SYDENHAM PARK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIII, Issue 12159, 24 March 1900, Page 5

SYDENHAM PARK.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Having read the letters of the representatives of the Cricket Club, the superficial reader will have come to the conclusion that that club is a much-abused body. Let me say here that I regret very much having to make mention of the club at all, and did not a fair and intelligent (statement of the case demand such mention, I would gladly have ignored the club’s existence. After .all, the club has done no. more than remind us somewhat forcibly of the old selfish spirit innate in human nature. But in the letters before me there is something additional. Having secured its own ends at the expense of others, it would now poise as the benefactor of the Sydenham borough and the patron saint of the schocl-chudren, together with the football and hockey clubs. We may be ungrateful, but this is really too much. . - I am accused of showing bad spirit, ox advocating a worse cause, and of being untruthful. We shall see. I think that I can soon make it plain that not one of the many charges made has in any way been refuted or weakened. Each stands as when it was stated. There has been no impatience, no haste. Of what I am speaking I venture to say I have complete knowledge. As to the expert evidence, it is said that I am “ grossly misleading,” and that the evidence supplied to the football and hockey clubs has been “ unreservedly withdrawn. This is altogether and absolutely false. The evidence still stands in its entirety. Not a single word has been withdrawn. Mr French still holds to his full and deliberate conviction as expressed in his letter to the Hockey Club,; ats anyone who cares to interview him may find out. As to the information upon which the expert evidence was based, it was supplied m the first! place by the committee of the Hockey Club through its secretary. Mr French was just asked to carefully inspect the oval and send in a written report as to the effect of the playing of football and hockey upon it in view of next season’s cricket, mention being made -of the idea, entertained by some, that such playing would unfit the Park for cricket. So much for that. Whatever may be on the Cricket Club’s books, it is certain that the application referred to by myself, was made about February, and this was our first intimation of the club’s application. Then it is said that I object to the Cricket Club making the oval good for their game. Nonsense! No such thing. A fortnight or three, weeks is 'all the time the ground man at Lancaster Park gets to put the ground in order for cricket, but we were quite prepared to go off the ground in the middle of August, giving the dub two months and a half to prepare their ground. But this wouldn’t do. We must keep .off altogether. , I thought I made it clear enough to the average mind 1 that, the Cricket Club had the use of the oval alone. The veiled attempt of two of your correspondents to foster ill-feeling between the Football and Hockey Clubs, or to insidiously imply that they are not on friendly terms, T can only describe as despicable. In all our agitation this year regarding the ground 1 we have worked together, representatives of the respective committees meeting to arrange their modus operandi. Then we are told of all the money •spent by the' Cricket Club on the oval, which is variously estimated at £524 and £BOO. All this is trivial, and too transparent. Let me ask one question. For whom is this money spent? In whose interests? The interests of the Cricket Club, or the interests of the borough ? If the Cricket Club is justified by its funds to spend money on the oval for its own members that surely is its affair. Moreover, they have not pointed ouf that by spending money on the Park they are distinctly the gainers. They have the ground free of charge; all ■they have t# do is ikoi improve itjj. whereas.

if they had not that ground, they would have to rent a ground as well as improve it. As to the pavilion, the erection of that is only another instance of the partiality, of the Council. The Park was all too small as it was. It might be explained that the pavilion is locked up during the winter, and is only used by those paying for such use. Last winter the Hockey Club paid the Cricket Club 30s for its use. The Cricket Club, too, does much for the children. Might I ask why it is so considerate here? Is it just to afford the children a little amusement or to secure promising players for the future. Mr Goodman is wrong; as things stand at present, the whole of the Park is to be ploughed or levelled; no part is to be reserved for school children and others, and hence our indignant protest. But all this is really beside the mark, and I have referred to it at length only to show that all stated in my former letter is unaffected by the version from the other side, and is absolutely true. Our quarrel is not with the Cricket Club, but with the Council. Summarised briefly, the case is as fol-. lows: —The Council has prohibited the football and hockey Clubs, together with school children and others, from playing in the public Park from April 1 right through the winter season, i.e., for all practical purposes the Park is closed for six months.< This drastic edict is to be enforced (a) that' one club may have the oval in its own hands all the winter through, having hadit all the summer already; and (b) that the Council may improve the rest of the ground.; Such improvements (I refer to the ground outside the oval) may be needed, but, sure-' ly, half the ground might be done at once ;; i.e., while the oval was being utilised by, .the public. The rest of the ground could; he ploughed up, and then next season, if the’ Council thought fit, the oval might be at-, . tended to. . But no, the Cricket Club oh-', jected to this, and so it was not done. It; should not be overlooked that the winter clubs paid 30s respectively for the use of the Park last year, while this year they, were prepared to go up to £4 or £5. I am obliged to Messrs Gibbs and Saunders for their sympathy and promised help.| Probably the two courses suggested by, them will be adopted. When I explain that' in a few weeks I shall be leaving the colony, { it Will be seen that the decision of the Couu-j oil will not affect me personally, even; though I do play, hockey, but I do thinfci that prompt and vigorous action should be taken by the borough to compel the Council to rescind, or at least considerably modify its resolution, in the interests of our youth. I fear that unless they are compelled, they will not move.—l am, etc., T. A. WILLIAMS.