Games Costs Criticised

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31981, 7 May 1969, Page 19

Games Costs Criticised

Arguments advanced in a circular distributed in Christchurch yesterday by a body calling itself the “Scrub the Games Committee” were Jaterrefuted by Mr E. H. Williams, the secretary of Commonwealth Games Promotion (Canterbury). The circular called on ratepayers to protest against Christchurch’s application for the 1974 Commonwealth

Games on two grounds—cost and political implications. The games in Christchurch would attract only a few thousand people, a mere frac-

tion of the figure which would be available to Edinburgh next year, said the circular. “It is admitted that there will be gains, in the form of a number of superior-type sports facilities, but in most cases these facilities will become *white elephants,’ as has happened in Perth,” it said. The circular said the heads of African-ruled countries were interested in the games only as a means of exerting some form of political blackmail New Zealand, it claimed, might be placed in an embarrassing position if it was threatened with a boycott unless, for example, it changed its policies on South Africa. The man behind the “Scrub the Games Committee,” Mr A. N. Clifford, believes the city has enough on its hands without the risk of losing large sums of money on a project which he describes as

“not only a big risk, but no longer desirable.” Mr Williams replied: “It would be desirable for Mr Clifford to be better informed before he misleads the public. We would like to talk to him and bring him up to date on the costs. “The local bodies in Canterbury have been taken into our confidence and, as far as we know, all except two will be contributing to the cost of the games." Mr Williams said the points raised on the colour problem were not valid, and this was known by the members of the deputation which represented Christchurch in Jamaica in 1966 and by the representative who went to Mexico City last year. “We have established strong and lasting friendships with the representatives of these African countries, and we know their feelings on the Commonwealth Games,” he said.