NATIONAL SPORTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 184, 30 April 1919, Page 8

NATIONAL SPORTS

CONFERENCE 7 * —. — ■REPKESENTATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT. A conference was held recently in London of associations governing sports in tho United Kingdom. Decisions were arrived at on important matters upon whioli negotiations havo been opened with the Government. Sir Home Gordon presided, and. .representatives of many sports wore present.' A series of memorials was adopted >_ as drawn up by a sub-committee consisting of the cuairinan' (London Cricket Club Conference), Mr. 1!. Wagstaffe Simmons, and Major K. H. Swainson (hon. secretary to tho conference). It was agreed to forward these toeacli member of the Government and to every member of Parliament, and to ask that, in the event of a request to any particular department being turned down, a deputation should'Be received to placo further arguments and facts before tho responsible Minister. The memorials state that the medical board statistics during tho / war revealed a 66rious situation in .regard to the very low percentage of .fit men, and that increased facilities for sports aud recreation will tend to reduce unrest and strikes. The increasing difficulties of participating in sports and recreation are seriously limiting the growth of sport and forcing clubs out of existence, In regard to tho serious shortage of outdoor spaces for organised games, attention is called to tho fact {that hundreds of thousands of additional players who took up sports for tho first time when they were in the forces have to be provided for. The conference suggests tho following remedies to the Government;— (1) Tho Crown to acquire ground and to let it at .low rentals, with'a further annual redemption price, if the freehold is desired. (2) Tho Crown to instruct and to give powers to municipal bodies to do tho same. (3) The Crown to urge authorised public bodies and suitable trustees to act in tho capacity of trustees for the above purpose. - (4).T0 onsuro that sufficient and- suitable open spaces for playing organised games are set apart in tho vicinity of all towns. ■ It is estimated that tho amount of ground needed for recreation purposes— namely, playing fields—is/the minimum of two acres per 1000 of population, and that it should bo increased proportionately in districts where large numbers of men are .resident.

Suggestions have been made -Ijv tlio eonferenco to tlio Chancellor •of tlm Exchequer that, in viow of the need for every possible encouragement, tlio State should exempt ;ill grounds not run for profit from taxes of all kinds.

The death has taken place at Loose, near Maidstone, of W. 11. I'ryer, ftn old Kent County professional cricketer, who was in his 00th year. He played in nearly SO county matchcs between ]852 and 1872, and afterwards acted as umpiro in many county fixtures.