ATHLETICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2755, 9 March 1910, Page 6

ATHLETICS.

AMATEUR COUNCIL MEET

[Per Press Association.! WELLINGTON, March 8

The Council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association met last night. The sub-committee appointed to deal with the readjustment of boundaries reported: (1) That the Canterbury Centre be. asked to include in their territory the West Coast, Marlborough, and Nelson districts; (2) that Wanganui be asked to form a centre to include all clubs from Ma.rton northward to the Taranaki northern boundary; (3) that failing Wanganui being able to form a centre Taranaki be asked to do so. Consideration of the report was deferred until the decision of the conference of centres at Auckland on the subject was received. The Dunedin centre asked for a riding as to whether amateurs and professionals could compete together at house and trade sports, trophies only being given as prizes. It was decided that professionals and amateurs cannot compete together at house or trade picnics and sports. Consideration of a letter from the Canterbury centre •regarding Marathon races was deferred until remits from the conference of centres at Auckland were received. The Amateur Athletic Union of Australasia notified that rule 1, relating to the Australasian cross-ehampionsnip had been so altered and amended as lo allow of the words “five miles course” reacting “five or ten miles course,” at the option of the Association holding the meeting. Applications for reinstatement were dealt with as follows:, u. W 7. Lawrence, to apply again after three years Irom date of" last professional performance; J. McGrierson, referred to Southland Centre for consideration; A. tori (Dunedin), reinstatement agreed to from Ist October, 1910; M. Mickelson (Dunedin), declined: W. Gosling (Auckland), declined ; J. J. O’Grady (Ashburton;, reinstatement agreed to. An application from the W'oodville Club for the reinstatement of a number of its members was referred to the Wel_ lington centre through, whom appliestioa should have come. Steps will bo taken to have the application considered with tall possible expedition, so as not to interfere with the club’s meeting early in April. ' C W. Mexted’s application was agreed to after the expiration of 12 months from his last competing as/ a P An application was made the Wellington centre to have W. A. Woodger s performance .in the 220yds race at the Wellington provincial championship meeting in which he ran tho distance in 22 2-osecs, recognised as a New Zealand record. The application was held

over for additional certificates to be supplied. L. B. Webster (Now Plymouth) revived the question of the walking ■events at the recent amateur champion. ship meeting at Auckland. He wrote as follows: “Being a visitor and an olficial at the recent New Zealand cliam-. pionsliip meeting, as secretary of the Now Plymouth Club, I. wish to protest against the application for a record or a standard which may come forward, ill connection with the walking events. I venture to ventilate my experience whilst the walking event (3 miles) was in progress. Being an official I came in contact with several others officiating, some of whom were well-known to me. The walkers had not gone 220 yards when one well-known official volunteer, ed this to me: ‘Well, Pat, this is net the Dave Wilson we used to know, but it won’t do to let the judge hear us say that.’ The non-compliance of Wilson with the rules is now, I think, an established fact, and I trust tlie- foregoing may be of interest, if nothing else, to your Association. One can blit shudder to think what time would have been recorded had the weather conditions been favorable, too.” —The letter was received without comment.

WALKING CONTEST. Referring to the walking contests at the N.Z.A.A.A. meeting at Auckland, tlie “Herald” says: —“The walks were the most unsatisfactory events of the da3’, and many keen sports consider they were the only blot on the gathering. Kerr, Caslmian, Rogers, Bennett, and Morrison commenced in the three miles by walking in faultless style, but Wilson never ‘locked’ from tlie time he got on the track, and carried his head too far forward to pass the recent style. Kerr and Cashman’s leg action was straighter than Wilson’s, who walked throughout with bent knees. It was not surprising that Kerr relaxed a little in the last mile. It is the irony of fate for Kerr, who has lost championships through keen judging before he adopted a. faultless style, to be beaten by a loose style. Cashnian retired in the three mile at six laps, but finished third in the mile. One of the Auckland representatives, Bennett, has recently arrived from England, and is said to be the ex-North England champion. He is big in condition, but shows a nice stylo.”