HATAITAI PARK

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 111, 6 November 1937, Page 15

HATAITAI PARK

CLUB CAPTAIN'S LETTER

(By "Sprinter.")

The comment made in these columns recently regarding, the use Of Hataitai Park by athletes has not met with the approval of Mr. J. E. Gilmore, captain of the Kiwi Amateur Athletic Club, who in a letter, of some length contends that the comment Was quite misleading and that it was made without a knowledge of the real facts. His contention in brief is that although it is desirable to have Hataitai Park'to hold sports meetings each' Saturday, the City Council reserves committee should be content as long as the Wellington Centre pays the rent for the ground, the inference to be drawn from this apparently being that clubs should not be bound to train there in the evenings during the week but instead should be able to obtain permission to train on the Basin Reserve, a more central ground. He refers to the progress made by his club when its members trained on the Basin and the move made by the club this year to once again train there, and points out that this step was taken solely in the interests of the club, that financial arrangements were made with the centre, and that the permission of the centre'was granted.

The reason for Mr. Gilmore contending that the comment was misleading appear? tp be that he feels that particular reference was made to the Kiwi Club's action this season. That is not, so, nor was mention made of any club. AH that was done was simply to draw attention to the hint dropped by the I Mayor that, if,the athletes do not make Use of the ground, the City Council reserves comrriitee would have no justification for declining an application for it byianother, organisation, and .the sug--gestion was ■made also that under the circumstances* it would be better to stick to Hataitai Park, even though it does; not meet: requirements fully.

-If Hataitai; Park is used only for Saturday sports meetings and the athletes; train somewhere else, can it be said that the; reserves committee will consider that good and sufficient use is being made of the ground, bearing in mind the use to which some other organisation probably would put it to and would be prepared to pay something more for the privilege than is being paid by the athletic centre? There is another point which cannot be overlooked and that is the question of paying the rental of the ground. Even if the centre were able to have the ground solely for Saturday meetings, the reduction 'in revenue that would result were all athletes to train elsewhere would. further embarrass a centre which now has not too much money. It is admitted that the ground j is not first-class, but facts have got to be faced, and. judging from what the Mayor said at the opening of the season, coupled with the refusal of the reserves committee to grant the Kiwi Club permission to train on the Basin, the indications are that athletes will be well advised not to drift away from Hataitai, otherwise they may be in danger of not having a ground for regular training and competition. That is the point, even though training at Hataitai probably is not as convenient for many as training on the Basin Reserve would be.