SPORTS PROTECTION LEAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 164, 10 July 1912, Page 7

SPORTS PROTECTION LEAGUE.

AN AUCKLAND BRANCH FORMED.

There was a large attendance at 'the | meeting held in the Chamber of Commerce last evening to consider the proposal To form a branch of the New Zealand Sports Protection League in Auckland. Mr. Geo. .Elliott presided. The Chairman said the meeting bad been called to stimulate public interest In the ] League, which had been formed to pro- < tect sport, and at the same time to dv I away with, unclean Sport. The Board of | Control comprised Sir Geo. Clifford (chair- 1 man), Mr. J. 11. B. Coates, Mr. C. P. sker-! sett, K.C., Hon. Dr. Collins, M.L.C., and I the Hon. H. D. Bell, K.C., men who could ' be relied on to do all that was possible j in the interests of sport. I •Mr. Paape, in his opening remarks, stated ' that the extremists had made such a big j noise that they had Impressed the legisla- 1 tors as being far more important than I they really were. Continuing, he stated , that right through the English-speaking | world there had been a wave of sentimental- [ ism, and leagues had been formed in vari- i ous places to combat this tendency. A | very strong league had beeu formed in ' England, the objects of which were prac- : tically the same as those of the New Zea- , land Sports Protection League. The New ; Zealand League had beeu initiated in j Chrlstchnrcli, and Inter another strong' branch had been formed In Wellington. The League had not been formed with the idea of looking after oue branch of sport only, but sport in general, and in enable people to enjoy themselves in future without fear of molestation. Ip to the present, some sixty brandies had been formed, and when the whole of the branches had been established a conference of delegates would be held In Wellington, and a definite policy outlined. The only difference between the kindred association that had been formed lyid the Sports Protection I/pague was regarding the hookmaker. The League recognised that the branches must control the Ijoagu«. and if I •they saw tit the branches could advocate the reinstatement of the bookmaker, and the Board of Control was bound to recognise their proposals!. On the lines of his previous address at Devonport. Mr. Paape denied that the league had -been formed in the liquor interests or for the extension nt the 'totalisator. If the League had been formed prior to 1910, he ventured tn say that they would never have heard of the drastic regulations ot the recent G-nmiuc 'Bill. The extremists had been pulling the strings In season and out of season, and the sportsmen had been sitting idly hy. The League had no desire to establish ' the Continental Sunday, but contended that | a person should not be debarred from enjoying himself in any manner he saw fit, so long as he did not interfere with anybody else. The speaker concluded by outlining a number or Instances in which ■the League 'had been able to assist various sports .bodies. Mr. F. Karl said, although president of the Auckland Cricket Association, he did not authoritatively represent the cricketers ] art the meeting. At the same time, he felt sure that cricketers would lie In favour of tihe formation of a branch of the league. I He objected to extremists persisting in their I . efforts to prevent him from enjoying sports j ■to which he had been accustomed all his life, nnd he was out to do what he could I to stop the apparently triumphal march of these extremists. lie advocated the necessity for organisation. There were, he said, numerous ways In which ci League such as the Sports Protection League conld assist the various sports bodies when the occasion arose. lie moved: "That a branch , of the League Ik* formed, to be called the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Sports I*rotection I^eague." Sir Robert Lockhart seconded the motion. Mr. C. K. Major. In supporting the motion, said that a great many of their •liberties were not only being attacked, hut ■actuaUy taken a-wny. lI P eulogised the personnel of the Board a,* Control, and concluded by reviewing the question of sport from the economic, political, and various other standpoints. ' The motion was carried unanimously, i amid 'applause. The following officials and committee were elected:— President, the Mayor (Mr. c. J. Parr!: vice-presidents: Lieut-Colonel nami-rd (shooting). Hon. E. Mitchelson (racing). Messrs. Murdoch Mclean (rorv- ■ in;*), T. P. Oilfedder (athletics). E. Watts 1 ('Northern t'nion). Allen Bent I'lluntlv) T : K. Cooke (yachting). M. Pole- (hexing)' a' ; Cleave (motoring). F. Karl (angling) c" F. Ma lor (polo). 1/enth'im (billiards). II." r' ' MeKenzie (swimming), D. Gallagher (Rugby), John Rowe (trotting), sir Robert ' Lockhart (hunting). .R. B. Lusk (cricket) T. R. O'Connor (athletics). .1. C. Burn • (golf). K. Anderson and 15. Rodgers- committee: Messrs. C. I*. Mark. C R ffcKinney. J. Gillett, K. W. Alison: secretary (pro tern.). Mr. F. W. Ed-wards.