NEED FOR GROUNDS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 218, 10 June 1933, Page 5

NEED FOR GROUNDS

Girl Basketball Players PLEA TO CITY COUNCIL The assistance of the 'Wellington City Council in tue provision ot grounds lor basiietnait uas sought by a deputation from the Wellington Association, which waned on the reserves coiuui.tiee ot the council yesterday. The deputation consisted ol Miss M. E. -Armstrong, president of the association, Mrs. IJ. D. Muir, vice-president, aud Mrs. K. SI. Smith, secretary, . . Miss Armstrong said the association appealed tor the City Council’s consideration for the needs of 1250 players. Ibe participants were between 13 and -0 years of age, and were for the most part girls who had left school and who earned comparatively little money. Such games as golf were beyond their reach on the ground of expense. . . At the present time the association was dependent on school grounds. There were usually only two school grounds available in even the thickly settled parts of the city, and in some cases the courts were unsuitable through being too rough or sloping in formation. Some grounds were definitely dangerous. Twenty Courts Required. About 20 courts were needed.. These should measure <3O feet by 100 feet, but by arrangement it would be possible to play three games on the one court during an afternoon, thus one ground would give recreation for 54 girls. In 1930 they made a request for grounds, and it was intimated to the association that if it could raise the sum of £250, something might be done for them. This they managed to.do, but when they handed over the money to the council it found it could do nothing just then, being short of money. The money was banded back, and was lying on fixed deposit. Mrs. Muir said that if the council were to lay out four courts, it would provide «ix tennis courts for use during the summer months. They were now being asked what had been done with the money subscribed. They had simply sat quietly until they saw that the council’s budget was balanced on the right side. The new ground at Hataitai was now nearly complete, and they asked the assistance of the committee to get part of that area for basketball in the winter time. Largest, Yet the Last. “Wellington has the largest association in New Zealand,’’ said Mrs. Muir, "yet it is the last one for grounds. Even in such places as Gisborne and Wairoa the local councils have provided courts for the girls.” Cr. Burns (acting-chairman) said that the request would be given consideration, lie was glad to hear the Hataitai ground would be considered suitable. People who could raise £250 for the game deserved some consideration. “You were lucky to get it back!” said Cr. Semple. “I do not think it. will be difficult, to suggest to the council that something should be done,” said the acting-chair-man. “The council is still hard up. but the matter will be referred to the director of parks for a report, and in due course referred to the council.”