LETTERS TO EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 212, 4 June 1929, Page 12

LETTERS TO EDITOR

CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS ON CURRENT QUESTIONS SPORTS GROUNDS Sir, —May I correct a statement emanating from the secretary of the Rugby Union to the effect that the Rugby Union ‘"have insufficient grounds for the number of matches to be played.” In contradiction let me point out that there are no early games on Saturday next on the following areas:—Day’s Bay, Taita 2so. 2, Scots College (two areas), Croydon and Petone No. 2. In connection with the last area, the Rugby Union bring in from Petone a fifth grade team to play ou Wakefield Park No. 1. Also, if the position be so acute, why do the union pay for two areas on Newtown Park and only play on one? This I contend is a clear case of misuse of public property, but evidently the union consider ten guineas ground fee a cheap method of keeping the League game out. Again, Sir, why should schoolboys occupy playing areas on Saturday afternoon when their fixtures could be arranged before noon? There are ten games on Saturday afternoon by secondary schools down to fourth grade. Of course, the building up of our youth is a fine thing, but to have them using areas when there are players who can only play on Saturday afternoon does not appear sensible to the writer. Taking the city areas and city teams, excluding secondary schools, the true position in the Rugby Union is: Number of city teams, senior to seventh grade, 106; number of city areas under control of Rugby Union, 33, with a capacity, playing late and early games, of 132 teams. That, Sir, shows a difference of 26 teams, or, 13 games. There are also five unavoidable byes. These figures prove the strangle-hold the Rugby Union has upon the citizens’ playing areas. A more glaring case would be hard to find. It is a Rugby Union lactic to “pack round.” There is no doubt they intend to “pack round” our city reserves, even if they nominate kindergarten teams in doing so. —I am, etc., WM. CORCORAN, Hon. Secretary, Wellington Rugby League. Wellington, May 29.