CONTROL OF SPORT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 4, 30 September 1943, Page 3

CONTROL OF SPORT

Views Of National Bodies FURTHER MEETING LATER

Representatives of national sports bodies at. the conference held in M’ellingtou yesterday to consider the formation of a New Zealand Council of Sport were of opinion that they were, controlling their respective sports satisfactory, and were dubious about handing over control to a new organization. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided that the national bodies should be supplied with a draft of the constitution of the new body, and that a further conference should be held in about six weeks time. ~ . , Air. H. I. Austed, president of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, said his council had never had a communication from the Wellington Provincial Council of Sport, and its delegates bad come to the conference for information. His organization was an amateur body, and this was a question, which would have to be seriously considered. Before agreeing to the formation of a National Council of Sport, they would like to be sure that there was a need for such a body. . „ , Air. J. A. Redwood (M'clhngton Rugby League) said he remembered Air. Parry recently stating that the Government was out to help athletic sport in every way, but he had not heard of any support yet coming from the Government. By the formation of a national body, there would be everything to gain and nothing to lose. Air. D. T. M’oodfield (New Zealand. Amateur Cycling Association) asked, if the various national sports bodies were not prepared to come in, would there be a danger of victimization. Air. B. O’Neill (New Zealand Swimming Association) said he was concerned about, the fear of national bodies being controlled by provincial organizations. If the national bodies were prepared to set up an organization to represent the whole of them this could be done, as ■they were the only, people who could do so " Air, S. S. Dean (chairman of the.council of the New Zealand Rugby Union) said he would like to know what had been the actual benefits which had accrued as a result of the formation of the National Council of Physical Welfare and. Recreation. An assurance had. been given ■ that there was to be no interference With sport but he would like an assurance that, there was to be no political control or interference. They all knew what had happened in Europe. So far as grounds were concerned, the question could best be served by the sports bodies, getting together and taking united action. No patronage should be accepted from the Government, and a cardinal plank should be that there should be. no .political control or interference. Air. A. D. Bayfeild (New Zealand Rowing Association) said that, while the objects of the conference were good, they were being approached in the wrong way. Control must remain with the national bodies He suggested that delegates should revise their objects, and send them out to the national bodies. This ' va s only way in which their aim could be at Mi\ L A. Campbell, president of the New Zealand Football Association, said that the national sports bodies had been carrying on very successfully in the past, and he did not see how the. proposed organization could improve tilings. Mr. Dean said that one thing the National Council of Sport should not interfere with was the distribution ot e<l M? n A nt C. Kitto (Wellington) said the merchants were only too pleased to allow the M’ellington Provincial Council of Sport to make the allocations ot m M e r. l! j’. Aleltzer (Wellington) said tne national bodies should accept the chairman's assurance that there was to be.no interference with their domestic affairs. If the Government decided at any time to go in for the regimentation of sport, could not such a threat be better handled by a united body? He appealed to the national bodies for an expression of goodwill toward the formation of a National Council of Sport. ' Air Bell (Canterbury) said that a survey taken in Canterbury showed that 50 per cent, of the .personnel .of the Air Training Corps under 18 years of age took no part in summer sports. The Government was faced with the fact that the physical development of the manhood of New Zealand was at a low ebu. For this reason the provincial councils of sport had been set up. He was not convinced that physical exercises did children much good. If they could get the children into some form of physical recreation they might avoid regimentatloMr. A. J. Pabst (Taranaki) said they could take it that the provincial councils of sport were in favour of the formation of a Dominion body with safeSU Mr. S ’Kirkland (Southland) said the councils of sport only acted when requested to do so. "by sports bodies. Hie Southland council had already straightened out many difficulties which. sports bodies had been unable to cope with. He instanced the cases of rifle ammunition and material for the upkeep of tennis courts. Each provincial council had been given plenty of work without see.i--112 Alix' Croker (Taranaki) suggested that the national bodies should be supplied with a copy of the constitution of the proposed Dominion Council of Sport, in order that they might consider it. The object of promoting sport was to make the nation healthy. On the motion of Air. Bayfeild, seconded by Air. Dean, it was decided that national 'bodies should be supplied with copies of the proposed constitution, and that a further conference be called .in six weeks’ time to consider the question ot representation on the newly-formed body.