Sport and Unemployment

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 257, 26 July 1930, Page 13

Sport and Unemployment

Sir, —I was rather startled when I read 5n your issue of to-day’ date the amazing fact that the takings for the Rugby football matches to date had nearly reached the wonderful amount of £40,000. This, from a population like- wo have in New Zealand is truly staggering, and if we add to the above the total amounts received from the sale of art union tickets during the same period, amounts spent in racing and other sports, wo would be paralysed, and I feel certain would feel ashamed to talk about financial depression. The burning question of the present day is unemployment, and I cannot understand why the Government has not had its lingers deep into the profits arising from above. X do not want you to think that 1 am opposed to sport, or that I never attend a sports meeting, because 1 am passionately attached to all kinds of sport, but 1 am not, nor never have been, averse to paying to see a good game or a decent,ruu, and provided one gets a run for their inouey.it does not worry them afterwards. What Ido object to, is having to pay out a cold sum each year or quarter, or whenever the Government thinks best for unemployment without getting a run for my money. -This may be a selfish way of looking at the matter, but X am afraid that it is only human nature after all, and even the unemployed take the same view, for they don t want to work unless they get the standard wa o e, so wo are all quits. . Let the Government get down to tin tueks and tax those of us who want our sport, no matter what it costs, and, after all if wo cun pay for amusements, which many of our fellow-beings cannot afford to do, then make us do it, but don t do it with a frown and a threat of a huge penalty if we dont pay; the New Aea land public are sports enough to foot the bill if it io handed out with a smile. X am, etc., WHY WOBR y? ■Wellington, July 22.