From references that have appeared in the provincial press, one gathers that Smith and Inman have a grievance against the governing body of the game, the substance of which is that the conditions governing the championship of English billiards for 1922 have not yet been published.
As the date for the closing of entries for this championship has, at the suggestion of the players themselves, been extended to December 31, there can be no immediate urgency in making public the conditions that are to govern it, and one of the proposals put forward by Newman, at the meeting between the leading professionals and the Council in May last, was that these conditions should be published in November.
This will be done, in due course, but before finally issuing them it is the intention of the Council to forward a draft to each of the players concerned for consideration, so as to afford them an opportunity of submitting any further suggestions that they may wish to make. These drafts would doubtless have been in the hands of the prospective competitors before this, but for the fact that it has been found desirable to seek legal assistance in framing the conditions, and this fact, coupled with the intervention of the long vacation, is alone responsible for the delay.
On the other hand, the fixing of a venue for the championship is a matter of more urgent moment, in view of the" advance booking " that obtains in the leading London halls, and so soon as the Council can ascertain whether the players have been successful in their efforts to secure a neutral hall for the final, an announcement can be made upon this point.
It is probable that the competition for the Junior Professional Championship may be held in one of the provincial centres, since bigger gate receipts can almost certainly be obtained there than in London for this event, whilst the London followers of billiards will not feel particularly aggrieved by its allocation to the provinces.
A letter has just come to hand from Mr. B. de R. Malraison, hon. secretary of the South African Billiards Association Control Club, Johannesburg, conveying to the Council the cordial thanks of his Association for the gold medal sent by them for the winner of the amateur championship of South Africa. This competition will be played in Cape Town at the end of October, so that our medal has arrived in very good time, and Mr. de Malraison states that its receipt, coupled with the encouragement contained in the Council's covering letter, will very materially assist his Association's efforts for the advancement of the game in South Africa.
An application for affiliation to the governing body has just reached me from the Sunderland and District Billiards Association. Mr. R. Thompson, its hon. secretary, informs me that his Association, which is now firmly established, has arranged a very comprehensive programme for the ensuing season, beginning on October 31, with the amateur championship of Sunderland and district. Other events already arranged are the professional championship of Sunderland, an amateur teams championship, amateur snooker championship, and an open billiards handicap. The officials of this association seem likely to experience a very busy time during the next few months and it is sincerely to be hoped that their efforts for the welfare of the game in Sunderland may meet with a large measure of success.