NATIONAL SPORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 129, 2 June 1937, Page 7

NATIONAL SPORT

PROPOSED COUNCIL

N.Z.A.A.A. ATTITUDE

A select committee comprising Messrs. H. I. Austad, A. W. O. Travers, H. McCormick,'and A. C. Kitto was appointed by the council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last night to consider the proposal advanced by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) for the establishment of a National : Council of Sport. The. committee is to submit a report to the council.

The chairman (Mr. Austad) said he j thought the "proposal should be carefully considered. After the matter had been considered by the committee a | special meeting of the council could be called to ratify the recommendations made by the committee and see that they were forwarded to the proper j quarter by the end of June. The Minister, said Mr. McCormick, had outlined at the conference held in : Wellington certain problems which in-j his opinion should be tackled in a | national way, and he had suggested; the setting up of a national council. Beyond that the Minister had not; really gone; he had not stated whatj was in his mind as to the powers and constitution of such a body. .In effect the Minister had thrown the ball to the various athletic bodies and he had sug- j gested that they give their opinions on the general scheme. The Olympic j Association had. endeavoured to obtain j more information later, and he had waited on the Minister with a view to ascertaining what was in the Minister's mind as to the constitution of the proposed national council, but he had been unable to obtain anything! further. • ■ ; - "JOB WILL BE DONE." The attitude adopted by the Minister, continued Mr. McCormick, was that he had referred to certain problems which, had to be met and which he suggested could be met by the establishment of a national council. , The Minister had practically gone further by indicating that if the sports bodies did not come to light with suggestions the job was going to be done. That being so, it appeared to him, said Mr. McGormick, that the N.Z.A.A.A. had better tackle the job and see what it could make of it. If the Minister went ahead and a National Council of Sport was set up on lines the association did not approve' of it would be too late then for the association to complain. The associa- 1 tion had the opportunity of voicing | its views on' the proposal.

Mr. Austad said he agreed. It was an important matter, and the association should deal with it thoughtfully and carefully. If necessary the council could devote a special meeting to the consideration of the committee's report.