The sun., 1908-12-13
NEWS OF TIE ATHLETES
NEW YORK 4. e. ELECTION
GOSSIP.
Doubt as 10 whether G. W. Kuhike VIII
Run for president Again-E. J. BEN
son May BE Observation-Disclosures
tIon for Universal Amateur Definition.

son May BE viee-President--A gita-
tIon for Universal Amateur Definition.
Various rumors are flying around lhe
New York A. G. city house about the work oil
the nominating committee and its probable
selections. A week ago or SO the wise
ones gave out strong tip that G. W. Kuhlke
would again head the ticket and that he
would serve another term, but the wind
has shifted within the last couple of days
and the philosophers now pass you by with
wink and hint out Of the side OF the
mouth "Kuhlke doesn't want 1t. IL is
not very easy to know whether or not MIR.
Kuhlke cares for another term, but II ne
does not the committee will surely have a
still hunt for a good man.
There Is feeling among the members
that the president OF the club should be
big man financially, that is, at the least II
not q millionaire he should be banker
or something on that order but the trouble
here Is that most men who are husy with
their own finances are afraid OF a. strenu-
Gus job like the New York A. G. presidency.
OF course there is a remedy for the situation
by getting the big man to lend his name Tor
the head of the ticket and to have an active
man az vice-president who would shoulder
most of the work. Perhaps that Is the way
the problem may work out this time. ~
any rate there is an active man talked OF
for vice-presdent by rev OF his friends
and that Is Edwin J Benson. who has another
year to serve as governor, but the amount
of weight Mr.. Benson cuts with the nomi-
mating department nobody knows.
Besides the Ave officers eight members
of the board of governors go ont OF office
They are X. H. COTE. Mortimer Bishop,
Alfred Brooks Fry, James Ross Curran.
pnba barf II hn Nj
Graeme NJ. Hammond and Thomas E.
Deeley., To renominate these for two years
more would not be bad plan. for they are
all men OF experience in club matters
Meanwhile the friends of James II Haslen
make no secret Of their intention to back
mated, They have their hooks out already
for votes and even at this early stage nave
the lines laid for a most vigorous cam
paigny
Among the members there is quite lot
OF guessing on the financial showing the
administration win have this year. IL -
an amount on the balance side this time.
The financial depression is blamed along
with some formidable items OF expenditure.
spent in furnishing the new clubhouse at
Travers Island. and filing and making new
ground has cost s25, ,o5s.oS new power
1851, and the much needed shooting box
for the trap shooters cost g., 100. The re-
pairs and other. things about the city house
at Central PaEk South have taken EiTty iittie
eighth street cost $4,000. and the improve
ments in the dining room, s8,2il .ej, the once
extension, s2,045, and the alteration and
items extend over 1907 and 1908.
Just now there is lively agitation going
on in England over the amateur defnItlon
likely that by the time the International
Olympic Committee meets next spring the
British Olympic Council will have drafted
an amateur definition that will cover the
ground. Another thing which is sure to
come through is that the Hague conclave
will be dominated with English ideas, and
wSa fSaSn sb + prsadS w
OF men prominent In Old World sport have
expressed themselves on the question OF
amateurisn, but with every one there Is a
the standing Of teams such as football.
lacrosse and cricket. 1t H. well known
fact that in football. especially in the soccer
often play against each other and that il
would be no easy matter to find q purely
amateur soccer team anyway, The pro
the cricket teams and it is a common thing
for professionals to go here and there and
play on amateur teams the year round.
In connection with lacrosse the case is
a little different. for except in Canada
followers OF the game are not very numer-
Gus. Prominent among those who, have
a universal amateur standard is Baron
Pierre de Coubertin, president of the
International Olympic Committee, He says
that II + SSort time Sas OF be
strongly on the subject is Sir, Home Gordon,
Bart. for years the avowed enemy OF the
sham amateur OF the cricket Held, His
suggestion is that an amateur is one who
plays u game without making any financial
profit. either from his skill at or his con-
Nt..a VUstl la hn
amateur should be confined to his travelling
expenses and his hotel bill and legit inate
sundries-not drinks between meals-dur ring
the time he is engaged IN the game. Any
one receiving compensation for time lost
in business or any one receiving salary for
a post which is virtually sinecure; and
play the game in which he excels. should
cease to be an amateur. Any one receiving
a lump sum for his services. instead of
submitting aeoprste Witch efa.ase Ss
bursement. should cease to be an amateur
j. Swales Ditton, president OF the Northern
Counties Athletic Association, suggested
the country meet In conference with view
10 brlng gin g into line as many branches OF
sport as possible, and IL the like was done
In all other countries some good might re-
tSin the craze for distance racing records.
prevalent at the present time: hardly one of
those who do the shouting for q moment
stops to think that there is a vast difference
between running on ten lap to the nile
track indoor and four lap track outdoor.
In the first place the inner border TO the in
door track Is so low that the runner is able
to skin within few inches Of it all the time,
while in the outdoor track the edge IL higher
and the runner has to keep further out, else
his ankle will get barked- Another thing to
be reokoned is that the survey OF all tracks
is taken eighteen inches from the border:
therefore If the indoor runner hugs the pole
he will at the very least save yard in each
lap from the actual measurement. II there
the yard. 50 that for mile he gould save ten
yards, and for five miles the distance saved
would be about fifty yards. On the out
door track the chance for saving is dimin-
ished about 90 per cent. There are less laps
to the mile and less chance OF running close
The New York A. c. has selected the
evening of March II. st. Patrick's Day,
for it's annual games in Madison Square
Garden and II will be interesting to see how
the fixture will turn out. This date has
been tried before. by the Knickerbooker
A, G. and later in 1905 by the Pastime A. c..
and Il was found to be bad night for a
1t Is always a night of too many, counter
attractions. But the precedent will hardly
work out In the case OF the New York A.
c., whose membership ought to come very
near filing the big amphitheatre If all
others stayed away,
British Olympic Council has issued a
pamphlet Of about sixty pages entitled
a Reply to Certain Criticisms" Of the
Olympic games Of 1908. Along with lot OF
matter already published there are some new
things here and there, notably that a couple
Of the athletes who made statements after
coming home are now trying 10 backstep