CHALLENGE TO PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 90, 13 October 1931, Page 3

CHALLENGE TO PARLIAMENT

In July last the Te Aroha Chess Ch.. .._, sent a challenge to Parliament written' in lighter vein, a.s follows:—The Hon, Mr. Speaker, House of Representatives, Wellington. Sir,—We are directed by our; committee to invite members of the Houw to meet the Te Aroha Chess Club in a telegraphic game of chess. The .invitation, will uo doubt have the Bupport of th« Postmaster-General, as it will in.a email way increase the revenue of the Department. It should also have favourable consideration by the Minister of Finance, aii he will feel that for one evening at least he can be free with his "checks' without undue risk. Possibly the Minister for Labour will also support the proposition as * means of obtaining temporary relief front the pressing demands of the unemployed (members of the _Hpuse). for _one evening.* We count on a gp9<l reception from thai Leader of the Opposition (the Right' Hon., J. G. Coates); as any movement in th« interests of Reform is" certain of his support. The Hon. the Prentier,', with a mind for future events, may see 'in the. invitation an opportunity of sitting at th« same table as the Leader of, the Opposition, and he will no doubt arrange to hay« it considered, without moving for suspension of the Standing Orders, or in any. Way dividing the House. We trust that' the hon. members will be able to accept th« engagement. Details as to date and number of boards will be arranged on receipt of. your reply."" It is regretted-that n«i match resulted from this challenge^-prob-ably because our . present-day Parliaraenfi cannot raise a team —a great contrast tt» the days larig syne when Parliament had the services of a goodly number of .chess notables. In this connection the names of the Hon. John Ballince (WJanganui). the Hon. Johu Bryce ' (Wanganui),'th« Hon. F. Arkwright (Rangitikei), A. R. Barclay (Dunedin), the Hon. J. A. Millar (Dunedin), Dr. J. D. Greenwood (Moti* eka and Wellington), H. A. Levestant (Nelson), A. E. Remington (Marton), H« J. Tancred (Christchurch), the Hon. W« C. Smith (Waipawa), Sir R. Stout (Dunedin), H. H. Lusk (Auckland), W. L. Reea (Auckland).'the Hon. J. Rigg (Wellington), and the Hon. Jas. Carroll (Gißborne>; will occur readily to chess players of th» older brigade. So far only one chess champion of New Zealand has been elected to our Parliament, viz., Mr. John_ Mason. of Napier. In conclusion, it is interesting to recall that the Wellington^ Chesi Club's first match was against a Parliamentary team. It was played in September, 1870, three months after the cliib Tra» founded. Parliament won an exciting contest by one game (13-12). The last stag* of this match was delayed, as Mr. W. U, Rees, an Auckland member, naturalrf wanted a rest after speaking without « break for 12 hours and 40 minutes m «j stonewall that was going on lnthe iious£ ft the time! The Wellington^ C.C. equa* ised by winning the return match a niont* later.. . ' ■ ■ ' -•