OBSTA PRINCIPLES.

Evening Star, Issue 3643, 26 October 1874, Page 3

OBSTA PRINCIPLES.

To the Editor. Bir, — Having read in your Friday night’s issue a- report of the meeting of the committee of the Athenaeum, I was very sorry to find that they seem to have an intention of introducing billiards into the lower hall; and as I feel sure by so doing they will be introducing a great evil (more especially to young members who-do not at present under stand the game), I have taken this liberty of trespassing on your valuable time and space in order to draw the members’ more particular attention to it, and so beg one and all of them to give this matter their full and serious eensideration. I think the following may be considered reasonable objections ;—la the fiist place, owing to the room that a proper-sized billiard-board occupies, coupled with the costliness of the same, it is almost impossible to indulge your taste for the game in private, and as only four can piny the game at one time, it will necessitate all other members that are desirous of playing to wait the completion of a game or . Ise adjourn to a public house ; but should they wait the comoletion of the game, still only four can take part in the ensuing one, unless they make up a game of “ pool ”, or “ shell outand here comes one of the inseparable associations of billiards' for they cannot play either of these two games without gamb i«g. What is pool with nothing in it ? or how could players shell out without parting with anything*? I find by your report that one of the gentlemen of the committee is of opinion that, by introducing billiards, there would be an increase of one hundred meat hers per month; an<J as billiards would 1 e their ostensible reason for joining, i think their society would ■not be conducive to the well-being of the present junior members of the Athenaeum, and am sure that they would be well able to monopolise at least four billiard tables. And I was very surprised t» find that another gentleman considered billiards as good as good rs cricket, and should be encouraged. Will he kindly take crickets and its associations, the healthy exercise it affords to the body, played iu the open air on one of nature’s green tables, and take billiards with its associations of gas. gambling, late hours, and drink ; then 1 feel convinced that Lo will never iusult cricket again. There ia another gentleman, wuo fully recognises the present evil of billiards, as he' says ic would bo far better for those who now play billiards at public houses io nave a place where they could enjoy the game free fiom temptation. Does it m.t occur > o hua that it would be preferable to allow a younger member to remain in his present state of ignorance of billiards than to- give him opportunities of learning the game, and so expose him io temptation? I j ere it not for monopolising too much of your valuable space, 1 could show many more objections, and'enumeratc several cases of young men being entirely ruined by billiards, and at the cost of some hundreds of pounds. I myself have just learned sufficient to give it up, and, believe me, 1 am now as disgusted with billiards as I was once infatuated with it.—Yours, c., A Member of the A'JHenasum. Dunedin, October 76.