CALEDONIAN SOCIETY AND AMATEURS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8104, 26 March 1906, Page 5

CALEDONIAN SOCIETY AND AMATEURS.

QUESTION OF AMATEUR EVENTS ON PROGRAMME. At the meeting of the Direotors of the Waliarapa Caledonian Society, held on Saturday afternoon, the question of the discontinuance of amateur events on the societies sports programme was discussed. The Secretary (Mr Thos. Duncan) in bringing up the matter, said that it was not done in a spirit of antagonism to the Amateur Association. but in tha interests of the athletic bodies who promoted cash events. Be mentioned that at the present time the Caledonian and St. Patrick's Day Societies- included in their programmes events for amateurs, and the former gave trophies to the value of 12 guineas, and the latter 10 guineas in prizes for these events. This waa fostering a class of sport that was doing all it could to destroy cash running sports. When the Wairarapa Amateur Athletic Society held sports meetings they wouJd not allow any cash runners to oompete, but, nevertheless, they came persistently to the other Societies, every sports gathering, and asked to have amateur events placed on their programmes. In agreeing to the Wairarapa Amateur Society's request he thought tte other societies were acting very foolishly. The amateurs were doing all they could to induce cash runners to join them, and there would veiy soon be no cash runners at all. There was no reciprocity on the part of the amateurs, but in fairness there should be. His attention had first been drawn to the matter by the position in Nelson, where the amateurs were the strongest body. The cash runners in that place were being "knocked under." Mr Heron thought tbe matter bhould be left to the Progiamme Committee. Mr Pauling moved that it be a recommendation to the Programme Committee to strike the amateur events out of the programme next year. Ho considered that the Secretary waa doing right in advocating the discontinuance of amateur e\gents on tbe programme. Tbe present state of affairs meant the building up of olasses in snorts, and this the societies promoting cash running were trying to avoid. He would support the Programme Committee if they deoided to strike outjtbe amateur events. Mr R. Gray, in seoonding tbe motion, thought that the Society would be better off without the amateurs. Mr J. B. McKenzie (President) agreed with the remarks of the previous speakers. The amateurs were taking a one-sided view of tbe matter, and if they refused to help the cash runners he did not see why the Societies promoting cashsports should support them. He would go further and suggest that a letter be written to the Wairarapa Amateur Athletic Society, outlining the Caledonian Society's views, and informing them that the amateur events on the Society's programme toere likely to disappear unless some compromise was arrived at. Mr Pauling's motion was then put to • the meeting, and carried unanimously. MATTER DISCUSSED BY. ST. PATRICK'S DAY SPORTS ASSOCIATION. Tbe same matter was disoussed at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the St. Patriok's Day Sports Association, on Saturday evening last, when Mr Duncan spoke in a similar strain to the way he had done at the Caledonian Society's meeting in tbe afternoon. Mr Dolan was inolined to favour the amateur events being allowed on the programme on the grounds that the amateurs had done a great deal towards encouraging sports in Masterton. Mr A. Haughey opposed the amateur events being allowed on the programme, because he .thought amateurism was a farce. Several members favoured holding the matter over for the present. After further discussion a motion embodying this suggestion was carried.