WANT "PLACE IN SUN"

Chronicle (Levin), 15 May 1947, Page 4

WANT "PLACE IN SUN"

Ground Controversy Stating that they had • been .p^yihg in the "dark hples of Cglcutta" for over nine years and were .entitled to a "place in the .un,'.' the members of the gxecudve committee of .the Horowhenua Softball Association resolypd pfii Tuesday night to take a fitmj stand " and' fight for a hetterj ground. * f The" debate arpse fpllowing thei .arri.yaf. of a -delegate froni' the? iJorpwhehua Grieket Associatipn, Mr.*G. G. Frahee, with a •suggestion that the whole ■m.atter .of grounds be diseussed with a view to' reaching sim •amieable agree^ rhent between the two associations.' The posi'tipn today was. that two bodies wer.e contenders for the same' playing ardas, said Mr. France. Natuxally the Levin lorough Counpil, ,as the; prppprly vcbnstituted body, * wo.uld finally .allQcaie the grounds as it thought ht, hut if the a^sociatiQns .cpncerned could c.ome to sonxe amipable ^greemont, it. .could be referred to. he council 'and possibly used .as a basis' by it. . It was obvious that scme concessipns -qr. sacriflces would have tp be m,ade by both associations to tide things over meanwhile, and he was there to. ■ask the softb.all association if it w.as willing to co-opera-te. Repiying, the president, Mr. A. Trueman, said he cpnsidered the ■discussiqns prqmatjire, as the matter or grounds had merply been discuss.ed by the couneil, and the association had not y;et been enlightened as to whether dt would be allocated the Levin Park Domain or the Weraroa Reserve,. or .even ' whether Rugby Park would be cleaned up and put into order for them. Until the association had received such advice, he considered it would be "way ahead of itself" in discussing the • matter. "We don't wantto embarrassthe cr-icket association, but we want ■them to see that we want a place in the sun," said Mr. E. J. Btanley, of the Boys' Training Centre. "For years we have put. up with second grade grounds. Softball is a game that is rapidly gaining popularity, and provides sport for 180 you'ng people during the weekends. All we are asking is the use of either the Weraroa Reserye pr »the Levin Park Domain. I represent 80 players or potential ■players, who are als.o useful citizens." No pne could say that they did not dq a useful job in this town. They had never turned down - a request by sports organisations and other bodies for working partie?. The gr.ound the associatipn ' was cqmpelled to play on was dirty and unfit for the playing of sport. The girls should be aple ,fii9tplay„ip.,ldgcept .ubifQrms and the men should not have to , play in old clothes. Repiying,. Mr. France said the cricket assQeiation fully recqgnised that the .softball association was entitled to a place in the sun. , "My presence here," he continued, "shquld assure you of that. You have a .call pn a ground ;iust the same as we have. That's wny I'm Jbere." A suggestion that the playing of softball on Sundays might allevi- ! ate the position did hot meet ■ with ggneral support. Sunday

cyjj.ms,, aa/u mosG memoers, was strongly opposed by the churches, and the .council wo.uld not permit it: It had beesn suggested before an;d the cauncil had . turned it .down. Mr. France: Supposing * the cquncil -said it was ainglit to play on Sundays, would that be cqcep.table? ,Mf. ,S.tanley: It would no.t be fair to expept ,all players to tqrn .wt pn . Sundays , There are aome whpse c'onscieiace would not permit itThe only place in New Zealand he knew .of where .Sunday play was hlowed was in the West Coast, wh.er.e the mi'ners were allowed ■special .privileges, cpntinued Mr. SJnhley. "We cannpt commit players tp Sunday play whether they wish tp or not." He suggested that Mr. France could ehlighten .he meeting ,as to how many sames wpre played o.n the Levin Park Dpmain at one time. Mr. France replied that there two two, and in answer to a further ques.tipn added that three matches yere play.ed in Levin during the w.eekehd. . Mr. ilra^ce: I see yo,u are pp a.gaihst it, hut we ar.e in .the same idx tpo.. There are just not sufe•cient grounds. •During the nine years the softoall association had peen pperat"ig in ipvin it had. except for one -/par ,oh ihe .domain, had to put up With paddockS; and the hack of the schodl, said Mr. R. Skiiton. Mr. France: I take it .that you require the' total use of one ground? Mr. Trueman: I wouln't put it hat w.ay. We asked the .coun'cil for a suit.able and adequate playing area. In the -event of Weraroa heing granted to us could the •.cricket association play -on Suhday? Mr. France: Not ciub games. There wpuld he a' .difficulty with outsjkde teams. hi reply to a (,suggestiqn by one of the members fbat the 'two. associations play their matches together, it was pqinted out that here would nqt be .sufhcient pace, the softball association: ^i.yih"g to mahe' provision for". 80 players. ' Repiying to g qnestipn from Mr.: France, the president pointed out' that fpur games were played ev,ery: Saturday. "We had* hoped," he? said* '$6 cpmmence a eompetitiqn-

for school players." Mr. France replied that the cricket association was aiming to start a ' junior epmpetdtion. "What would be your reaction to Rugby Park if it was cleaned up and the sheep taken off," he concluded. Mr. Trueman: We ean't play. a f-ast game on Rugby Park and it" would take a lot of topdressing ,tb •put it in order. The cohditidns at Rugby Park had forced many of the woman members from partici•pation. Mr. France: It appears that is all that . can be said just now. J hope you will put the pqsition tp your members and that we will eventually, reach an amieable agreement. If it does come to a showdown we will fight for the grounds. When thanking Mr. France for attending the meeting, Mr. Trueman said he hoped Mr. France , would convey to his association the appreciation of the action it had taken, and the hope that an agreement could be arrived at.Fpllowing Mr. France's deparfeure, it was pointed out by members that when they ' had been playing - on the domain they had averaged 170 spectators,- whereas on Rugby Park they were fortunate to get 15 or 20. In -ihe nterests of the game they should yake a firni stand and fight for a ground. It was finally agreed that the council be asked to receive a deputation from. thp association in support of its application for an adequate playing area fOr the coming season. It was also .-suggested that the council be asked to '-approach the" cricket * association regarding a deputation, ■ so' -hat the whole matter could b,e diseussed infront of the eouncii."