SPORT AND THE RATES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1976, 5 February 1914, Page 6

SPORT AND THE RATES.

STRUGGLES OF CLUBS. COUNCIL TO BE APPROACHED. A' meeting of the Sports Protection League was held! in Turnbull's Booms last evening to consider what steps to be taken in ■ the direction of obtaining remission of rates on sports grounds. Mr. 0. P. Skerrett presided, and among those present were representatives from , Rugby, tende, and bowling bodies. . The chairman said that the question would bo an ever-recurring ono until it was sottled. They wore convinced of the justice of their claim, and, in spite of the adverse reception of the first deputation to the City Council, they meant to, persist. Mr. Martin Luckio •had proposed to the council that half cf tho rates be remitted, ,and this had been rejected by ono vote , .. Ho (the speaker) was not, content with the remission of half the rates—the whole of thorn Should bo remitted. "There can be no doubt," saijl Mr. Skerrett, "that it is in tho interests of' the Stato and the municipalities that sports should be provided for everybody. The Government provides for the instruction of the young, and it is just as'.essential that tho body should be physically exercised as the brain. Tho :two are, to use an objectionablo word, a combine. You may be sure that the nation that does not attendto tho physical education-of its people is bound 'to fail. • Our object is not to rear a handful of athletes, but to give everybody a chance in athletics." -'

■.-... Harassed Sports Clubs. "If you look at sports bodies in this countryj" the speaker went on to say, "you will see that they live a, hand-to-mouth existence. And T Want to point out one fact ihat has been overlooked j take any sports club in this country and you wilt see that they all. find it difficult to make ends meet. In Wellington the situation is intensified far more than in any other town in Now Zealand. It ; e its configuration which makes it difficult. All the flat ground about Wellington amounts in area to about tho size- of/a pocket handkerchief. Owing to the rate 3 imposed on their grounds you will soon find, that these sports clubs will bp unable to hold freehold,or leasehold properties." Mr. , Skerrett went on to say that the City Council's policy of. rating on , the unimproved value was grossly unfair to sports bodies. "Year by year," said tho speaker, "there is an increase in the taxation and soon the sports bodies will be unablo to stand it. Every open space used by sports clubs as a breath,ing space is .an asset to the. City. I 'understand , that the Karori Bowling Club is now compelled to dispose of its ground, and I believe tho Thorndon Club's ground is on the market. The City Council lias a real reason for granting us this remission, . because every ground owned , -by private -clubs relieves the congestion in- tho City grounds."-

Somo Bowling Club -Finance. Referring'to the bowling clubs, Mr. Skerrett quoted figures showing' tho amount of money spent' by them on their grounds, and their present financial positions. The Wellington Bowling Club had spent £1550 on its green,, the Thorndon; Club £1250, tho Newtown Club £500, tho Victoria Club £500, the Lyall Bay Club £250, and the Hataitai Club £605. At present tho; deficits of these clubs stood at'the; following, amounts:—Wellington £84, Thorndon £70, Lyall Bay (credit balance) £63, Hataitai £48, Newtown (credit balance) £9, Viptorio"!iE9.'."V The -overdrafts ■ at tho banks of those clubs wero as follow:—Wellington £306, Hataitai £479, Lyall Bay' £63, Thorndon £27, Newtown £16, while* Thorndon had a credit balance of ,£66. Improvements had swallowed up this amount, however, plus £100. As showing the increase in rates, tho lower green at Thorndon was rated in 1903 at £23 25.'3d., and. in 1913 at; £51 14s. sd. Tho total amount coming' to the City Council at present in rates on sports grounds was, £464 12s. Ed, / " . '

Mr. Gamble, the next speaker, .referred to . Mr. Skorrett's, remarks in reference to tho Thorndon Bowline Club. Club, he said, had reclaimed what, was practically slum land, and,'.at its own expense, transformed it into a recreation ground. This had cost them one or two thousand pounds. .The £50 of £C 0 in rates each year was crushing the life out, of the olnb, aiid the Thorndon ground was now for sale. . ■ ■. r

_.:.;. the Govenifaient." :Mr. J.vR; Stan'sell, president of the 'Lyall;, Bay Bowling Club, was afraid that tho City Council would not grant the request cvih if another were sent. Hβ considered , that the Government should bo approaohed on tlio matter. Tringham moved:—"That the City Council be asked to receive another .deputation on tho matter." Mr.'JMartin Luckio seconded the motion, rlhe last deputation, he said, had approached the council at an inopporfuno time. Hβ felt perfectly confident, however, that they would receive, a better hearing were they to approach thorn' again. The rest of the speaker's remarks were mainly on tho lines of the chairman's. / ■ Mr, Fuller was [of the same opinion ;as Mr. Stansell in regard to approaching the Government. ■. ,If .they did not pet satisfaction from the City Council they should form a, deputation of representatives from the whole.of the sports bodies 'in New Zealand, and ask the Government to move. The Government had given the power of rating grounds to tho council to bo used in its wisdom, and, as this power had not been .used in wisdom, they should ask that it be taken "away. . The speaker felt sure that tho Government would move. Mr. W- Perry (suggested that it might be wiser to let the matter of approaching the Government wait until a. deputation had approaohed the council. -After further discussion it was decided to leave the matter of approaching tho Government over for the present. Tho motion that a, deputation approach tho City Council was then carried.