THE DOMAIN CRICKET GROUND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18235, 31 October 1922, Page 3

THE DOMAIN CRICKET GROUND.

Sir,—A good deal of publicity has been, given to the scnemes for ■beautifying our parks and public places which r . are neon carried out oy tli& Mayor and superintendent of parka. It. u>> therefore* a but just that,the public should know.'that? these schejae* are being achieved at tho. expense of the city'a paying .fields.; The everincreasing body of yoftngraen ia our; midst-find themselves at the present time with quite inadequate 'spaces within, reasonable distance for organised'games., Whera - those spaces do exist, they are too ill-kept to play skilful cricket on in summer and many of them' too rough to play; enjoyable football and hockey on in winter. I assert without fear of contradiction that the pitches in the Domain -havO; : not been,, in so bad a state for 25 years, if thev ever have; this, in epite of the fact/that the ground has a caretaker of proved ability, who has been starred in „ the matter of material and labour. Not a spadeful of top-dreSsing has been provided him; in fact has been discouraged. Nor has any labour been, _ ' placed at his disposal. It has all been employed in terracing and other desirable but unnecessary task,?. It ia doubtless very} gratifying to diiive distinguished' visitors around these estimable, but b» no means necessary motor and point qut the surface beauties of Auckland, but let Mr. Gun son not take these visitors on to the award, or they will very surely laugh behind his back at this pompous building of terraces and concrete steps around a place that is kept like a cow-paddock. Let Mr. Gunson aot rely on the word of present day oricketart re* garding the state of the- Domain. Lot him "consult such men as Mr. R-* Yates, an old servant of toe city, JU£ | Sanderson, who has Just laid dewn_M . 'excellent ground at King's <>>» e fY£ ! S. P. Jones, who has played" cr.w*et on J almost every ground in g££"£*s tralia, and I venture to think that ne an his superintendent of parks wg bjvej rude awakening. Then ,' ■j/--see what sort of a g?me except i»^ seek, he could phy SSB Unless the city con find maae^ iot Te&t fa SSS sift- Hckle% whether it w * nature swathed ? enßeS ftill atthe, or to develop th*