‘absorption’ system, which not only strengthens the large clubs, but also provides better instruction for the rising generation than was the case when talent was more split up. Oarsmen of good standard who are really desirous of distinguishing themselves, and are not too praud to serve in the ranks of a big club after having held office in a smaller one, freely gravitate from minor to leading clubs, The juniors of their clubs follow their leaders, and so the minor clubs become gradually depleted.
We do not consider that regatta entries are practically injured hy the development of the large clubs at the expense of the smaller ones. We haye already said that these small clubs are of little or no use for senior races, whereas: their ingredients, consolidated in larger bodies, create one or two more strong clubs which are good enough to produce competent senior crews, and so swell senior entries, We admit that to some extent junior entries may fall off in numbers, in consequence of the breaking up of petty clubs ; but, even allowing this, we hold that the quality of junior entries increases in proportion as those juniors hail from a good club endowed with scientific coaching. Clubs whose powers are limited to the production of junior crews do not contribute much to the standard of oarsmanship, and at the same time they divert material which in good hands might attain a good standard. ‘The many petty clubs of fifteen or twenty years ago used to labour, each by itself, through a whole season to produce just one junior crew; and this possibly won a race ut last, ona sort of tontine principle, through the gradual victories of former opponents in junior races, which on cach occasion removed a rival from the field of the future. The modern strong and first-class clubs turn out one junior crew after another in the season; sa that batch after batch of juniors are thus taken in hand, and competently coached during the season. Besides regatta rowing, there are club contests, and these are to be found in even greater abundance and variety under the management of the leading clubs, and afford more scope for rising oarsmen, than ever was the case in the expiring and expired minor clubs. We gave publicity to our correspondent’s complaint, as a matter of fair play in a subject that might be of interest to many; byt, all things considered, we come to the conclusion that his deductions break down in every respect, and that rawing and regattas alike benefit rather than lose by consolidation of material in the first-class clubs of the day.
