AAA Coming of Age Dinner

24 amusing record ol the athletic performances of our fellow-countrymen; he has such a genuine interest in athletics, he has such a thorough knowledge of athletics, and hehas also that marvellous gift of putting these things before his fellow-countrymen in an amusing way, thatm I quite certain of this, that ifMr. Murray or any otherof our great publishers were on the lookout for somebody who would writean athletic history of England of the last thirty-five years, they would go to the Lord Chief Justice of England. Now, gentlemen, I only want to say one word. You have been kind enough to ask me here to-night , and I can assure you that I appreciate the honour immensely. To think that I, a poor athlete of thirty-five years ago shouldbe remembered byyou is one of the greatest compliments that has been paid to me in all my life, and I thoroughly appreciate your kindness in asking me to meet you here to-day at this dinner. Well , of course as amember for a Borough which is essentially an athletic one,—the Borough of Bedford,—in which it is my good fortune, or my misfortune, that every j 'ear there crops up half a dozen or more football clubs, cricket clubs, and every other sortof clubs which they all do me the honour to ask me to be President of (laughter). But , fortunately, I must say, being of a mushroom growth, a certain number cease to exist after twelve months, or else I should be clean broke (renewed laughter). But being, as I say, representative of such an athletic community as Bedford, I must come in contact with the A.A.A. Well , gentlemen, I come in contact with that Association under the very best conditions, because my old friend Mr. HERBERT invariably turns up inBedford to help me, and also to find a solution for any of the difficulties that may occur during thosme eetings. Well , now, in addition to that I will tell you what has struck me—it is a very curious thing—in the old days ougr reat difficulty was to distinguish between the professional and the amateur. That matter wabsrought before us in the years gone by and was a subject of very great consideration as to how we were to distinguish between these two forms of athletes. Well , gentlemen, you evidently have solved the puzzle, because you have laid down laws which are like the laws of the Medes and Persians—nobody can change them ; no athletic meeting can bheeld throughout this Kingdom without the sanction of this great Society of yours, andno individual man can run or take part in those athletic meetings unlesshe has the imprimateur and the sanction of this Society. If that was the only reason we have to thank you for, that would be a very great reason for all of us to offer you our most supreme gratitude. Now, that being the condition of things, it is a very great pleasure to me to-night to be able to thank you for the work you have done in the athletic world. I, of course, unfortunately, havenow arrived at an age whenI can no longer take an activepart in athletics; but I can take this part , and I do take it with all my heart , that is, to support any­ thing in relation to athletics that wbiell of use, and that will help towards the progress of this athletic movement throughout the United Kingdom. We have heardto-night what influence it has on the national character. We allknow that ifwe were not the athletic race we are, that is staoy, it