THE CHURCH AND SPORT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 5 March 1914, Page 4

THE CHURCH AND SPORT.

A SERMON CONDEMNED

BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND, March 5. Some weeks ago the Rev. Jaspar Calder, a young Anglican clergyman, who is well-known here as "the sporting parson," delivered a special address to sporting men, the gist of which was that there should be a stronger sympathy between active Church workers and sporting men. Horse racing had come to stay, and the pz*eacher thought it would be better for the Church to accept that fact, and endeavor to make sport a good clean one, than to display antagonism towards horse racing, which would only alienate the sympathy of a large body of perfectly reputable men: connected with sport. This address was j considered at a meeting of the Diocesan! Social Questions Commission, when the following resolution was passed unanimously: "That this Commission regrets, and strongly disapproves of the pulpit utterances of the Rev. Jaspar Calder, as reported in the Press on the 'betting evil.' "

Interviewed, Mr Calder was reluctant to make any reply to the Commission, which, he said, was doing much excellent and very useful work. "But, as regards the gambling evil and racing generally," said Mr Calder, "the voice of the Commission seems to show that they have taken an entirely one-sided view. I believe I have had enough experience of racing myself to give both sides of the question. Until one can do this, one is bound to find a difficulty in gaining the sympathy of the sporting man in one's efforts."