The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 24, 1911. PROTECTION OF SPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 25, 24 July 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, JULY 24, 1911. PROTECTION OF SPORTS.

Probably alarmed by the rigorous methods adopted for quelling much horseracing, an association has been born in Wellington which will have for its object the "protection of sports." There is no indication at the moment that sports (quite apart from horse-racing) are in need of protection, or that the 'people,, who are the arbiters in this matter, will brook interference with what is a part of their lives. The committee set up to protect sports consists of men of standing in the capital city, and presumably are devoted to sports of some kind or other—polo, golf and bowls mostly. The most important suggestion made is that there shall be no interference with Sunday sports. One may take the standpoint that an individual is entitled to do what ho likes on Sunday if he doesn't annoy the general public's sensibilities in doing it. But to make Sunday a day on which sports are to be systematically engaged in is another matter. In centres of population sport dominates the community on Saturday. All public services are used quite justly to help the people's halfholiday. Extra trains and trams are run, vehicles are hired, special "sports editions" of papers are issued, and the population generally, other than those who are engaged in serving them, have thrown off work for sport. To make Sunday such a day is to at once interfere with age-old and decent custom. It would be an offence to a very large proportion of people, and therefore inexcusable. To fill the streets and trains and cars with football crowds on Sundays might please the polo players and golf players and bowlers who are about to try the "Continental Sabbath" on us, but it would distress the majority. If the New Zealand Sports Protection Association is as wise as the presence in the committee of the couple of K.C.'s seems to indicate, they will drop the general sporting Sunday board from their platform. Probably they themselves will continue as before to indulge in their special pastimes, but they are on a hopeless "wicket" in assuming that New Zealanders generally desire to use Sunday as a recognised day for the enjoyment of all kinds of sports.