THE SPORTS LEAGUE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143647, 15 November 1911, Page 6

THE SPORTS LEAGUE.

REPLY TO CLERICAL ATTACKPer Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 14. Considerable surprise is felt in local sports circles regarding what is considered to be the extraordinary manifesto issued by the Auckland Ministers’ Association concerning the Now Zealand Sports Protection League. The manifesto was brought under the notice of Mr. A. Boyle, president of tho local branch of the league, by a Press reporter to-day, and Mr. Boyle was quite amazed at the attack, which was based on entirely wrong premises. “The solo object of the league,” he declared, “is to protect and purify sport. It is absolutely untrue to say • that we arc fighting for the restitution of the bookmaker, or that we desire the extension of the totalisator, or that we would multiply tho number of racing days in the year. If the secretary of the morthern branch caused the ministers to believe what they seem to believe in their manifesto, then bo was altogether exceeding bis duties and claiming for the league objects which it docs not profess. The league has nothing whatever to do with tho claims attributed to it by the Auckland ministers. The league has nothing whatever to do with the claims attributed to it by tho Auckland ministers. The league docs not stand for the bookmaker nor for an increase in tho days of racing, nor for the extension of tho totalisator, nor for the liquor interests. It has nothing to do with any of these. Tho league moreover, is against all public exhibitions of sport on Sundays, but it believes that* each individual has the right to spend part of the hours of Sunday in harmless amusement, provided that by doing so he gives no offence to tho community in general.”