IN PROTEST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1277, 4 November 1911, Page 12

IN PROTEST.

THE PEESS AND ITS DUTY. Tho following letter anent recent happenings has been received during the week. It is a iittle unfair—especially in the reference to "personalities—but our correspondent is entitled to his views. Ho states.—

To the Editor, sir,—ln your cricket column on Saturday last, under the above heading your representative, "The Breaker," takes the chairman of the. Wellington Cricket Association to task for comments mado by him at a recent committee meeting with regard to tho reporting of cricket matches in Wellington. In doing so, he has taken advantage of the occasion to indulge in some personalities, and this is a form of socalled criticism which unfortunately is only too prevalent in our local cricket reports.

No good sportsman (and the player referred to is one of the best, in spite of the critic's insinuations to the contrary) objects to criticism, and when tho critic is n sufficient!}; good judge of tho subject under review, much good may be dono by showing up the weak spots and pointing out a remedy. But the personalities ono so frequently sees in local reports do not servo this good purpose. I am as ready as anyono to admit that, the press has done a tremendous amount, for "Wellington cricket and sport generally, but the difference in tone between many local cricket reports and those of other parts of the Dominion on their own matches and players is very noticeable to anyone who takes the troubla to read and compare them. There seems to bo a tendency with the press in Wellington to belittle our cricket as much as possible, and much that is said, is quit* unfair and uncalled for. Tb.ero is no other place in the Dominion, at all events among the larger centres, where cricket is played under such great disadvantages, cither for practice or matches, as in Wellington. One frequently hears the opinion expressed by players from mi>rc favoured places that it is a wonder cricket progresses in Wellington at all, and yet the play compares favourably with that of any other part of tho Dominion. An outsider reading our local reports would often not-think so, and would come to the conclusion that a cricket mutch in Wellington was a thing to stay away from. Is our cricket so dreadfully bad as one would be led to suppeso it is by reading the latter part of the article above referred to? Surely those comments cannot bo considered fair criticism by anyone who knows anything of Wellington cricket. There is something more in the game than wild attempts to bang every ball out of tho Basin Reserve, but apparently nothing short of that stylo of "fireworks" cricket will satisfy tho writer of the article mentioned. Fortunately, tho general public appear to havo a batter opinion of local cricket than tho average pressman, if tho al tendance at matches can lio taken as any indication.

It is a well-known fact that the attendance at matches in Wellington far exceeds those of any other place in the Dominion both at championship and representative matches, so that apparently tho public is of opinion it gets fair value for its money.

It seems a pity one shonld so often hear the opinion expressed by many people that they only kok at tho scores and never bother to read the reports, but tho remedy for this is in the hands of "The Breaker" and his fellow-writers.

I do not wish for a moment to infer that ono paper is worse or better than another in its ideas of criticising the game or the players, but it is the tone of report? such as the one referred to, and similar ones that appear from time to time that is to be deplored.

The game in Wellington, for many reasons, wants all the assistance it can get to make it flourish, and surely the press can lend a helping hand without going beyond the bounds of fair criticism. —I am, etc.,

CHAS E. STEVENS, Late hon. secretary Wellington Cricket Association.