PRICE OF RECREATION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2143, 8 May 1914, Page 8

PRICE OF RECREATION

—* - ■'' ■ SPORTS BODIES PROTEST AGAINST THE RISE IN COST OF GROUNDS Recently tho Reserves Committee of tlio City Council decided to raise the charge for grounds to winter, sports bodies from £5 ss. to £10 10s. per . ground per season as a step towards lessoning the big deficit under this head. As tho result of this action tho committee was waited upon yesterday by 3icssrs. C, Cathio (representing tho .Wellington Hockey Association) and W. Wells (representing tho Wellington football Association), who protested against the proposed: increase. Mr. Cathio asked that tho committee should reconsider its decision to raise tho charges on tho city retveation grounds. Most of tho associations affected had planned their expenditxiro for tho season, and had held their annual meetings, after which this surprise had been sprung upon them. They had naturally thought that old rates would continue, and ono of tho strongest reasons for their request to reconsider tho decision was that it would upset their finances. In tho case of his association, the revenue was subscribed by tho players, and they did not encourage taking gate money as a regular thing from tho public. They had also stepped out of thoir way to oncourago schoolboys to take up tho game: That had cost them £17 last year, but at tho rate tho chargos had been raised it was doubtful if they could continuo it. Ho knew that tho cost of upkeep was much in excess of the revenue, but at tho same time ho was suro that tho ratepayers, who were the owners of the grounds, never expected them to bo selfsupporting. If tho council was going to increase tho charges, it would, mean foroing .on Spectacular displays to get attendances of the public • and their shillings at tho gate, and inoreaso the numb6r of cigarette-smokers on tho isido-lincs. His association did not look for tho attendance of tho public—they •looked to provide a healthy recreation for the youth of tho city. ,Ho had been given, to understand that each of tho city grounds 'cost £70 por annum in upkeep.. Ho would like to suggest that that amount: was excessive,' though ho might bo thought impertinent, ;but there was- another body (Karori Borough Council) which they rented '" grounds from; which only paid £272 17s. ■id. for tho upkeep of eight playing , ..areas and adjoining . shrubberies and croquet lawns.- and these'had a better , surface than.tho city grounds. Ho Wuld respectfully ..suggest that tho . council bo .asked to, defer tho matter, for six months to onablo tho associations affected to get over thoir difficulties as to fitianco for this year, and.for tho council to consider the, whole policy re-, specting tho city. '' xeseTjyosTras to ..whether they are . r ,to ~,be made ■:;;6elf-supporting or notl' Ho did not i supposo that the-,baths were self-sup-porting, and the Winter sports bodies stood in tho same relation,to the public in tho'winter as the baths 'did in - the summer., --. Mr. Wells (Wellington Football Association)' said that : tho. rise in tho : charges would seriously, hamper tho finances of his association, which numbered I 'some 1200 players, including a largo, number of schoolboys and youths ' who paid nothing at all. His association contributed the sum of £90 to the city fund, mostly out of "rep." matches. They had fairly largo gates, bub when the expenses .woro .paid; and, tho corpora- " tipii/got its percentage, it.left them witli a credit of £30, out of which £18 had beon spent on the boys. Unless greater facilities were to bo given, they could not see how they woro to meet tho increased charges at all./ ■' After questioning Mr. Wells,-JCouncil-lor.Lupkio said,that .tho.cost only work- , ed put at 4d. per man'per match. In reply to another question, Mr. "Wells said that- tho Association used to get ,-twelvo grounds at Miramar for nothing; but last season they got only ■live grounds there, for which they had paid £8." v "; ' ..Councillor Frost (chairman) 1 , pointed out,, that the upkeep.on these grounds was very heavy. It amounted to about £90 per year—£lßo a year on tho double grounds—which, was a very heavy burden. Tho council was constantly reminding them 1 that the committee must ' keep within lt3 ' allocation, or produce - something in the way of revenue. The upkeep of tho reserves cost about £7000 a year, and excluding tho Basin Reserve, tho upkeep of the recreation grounds cost £2700 a year. Tho receipts from sports bodies only amounted to 15 per.'cent, of tho amount; 85 per cent, had to bo found by the. people of Wellington. 'Towards the upkeep of tho Basin Reserve the summer sports had contributed £54 4s. 3d., and tho winter sports £15'155., whilst the Wellington Cricket Association paid an annual subsidy towards that ground oi ■ £215, so that tho winter sports did not do practically anything, and were living to a largo extent (as far as that ground was concerned) on tho cricketers and ratepayers. :Thoy had mado somo inquiries as in what was paid for grounds elsewhere, and had been advised that ' Auckland demanded £11 ss. per season for;a single ground, so that if they in Auckland were given tho privilege of playing two games on the ground their fees .would amount to £22 10s. per ground per season, as against £10 ask- ! Ed here,' Ho was convinced that the ' Wellington grounds were by a long waj the cheapest, and as had been pointed out,<it % on!y worked out to <ld. per head per man.-' There was no reason whj the Hockey Association should not plaj ' two games on a city ground, as the; did at .Karori. The deputation wouk reccivo an answer in due course,