HOCKEY GROUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 101, 2 May 1933, Page 12

HOCKEY GROUNDS

LEASING FEES

COUNCIL CRITICISED

The fees charged by the City Council for the use of hockey grounds in Wellington, and the action of the council in prohibiting schoolboys from playing hockey on Karori Pavk and other recognised grounds on Saturday mornings, were criticised by Mr. S. B. Browne, chairman of the management committee of the Wellington Hockey Association, in an interview with a "Post" representative. Mr. Browne said that prior to: the 1924----25 season the council charged the association £5 5s a season for each ground, but since then the fee had been £10 10s a ground. For the use of Karori Pavk, which contained seven playing areas, Northland Park, and the Pirie Street ground, the association was paying £94 10s a season. This year it, was suggested that the fee for each ground should be increased to, £15 15s, but the' Mayor and certain councillors opposed the suggestion. "Had that proposal been carried out, it would have meant the end of hockey in Wellington," said Mr. Browne. -."The association could not have paid the fees." Dealing with the Kilbirnie Recreation' Gvound, Mr. Browne said that up to .1930 the association wag paying £10 10s for the use of the playing area there. During the 1930-31 season, the council decided to drain the portion of the ground which was being used for hockey, thus preventing any further use of the gvound for that season. When this fact was pointed Out to the" council, the Town Clerk wrote stating that'the matter would \><s taken into consideration when the grounds were being allocated the ■ following ■ season. As the association had paid the full fee, and had had the use of the ground for .about half the season only, it expected a rebate, but this was refused by the cduncil. "'Now we have been granted the use of the ground subject to a payment of £1 each time it is used, and as tliere are nineteen playing Saturdays" in the season it means that, provided inclement weather does not prevent play on Saturday,! we will have to pay £19 instead of £10 103 for Ahe ground." l " The council's action in connection with the leasing of the grounds at Newtowri Park and Tanera Crescent was also criticised by Mr. Browne. . . (

POSITION OF SCHOOLBOYS.

Referring to the position- of schoolboys in, regard to hockey, Mr. Browne said that at one time schoolboys were, allowed to use the Pirie Street ground. Newtown Park, and two grounds at Karori Park on Saturday mornings subject to the games being- controlled by school masters and played under the jurisdiction, of the Wellington schools' sub-association. "Now the boys are prevented from using these grounds, the only playing areas available being three at Lyall Bay," he'said. ' "These grounds have been levelled by the unemployed; but they were not as level as they should be, and thus it is dangerous for tha boys to play on them. There are about 100 boys in the Karori district alone anxious to piny hockey, but they are prevented from N doihg so through no grounds being available. In these clays of financial stress one cannot expect the parents to pay the boys' tram fares from Karori to Lyall Bay and back for the purpose of playing hockey. If Karori Park , and other recognised hockey grounds were made available on Saturday mornings, there would be approximately 400 boys taking an active interest in the code. The position now-is that it is very doubtful whether there will be any schoolboys' hockey \this season."