PROTECTION OF SPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 191, 12 August 1911, Page 10

PROTECTION OF SPORT.

ACTIVITY OF FOLLOWERS. PUBLIC MEETING TO BE HELD. A meeting of members of all sports clubs affiliated with the New Zealand Sports Protection Association was held in the Chamber of Commerce rooms last evening. Mr. John llowe (Mayor of Cmehunga) presided over a gathering of about sixty. In tendering apologies for non-attendance, Messrs. W. J. Napier and G. J. Garland intimated that they were sympathetic with the movement, and prepared to give it their support, especially in the direction of establishing clean sport. The chairman mentioned that it was intended to embrace all sports and pastimes in the movement, and to organise effectively to prevent further encroachment upon legitimate sport. The time was coming, he prophesied, when unless they stood up determinedly in defence of sport, they iwould suffer further interterference and be subjected to more serious deprivations. Little by little the interests of clubs were being attacked, and had such an organisation as that proposed been in existence the Gaming Act of last session would never have been passed. (Applause.)

Mr. R. A. Armstrong emphasised the fact that up to the present only the voice of the extremists had been heard, and in consequence legislation of extreme tendencies had been "passed into law, largely because there had been .no activity and no unity or support from the great moderate section. He urged the importance of organisation for the purpose, not only of protection of sports bodies, but in order to maintain a pure and virile sport. Mr. Armstrong replied at some length to the attack made on the sports protection movement by the Rev. Howard Elliott in the course of a recent sermon delivered at the'Mt. Eden Baptist Church. The speaker disputed' the. correctness of the assertion made by the rev. gentleman-that the conditions in the Dominion in the 20th century were not very different to the depravity and degradation prevailing in Israel aJbout 3000 yeara ago, and suggested that such an iniquitous statement should fill all self-respecting citizens with disgust and indignation. (Applause.) But they could afford' to disregard.tie puny denunciation of man by the' ininisters in their pulpits, arid their.frettings into frenzy at the amount of money spent in legitimate sport- and pastime. The Rev. Mr. Elliott had declared that he would be pleased to attend a. horse race provided a man who attempted to ■bet was shot out of hand. (Laughter.) Was that in accordance with the teachings of Christ? asked Mr. Armstrong. The danger of "wowserism" was that the young men in being forced to accept certain doctrines would be seized in the grip of the life-destroyer—hypocrisy. He opposed the attempt being made by the clergy to run the country, and denied 1 that 3 people were worshipping sport and insane recreation. Mr. C. E. Major declared that the present wave of sentimentalism against sport -was passing over.all parts of the world, especially in English-speaking countries, and while racing -was the first to be attacked, other sporta would receive attention later on. Anti-sports and antimilitarists he regarded as the same genius, and their antagonism Was due to a perverted knowledge of the facts and the subjects. Eacing was taxed too severely, but it was only a matter of time when all sport would be taxed, and taxed out cf existence. He advocated the gospel of standing together and moderation in fighting the agitation for curtailment of sporting privileges, and urged vigilance on the part of the people in ascertaining the opinion of Parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming elections on the totalisator question. He moved: "That of the necessity for placing the 'public in full possession of facts relating to the present perilous position of -the spofts and pastimes <?f the people, the acting executive he empowered to arrange a public meeting, to be held in His Majesty's Theatre on a date to he fixed in the month of Sep-, tember."

Mr. J. C. Gleeson,; tn seconding the motion, urged all enthusiasts to constitute themselves organisers in the cause, and thus set the smouldering embers of discontent into, a flame which would' spread from one" end of New Zealand to the other. The motion, on "being put to the meeting, was carried unanimously. ' [".