THE SPORTS PROTECTION LEAGUE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14290, 28 February 1912, Page 12

THE SPORTS PROTECTION LEAGUE.

to THE -DITOH. OF "TH* TB-SS." Sir, —Tho leaders of tho abovo j 1,-enguo are anxious to secure support, and with this object they aro endeavouring to persuade the public that thenaims aro praiseworthy. It is evident that the aim of tho League is to make •in aggressivo attack upon the sacred_ess of the Lord's Day. In support of this contention, I would call your attention to the words of the organising secretary at tho Christchurch meeting last Wednesday. Ho is Areported to havo said the League in "opposed to tho extremist section which endeavoured to curtail individual liberty to indulge in' healthy exercise and recreation on Sundays."' Further on, he stated "If the extremists .succeeded in thoir intention to abolish the liquor traffic and gambling, they would look round for something else to do. They would probably take up the question of Sunday observance, and leavo nothing for people to do on Sunday but go to church. 0 From this it can easily be inferred that Mr.Paape is against the abolition of the curses of gambling and the liquor traffic, and that he -wishes to snake the Lord's Day a day of pleasure. Extremists, os he terms them, have no desire to interfere with the innocent enjoyment and recreation of anyone. Sports aro encouraged iv connection with our Bible classes and Y.M.C.A.'s. We, however, as a community ought to preserve the sacredness of the Lord's , Day. , It is a day God has given as a gift to man to be observed as a day of rest and of worship. The cheap sneer of *Mr Paape "nothing for people to do on Sunday but go to church" contains a great truth. Sunday is a day to go to chnrch to worship God. The welfare of our nation depends on our observance of tho Sabbath. Abolish the Sabbath, then yon abolish rw-eion, abolish religion, then yon abolish morality. The' late John Bright expressed *t a& _-s conviction that "tho stability and character of £_£!___,_,- '.; „Ja__H_ r~' '"**T_*_^_^_^_—: ....

our'country, nnd the advancement of our race, depend very largely upon tho mode in which the Day of Rest which seems to have been specially adapted to the needs of mankind, shall be used and observed." This testimony of Bright is supported by the testimony of men like Macaulay, Gladstone, and other eminent men.

I understand that the different churches are considering a proposal for the formation of a Lord's Day Alliance. It ii? to be hoped that this Alliance will .soon bo formed, and that all who are convinced that the preservation of the Lord's Day Ls of vita! importance will rally round and support the Alliance. The exist* , ?:: , !* of this Sports Protection League «hc-:ld nrotis.o us to our dane;?r. If sport is (owliictrtl honestly, and does not transferees the laws of God, it lias nothing to Irnr. and does not noed protection. , Wliat the League wants is to allow golfers to entice boys from church and Sabbath school to act as caddies, to n!low anyone to indulge in whatever sport he p'.eases on the Sabliath. and to allow crcket matches, golf matches, and such like to be played on this sacred day. without considering the feelings of thoee who wish to observe thn day a> sacred unto the Lord.

An addrees given lately by % Dr. Charles Brown, of London, is appropriate to this question. "The great lack of the people to-day.' , he says, "is reverence. They had no roveTence for tho Lord's Day. and unleee they were exceedingly watchful it would be snatched away by self-interested men. Reverence for the ordinances of religion was lacking; reverence for authority was lacking in the home and our social life; reverence for old age and rcverenco for goodness were lacking. In the midst of all God was calling to them to bear their witxiees, to live the simple life, to be content to bo dubbed narrow. Puritanical, sanctimonious, Sabbatarian."—Yours, etc., LOVER OF THE SABBATH. BUSH SETTLERS. TO THX EOITOB OT "XH» PRBSS." Sir, —Wo Canterbury settlers re.reived the news of the Opposition wins in tho North Island with surprise. A lot of us farmers openly condemn the Farmers' Union for making it a political nnion. Now, 1 was there last week, and I can understand it. I was in Itaetihi, where the railway sod was turned on Monday last. One resident said to an acquaintance we met, "How are you settlers getting on?" Ho replied. "We have been there eight years. The Government promised to make the roads within two years of our taking the land up, and they have not done it. Wo have got to pack our things up and back, and unless we get a fcbange and get tho roads made, «is promised, there will not be three settlers left. Some hay* already flung their holdings up. ' The Government had no right to settle the bush until it was roaded. We- cannot hold on."

The abovo conversation was. at a settlement about ten miles from Itaetihi, I forget the name, but could Ret it, and the settler's name. I found it was not "VVardism, co much as a change of Government they wanted. I found nearly all the bush settlers are work-ing-men, who have had to carry a sClb of flour on their backs through tho bush for many a mile, and now «.ooio people would not grant them tho freehold, and talk of tho unearned increment. It ie hard-earned increment, earned under great privations and toil. I have been farming for forty-five years, and have had to rough it, but not so severely as the North Island bush settlers. Ifc takes £15 to stump, and clear an aero of' bush that has l;ecG tailed and burnt. It is the old saying, "Live, old horse, and you will getcorn some day." There is no straw there; why cannot the railway convey it free, or nearly so. The wheat chaff would he a great help in winter: al3o the fruit could be railed nearly free.— Yours, etc., "■■■■* Win. DAVIS. Cress-green Farm, Amberley.