The Star. WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1925. THE RECREATION OF THE PEOPLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17536, 13 May 1925, Page 6

The Star. WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1925. THE RECREATION OF THE PEOPLE.

The fact dial two sports bodies in Christchurch, the r.awn Tennis Association and the Cricket Association, arc engaged in an effort to clear their placing grounds of debt lends interest to a widely-signed appeal that has been made at Home in order to secure adequate recreation facilities for young people. Hadv Astor. Sir Robert Badon-Powell, Miss Margaret Rondficld, Lord Burnham, Lord Haig, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, and fifteen others sent a letter to the “Daily Mail” urging that the problem should be given the closest attention. Ibe appeal goes on to say: “From nearly every cily, town, and village comes the erv from our boys and girls and our young men and young women for more and yet more playing holds, and so great is the demand and so tar short of normal requirements the supply, that in every big city to-day a really critical, and indeed tragic, situation exists, il we examine the reasons for this serious stale of affairs we find that they are many. First, the lack of townplanning in the past, particularly in the last hundred years, i during which lias occurred the greatest influx into our cities of population from country towns and villages. Secondly, ihc building of whole residential quarters with no deliberate provision for open spaces in connection willi them; and, thirdly, the actual absorption for houses, factories, roads, and railways ot Ihc holds suitable lor recreation, many of which were previously used for that purpose.” The writers, however, do not content themselves with merely pointing out (lie need. Their letter makes the suggestion that the value of providing more playing fields for the nation as an aid to the health, strength, and happiness ot the people should he recognised in some official manner. They do not propose a Ministry of Sport, hut they do very strongly urge that the Ministry of Health, in whose hands lies the health of the people, should give a much closer attention to this matter, and in the closest co-operation with the local authorities, endeavour to find a solution. The Government which decides bv administrative and legislative action to ensure for the masses more playing and recreation fields of every kind would he doing an immense public service. Secondly, Lady Astor and the other correspondents suggest the formation of a national organisation which, without trespassing in anv way on flic functions of the local authorities or of other bodies, would co-ordinate effort and support them in thenmost praiseworthy endeavours to provide the people with adequate recreation grounds. There is so much to be said in favour of the ideas outlined that one cannot he surprised at the support that has already met the appeal. 11l New Zealand, as in Great Britain, there is a lack of adequate recreation facilities, and the remedy is not likely to come from spasmodic activity by different organisations. The urgent need is for a central organisation co-ordinating and supporting the efforts of the various bodies concerned, j The recreation of the people should not he left to lake care j of itself. The Great War was responsible for a great deal of speculation as to the contents of the mysterious scaled box, left by .loanna Southeolt, to he opened in the presence of twenty-four bishops at a time of national danger to point the way io national safety. Joanna Southeolt died in 181 !, and the whereabouts of the box lias been almost as mysterious as the supposed contents. In to-day's “ Star ” an account is given of the opening of the Joanna Southcoft box and the discovery ot an incoherent prophecy. Joanna Southcotl was an illiterate woman, xvlio became a religious fanatic, and the extraordinary thing is that so much atieution should have been paid to her prophecies. I lie Archbishop of Canterbury refused last year to summon twenty-four bishops tor ihc solemn iarcc ot opening the box, but he expressed the opinion that if would be a good thing to open the box and end the controversy. But now that the box has been opened, as one English writer remarks, there will be people foolish enough to believe that this is not the real box, and that the salvation of the country is still dependent on its discovery.