FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM.

NZ Truth, Issue 327, 30 September 1911, Page 3

FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM.

THE LEAGUE LASHES OUT.

Christchurch Sports Create a Stir. Shows .New Zealand What is Wanted., % An Enthusiastic Meeting. [From "Truth's" Christchurch- Rep.]. Fortunately for its future 'the .nays-* tery and dark conspiracy which;, characterised the launching of tbet Sports Protection League m Wei-' lington were dispensed with m Canterbury, where the League's virgin appearance was made m the - , fierce <■ glare of publicity and with the illuminating aid of free and untrammelled discussion. The distinct coyness of the promoters m Welling- « ton with regaz-d to the objects of; the League was not manifested in> the Cathedral City r and there <:an. be no doubt about the -new body's; objective. ' IT -IS 'ANTI-WOWSER. j Amongst $he- sports and pastimes- re-.j

presented at the meeting were : — Hacing, golf, tennis, • trotting, hunting, polo, amateur athletics, swimming, cycling, motoring, rowing,', -boxing, cricket, football, kennel clubs, croquet, bowling, amateur and cash cycling and athletics, angling,, and shooting. In some cases several clubs under each heading sent delegates. In Christchurchi, of ali centres,, those who enjoy different pastimes are most often subjected to the insults of wowser insects, whose deafening noise is out of all proportion to what . might be expected from the paucity of their numbers. People who take advantage o£ the one day m the week at their disposal to tear themselves away from the enervating atmosphere of the office and factory and shop and breathe God's own ozone at the seaside, or m the parks, are reprobated by the narrowminded push ; Sunday bathing is regarded with horror, whilst golf, tennis and other innocent, and healthy amusements 'arc spoken of ns inventions of the devil. A harsh Nonconformist wrote to a locnl paper the other day calling- upon the police to PROTECT THJU LOCAL CITT.VAMAN from the person who desecrated the Sabbath by working m hus garden on the Sabbath. "If lie were a Chinaman he would V«e prnsccv.ted," remarked the wowser, wmthfully. Of course. The local Ministers' Association, or rather the wowser section • of it, which represents about twentyfive per cent, of the whole (the others being absent), recently passed, a resolution condemning R\uuiay : 'evening organ recitals, and m coni sequence the rest'ess crowds perambulate the street • iiim'essly every Sunday night as of yore, avoiding i the prayer factories as tbcigh th-'V

were plague spots. At one time the Sunday night crowup m Christchurch used to indulge m man hunts, the victim being some vociferous and indiscreet religious maniac, but the supply of religious maniac ran out, and it is now pathetic to sec the masses oi people, m streets kept dark by a monopolistic Gas Company, hoping hopelessly for a dog fight or some other diversion to turn up. The extraordinary influence of the wowser m these local matters is being extended to the Dominion's Legislature, and it is not surprising to find a wide «\.nrl billing response to the call m Christchurch for the establishment of. a Sports Protection Lcacfi.; It is true that at the n>co* iug vo light was thrown on the linanci-.l aspect, excepting that Sir Geo. Clifford was unable to be present ow-> ing to bad weather and execrable roads, but the subscription for clubs-, was mentioned as being £>1 Is, though they might subscribe larger amounts at will. Also, individuals could join the League free of cost, as it was recognised that ;i big membership spelt consolidated strength and influence to protect any threatened sport- There is a feeling abroad for the protection of the tote, buti chairman A. Boyle GAVE THIS AN EMPHATIC DENIAL.; It. -would be -absurd to say . that- thei .racing clubs . didn't realise the danger to themselves from legislation, ; he said, but the intentions and aspirations of the L«ague were nobler and wider than the mere retention; of 'the machine. The League hadi doubtless sprung from the racing , ihibs, simply for the reason that* they represented the largest sport—, mg 'body, and most likely the first r to be attacked, but sooner orslater : attacks would be made on other Tjranches of sport, and upon their liberties. The new body . was .not de-' fiant but defensive, and its^existence ; .would be " unnecessary were it not' for the constant efforts of a certain:, class of the community to continuously and blatantly advertise their Pharisaical doctrin e s and interfere with, the liberties of the people. There was a species of person whocould never let others alone,>and m the^opinion of Mr Boyle, if they >wer-e to devote their . unceasing energies to "their own affairs, a great deal of good • would be done. Though, members of the League might go<; to -church on Sundays they did not deem it their duty to go about withlamentation for the rest-of the.r-drsey. . Better far for themselves --and the.* community "for our youths to par-take-^of manly sport and. pastSnaes ..than to-'hang^about- street cornersinsulting^ passers-by.. The chairman--referred to -the- -tote-"as the legaJLme--Ijhod: :of speculation -ins. the Dominionirt from which revenue was derrsedv. ■ and he ;meirf3oned the beneficial ef-? fects of racing, upon "the 'breeding of v horses- Singular .as dt might ap-. pear to a. certain class, thousands 1 of people enjoyed racing for £he;l sport alone, but that was • not to« say that "ithrose who desired to spe^i culate within. -/their means be<-debarredv-froml doing .,-so-or^ held s up^ as . ': f OBSTECTS w fOF VICE -AND- -BBGht ; FUGACY.. \ The League .-dsflii't wish, to ofienti* any section of the caianiuiH£y ;, Its was, formed, -not . only, for "the tie-" fence of Liberty, but to -promoted clean and. healthy sport, and to 1 raise its tone m every possible ~way.In moving the resolution for tare'formation -of a Canterbury branch' of the N.Z. Sports • Protection League,- S. L. ; P. Er.ee jnasie poansfeu«reference -to -4&e>3wowser attackstime to time 'upon the maniy ar4;rf>f* boxing. On the subject of nriiSary .training, also^ the League" would be. valuable .as a^hannel for -consultation with the -defence authorities to--the ? mutual- . adwaa^age^of -:defence<and' of^the sports cJtfbs. C, F, Thomas,, who is a golf en-? 'thusiast, said that <sport ,was one of the greatest factors for the improvement of' a^peopie, morally, physically,- and socially., and was the one conamoxi ground on which all classes met< It taught men to be good citizens, and to take a lickdng with a good grace. The Leagu* was necessary to protect sports from inquisitorial and' vexatious interference »by narTOWrniinded persons who objected to people enjoying themselves*. G-. B. Ritchie, who is interested m angling and shooting, pointed out that -the BEPLOR&BLE? RESULTS UNDER/ PRCteIBITION an object lesson and gave them.: an idea of what they might expect from any movement to curtail the liberties of sport, J. Cassin was only sorry that the League had not been formed four years ago, when the N.Z. Gun Club was the subject of attack, and had to pay heavily m consequence thereof. As a member of sports bodies m Christchurch for thirty years he testified to the necessity of a protective body like the * League. Lawyer F. W. Johnston said thatalthough it was true racing was the* first sport that might expect an attack from a certain illiberal . section of the community, there was no teHing when other branches of sport: 'would also come under the ban. If ia few people fell because of the toftalisator they should not on that-; ■account condemn the machine, and j the abolition oi the tote was as unjustifiable as the abolition of business -speculation because of the number of bankruptcies, or the abolition lof churches because of the number of I cases of religious mania. They didn't ! want the Continental Sunday, but ithey wanted a Sunday on which (those who didn't desire to walk 'about with Bibles m their hands ■ could enjoy themselves without harm /to ofthei* people. He had motored j and bathed on the Sabbath, but i there was no guarantee that these 'innocent enjoyments would not be ■attacked m time. The spirit of intolerance was widespread, and he instanced the agitation which had been raised m Britain AOAINST THE 810 BOXING CHAMP IONSI-I IP . Gardening, bowls, and other healthful occupations were m danger, judging by opinions locally ox^res'-ed, and although legislatue imerfere:vi -Tr'fjtat seem remote, a victory m ono direction would eiicoiraye an unpleasant section of the com nvnnity to look round for soiii'.'t-:i.-\t" else to attack. There were other speakers m t'le same strain, the only (Usconlunt note being struck In- one !T. Co'e, delegate from ono of three ie;miti

•?ctai>s represented at the meefing.; •'^He vsaafl .be'-liad attended merely to i disco v& -the otgects of the Le^ue, s land 1 made- -the remarkable statement 'that ■tbere-'was.no indication of any, ? HLoyement-against sport. The opinioi* '''exerted .amusement. : Of coocseathe meeting was a tenta- • tive one*ind delegates will report to the various . bodies which they re>pres<»Kted, but the seatiments expressed left no room for doubt that the majority of the local organisations of sports and pastimes will 'give the League whole-souled sup-port-to combat the dark and' gloomy .proposals of wowserism.