The A.S.A. soon felt the benefit of the new constitution which permitted its ordinary work to be transacted by a managing committee or executive, instead of by the whole body as in former years. Its power grew by leaps and bounds, and it was soon able to assume arbitrary control over all the amateur meetings in the country. It insisted upon the observance of its regulations, and compelled its constituents to abstain from competing at meetings unless they were registered or held by affiliated clubs. The question of enforced permits was well fought out, but the council, having watched with interest the effect of the salutary laws enforced by the A.A.A. and N.C.U., adopted the same system. They granted permits to professionals at first on payment of fees, but afterwards abolished'the fee, and now do not grant permits to professionals at all. Clubs can, however, hold a benefit for their instructor.
The work of the association soon grew to such an extent that the transaction of provincial business was greatly delayed, and the country clubs began to agitate for the dividing of the association into district bodies. The Scotch clubs were the first to take action. They held a meeting in Glasgow on June 25, 1887, at which representatives of the Arlington, Caxton, Dolphin, Eastern, Leander, Northern, Southern, South Side, Queen's Park, Western, and West of Scotland (Glasgow), Dundee Association, Brandon, Heart of Midlothian, and Lorne (Edin burgh), Carnegie (Dunfermline) attended ; Mr. A. Sinclair re presenting the Amateur Swimming Association. After a long discussion it was unanimously resolved to form a Scottish Amateur Swimming Association. This body is worked by means of local centres, and accepts the definition of an amateur as defined by the A.S.A. Its formal inauguration took place on January 28, 1888, and ever since it has been in harmony with the older body.
The question of open betting at race meetings next engaged attention, and on March 29, 1889, a conference between the Amateur Athletic Association, National Cyclists Union, and Amateur Swimming Association was held in London. The delegates agreed that, though no attempt should be made to deal with private bets, yet it was clear that open betting, as carried on at many race meetings, was a scandal, and tended to prevent the more respectable members of the community from taking personal part or interest in many competitions. They suggested that the tickets issued should bear upon the face of them a notice prohibiting betting, that in every case where betting was to be expected bills should be distri buted stating that the offenders would be liable to expulsion, and that the utmost vigilance should be exercised in detecting competitors in any way in league with bookmakers. The evils
attending upon betting are innumerable, and their results wide-spreading. It is the greatest curse of amateur sport, and is the direct cause of roping' and other malpractices.
No sooner had the Scotch question been settled than the A.S.A. attempted to form local centres in England and Ireland, but without success, until at length in 1889 the enforcement of the permit laws, and the consequent suspension of some Manchester swimmers, led to an open revolt in the North. The agitation against the A.S.A. was ably worked, and at a meeting in Manchester, the delegates of the Northern clubs who were there assembled in force declared their intention of forming an entirely separate and rival association to govern their own affairs. The A.S.A. meeting was held on same night as the Northern conference, and telegrams were despatched from one meeting to the other, happily in conciliatory tones, the A.S.A. at the same time appointing three delegates, Mr. C. Val Hunter, C.C., and the writers of this book, to go to Manchester, and confer with the Northern swimmers. The Northern meeting was adjourned for a few days, the district papers in the meantime being flooded with letters urging the new Northern Counties Association to take no part in the general government of swimming. As may be imagined, the A.S.A. delegates felt that they had a difficult task before them. The work of the premier body was thoroughly mis represented in the North, and its action in endeavouring to protect the interests of amateur swimmers was designated as the officiousness of the Southerners. As far as could be ascer tained, the thief grounds of complaint were that the working of the association in all parts of the country could not be con trolled from London, and that the championships were nearly all held in the London district.
The reception of the delegates was not entirely of a satis factory character, each of them being allowed only ten minutes to address a crowded meeting of swimmers, who knew little or nothing about the working of the A.S.A., and who had been worked up to a spirit of antagonism by writers in the Press. But the meeting was utterly unprepared for the scheme which the A.S.A. delegates had to unfold, and the Northerners were forced to admit that the strong charges brought against the South as to their unsportsmanlike conduct were entirely un founded. Printed copies of the scheme propounded by the deputation were handed round. It was termed A Proposed Scheme for the Better Management of Amateur Swimming,' and read as follows : r. The present body known as the A.S.A. to have jurisdiction south of an imaginary straight line drawn across England at 53°N. latitude (until such time as a Midland Counties A.S.A. be formed).