The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, JUNE 16th, 1939. A PROPOSITION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 25, 16 June 1939, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, JUNE 16th, 1939. A PROPOSITION

THE recent criticism of the sports facilities as they exist in Whakatane, has apparently aroused wide interest and judging by the number of letters coming forward from those actively engaged in athletics of various kinds, the BEACON feels that the seed has not been sown on stoney ground. The facts are briefly these. (a) Whakatane possesses a centrally situated area of fifty acres, which has been purposely set aside as a recreation ground. (b) Apart from a small section of wellkept croquet lawns, a picturesque drive and gardens, a band rotunda, and a gum plantation there is little else to indicate that it is anything more than an open paddock. (c) The controlling body, the Domain Board, claims that while it desires to lend every encouragement to sporting organisations to make use of the grounds, owing to its limited funds has no method of effecting improvements. (d) The Board is willing to work in co-operation with the sporting organisations, if they on their part will lend tangible assistance, by way of raising funds. (e) The average sporting body has little or no money to spare after meeting the expenses and administrational costs arising from its own particular activities. (f) The most glaring needs at the present time are, Changing rooms, Stand and Conveniences. The board is also endeavouring to purchase a motor mower. It is obvious from the foregoing that while sport in Whakatane will never be put on a sound and proper basis, without the proposed facilities, there appears to be a complete absence of funds to carry them into effect. Either, the town must throw up, its hands in adject despair, and revert to the same; unhappy state of affairs, or else make some effort to bring its domain into line with those of other and much smaller centres in all parts of New Zealand. If something of the spirit which promoted and ran the Winter Show couJLd be directed into the field of athletics, then the problem of funds would be easily overcome. Government assistance to the extent of £100, has been promised by way of labour in the actual laying out of the grounds. What is to prevent Whakatane raising a £4 to SI subsidy and building up that sum to £500. Why not a QUEEN CARNIVAL into which all branches of sport could be drawn? We understand there is a movement afoot, to raise funds for the laying down of new Basketball Courts. There is also an effort to instal electric floodlighting for the benefit of Rugby footballers. These piecemeal methods inflict an unfair and heavy burden on the individual clubs. By a combined effort in the shape of a short but intensely worked Queen Carnival campaign the responsibility becomes a common one, shared by all organisations who will be future users of the grounds. A four cornered contest sponsored by as many queens, representing say,. Town Rugby, Country Rugby, Hockey and Cricket, and Basketball and Croquet, would if properly conducted stimulate a wide; interest and if spread over a short six weeks furnish a handsome return. Few families are not interested in sport of some kind and if by a public effort during the winter months when town and country are best" able to co-operate their endeavours, Whakatane can raise sufficient funds to permanently equip its domain grounds, then it is high time to get moving. The call is now for a united movement from the sports bodies to convene a public meeting for the purpose of discussing ways and means of raising money for putting our recreation ground in order.