VICTORIA PARK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 185, 5 August 1913, Page 7

VICTORIA PARK.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In reply to Mr. C. Livereidge's letter in Friday ev-eninge "Star," I should like to say that in my opinion the City Council are going beyond their rights in granting any one particular eport such .its the Auckland Rugby League, the right to chut up a public recreation ground for. six Saturdays during the eeason. it us nr.t a question of the City Council giving the Auckland Rugby League the right to charge at its challenge matches (see Mr. Livereidge'e 1-etterl, but ihe shutting up of Victoria Park so that a particular sport may ■benefit. No one would grndge the Northern L'nion the right to charge at all their matches, provided the ground was not a public ground and supported by the ratepayers. In hie letter Mjt. Liversidge saye: "Snrely Free Sport does not begrudge paying his shilling to help the league to me-et Uβ liabilities incurred In the upkeep of an organisation with a playing membership of TOO?" 1 take "Free. Sport" to be an upholder of clean amateur sport, and would begrudge paying his shilling Saturday after Saturday to ere two teame battling und«r Northern Union Rules, a game he is not particularly interested in. It is not everyone who is attracted to the Northern Union jame, or elee •why ifi it that rt has made no headway in the Old Country, but has been at a etamletill for years. (See the "Refere.c" of .July 23.) To mc it seeme the game ie forced doTvn onr necke here in Auckland by the Northern Union monopolizing Victoria PaTk. With reference to having a playing membership of 700 in the Anckland district. 1 very much doubt it, for one seldom sees lints of ma.tctws and reenlte that would justify that statement, but provided th ; 6 ie correct, there are other sports with a. playing membership of over 700. with nothing like the advantage of the Auckland Rugby League, and -who suffer through a public ground being cloee<l. Mr. Liversidge is kind enough in his letter to give -a statement of the Hawke's Bay v. Auckland maieh, showing receipts of £IRO, and afu>r paying expenses th-ere was a loss of £6. 1 preeurne thp £180 w.ics t!m defender's (Auckland) chare of the gat*, for with a croTvd of 5.000 (see papers) and a large stand full of spectators, the gToas receipts miiftt h-nve exceeded th.c amount Stated. Vet the whole amount is eaten up by expenses, and it eeems to rne, sir, onv is making a. fat thing out of a public gronnd being closed. Mr. Livereidge mentions the sum of .€2O poid to t.he City Council for the use of tlip ground on each occasion. 1 question if £20 compensates tha Council for the way the turf is out up t>y a large crmvd, extra digging of post holes, employing OTtra labour and losing the fees of other eperr-t.s. He makes much of the fact thnt other eporte are allowed to play Tnatchee on portions of the ground, yet two eenior hotkey Tuaichee -were cancelled owing to Victoria Pnrk being taken np by the Anckland Rueby league, and tie omits to state how These pitches are partly spoilt by lark of room. Tn one instance I noticed the corner flag on a soccer pitch, on the top of the bunk which Tim 6 round tho ground, and that each player hafi to pay the usual fee to the Northern Union inetead of to the City Council, and that followers of teams mus-t pay the 1/- entrance fee and thiie swell the coffers of the Auckland Rugby League.— T xm, <>tc.. FAIR PLAY.