW Willi THE PRESIDENT.

Mr G. W. Woods, of Invercargill, liesident of the New Zealand Athletic Union, is at jjresent on an organsing tour, and in pursuit of his ganising tour, and in pursuit of his Saturday night, and left again foi the South this morning'. Mr Woods name and athletics are almost disassociateable thruug.n \t the colony, and a Daily News repoiter was fortunate enough to run across him and secure some copy that should prove of interest to all interested in clean spirt in this favourite exploiting playground of "crooks."

Tracing the growth of the present I movement, Mr Woods pointed out that the Union, which is the governing- body of cash athletics, was formed at a conference held in Welling on on the iStli December last. Invercargill was adopted as the place of government, with the executive head, for the time being, the members of the executive being distributed all over the colony, Mr J. Clark, of the Council of the Taranaki Athletic and Caledonian Society, representing Taranaki. This scheme of government had been the means of burying all the parochial jealousies that had heretofore prevented a workable union. To this new departure Mr Woods ascribed almost wholly the success that has attended the Union's career. Already some two hundred societies have affiliated throughout the colony, and centres have been formed at Invercargill, Dunedin, Timaru, ChristCnutch, Masterton, Waipawa (Hawke's Bay), and in Taranaki. Meetings are to be held at Wanganui to-night and at I'cikling on Tuesday, which Mr Woods will attend, and it i--' almost assured that these bodies <v;ll aliiliatc, and form centres foi their respective districts. Meetings are to be held at Westport and other West Coast towns next month for a similar purpose. This will then mean that the whole of New Zealand, with the exception of Auckland, will be organised. The societies in the latter province, being so scattered, it has been found impos sible to arrange lor a suitable centre but as a large number of societies have aliiliated, some arrangement lor suitable local government should soon be fixed up. The Unio, says Mi Woods, has proved its usefulness in many ways, notably in its ability to secure the purefication of sport. Handicappers will be assisted by being able to securt the fullest information concerning athletes and their perlormances. Unpaid entrance moneys v. ill also lie collected for the various societies flee of charge .and in a short time "ringing-in'' and such like practices will be a thing of the past. The Union has fixed a reciprocal agreement with the Australasian Athletic League, and disqualifications in either country will apply l V both. Competitors are only Uuirged 2 0 for registration, whici will entitle them to compete in am pari of Australia snd New Zealand." -ill Woods, who looks upon betting ;>s the besetting sin of athletics ,ll: " S(K ieties will ere long be ,n ( ll||! ' || l tlif evil. I lu 1 t'nion is at present drafting a liill for p ;lr "amem, by which athletics will bi placed on beuer footing i n (!,, coioin. ,in.l more especially giving -pm-is promoters and trustees o; reciral'iiii grounds and reserves lee,a 1 j.onel to effectively deal w i(], j],, bookmaking fraternity. An em'ea V"ur is also being made to arrange whereby registered competitors will be able to travel at cheap rates ot> the railways when attending athleth meetings. Similar proposals arc icing made to the Union Steamship Company. The championship spoils meeting in connection with the International Exhibition is to be '! at Chnstclutrch in .Tanuarv, uncr tne auspices of the. Union.' A reciprocal agreement with the New Zealand League of Wheelmen IS ?' ! m ' st ' nt undet consideration, and 15 practically assured. Mr 1 Woods hopes that the result w|!l (, 8

that athletic societies will secure more reasonable concessions from that body than has been the experience of the past. This morning Mr Woods breaks his journey at Eltham, where he is to confer with the executive of the New Zealand Axeimn's Association, when various mailers of common interest will be discussed. He hopes that a reciprocal arrangement will be completed, and also that the long' standing dispute between the N.Z.A.A. and the Southland Axemen's Association.

through which many champions have been disqualified, will be amicably disposed of. It has been sug-1 gested by several prominent Rugby men that an arrangement might with profit be made by which each bodj would recognise the other's disqualifications. Personally, Mr Woods says he is agreeable to support any proposal at all that would have the effect of cleansing sport from its pre sent disabilities and abuses. He also points out that when that object is attained, the athletic societies wil get much larger entries, and by securing better and cleaner sport, se cure much greater public patronage. The future financial outlook for ath letic societies was therefore exceed-

ingly bright. He pointed out thai many of the leading athletic societies in the colony have already de voted surplus cash to worthy objects. For instance, the Dunedin Caledon

ian Society, besides making excellen. grounds, gave a considerable sum each year for the purposes of education. The Timaru Caledonian Society took in hand the improving 01 the local recreation grounds, and to such good purpse that the latest development is the building of a branch line of railway to the grounds. Speaking generally, he said the athletic societies of the colony can claim to have done more than any othei branch of sport in this directin. Speaking of New Plymouth Recreation Grounds, which Mr Woods visited yesterday, he said that tin. position lends itself to the making ot an athletic ground that, .when completed, will be second to none in the colony. He was glad to se<Qiat New Plymouth people recognised the value of making playgrounds for the youth of the town, and encouraging physical development, the moral results accruing from such healthy training being incalculable. He also had an appreciative word to say for Western Park, and, speaking as one who knew many towns no. half as weli favoured by nature at New Plymouth, he trusted the people would not pull their purse strings until such splendid public assets are completed. He-also suggests that strong representations shouk be made to the Government to make New Plymouth a tourist resort, as they had done at Queenstovvn. Amici surroundings so charming, the Tourist Department could not do btttei it .•([ cake, for instance, tennis courts on the recreation grounds, as had been done at other tourists resorts which the Government nad under their wintfs.