FEILDING SPORTS.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 40, 4 November 1882, Page 2

FEILDING SPORTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PEILDrjTQ BTAB* Sib — As a public meeting has been called for tonight, to settle the question whether Feilding smould give up the day* it has now held ils annual sports ou since Boxing Day, 1874, in favor of the newlystarted Pnlmerston race meeting, it is* desirable that the position of affairs should be laid before the public. It appears that the usual public meeting for '■' electing a committee, which was supposed to have be n held the other day, was intormal, as the advertisement called a committee meeting only, thereby misleading many of the public, who other* wise would have attended. This being the case, I think the committee has* acted wisely in calling another meeting, in order that the decision previously come to of postponing the sports until after Boxing Day, may have a chance pi being reconsidered. Tue Palmerstont paper of yesterday tells us that if we hold our spnrts on Boxing Day, "we shall cut off our nose to spr our face," " that people will go wirh the crowd,'' and thai "there will be thousands at Palmers ton to hundreds at Feilding,*' and further, * ; that there should be na paltry jeilousy or opposition between' ihe two towns." ; very body, I should - think, fully agrees with the last remark } but it does appear to me that those who started the opposition are thn proper parties to withdraw it. Whether Palmerston withdraws or not, it must be remembered lint the Fi ilding sportt eater,specially for the amusement of those* who wish, on the most general holiday of the year, to take their wives and children for an outing, where they will be secure from having to witness that too frequent a feature at race moetings — drunkenness, with its accompaniment of bad language and offensive behaviour. No booths for the sale of intoxicating drink are allowed on the sports ground, and that this has been recognised as an advantage by the people of the district, is proved by the fact that though last Boxing Day larger prizes were given than had ever been given before in Feilding. or indeed it any meeting of the kind in the North Island, and though races were held at Palmerstoa and •ports at Halcombe on the same day, jet, judging by the crucial test of finance, our sports were a success, as there remains a balance in favor of the sports committee of £11, after paying all expenses. With this solid fact to work on, I do not see that we are called upon to , disappoint that numerous section of th« '* community who loo* forward to our Boxing Day sports for their holiday. Our district is a large one, and through the secession of the Palmerston people, who will naturally patronise their own nffair, will decrease the attendance in comparison with the meetings held before. Palmerston jumped our claim, yet judging by' last year's experience we have no reascn to grumble at the want of public patronage, and it should be a point of honor among the people of Feilding by subscribing liberally to keep up the name which our sports have won ; not from any feelings of opposition or jealousy, but simply because there seems to be no adequate reason lor disappoint ing our yearly visitors from the surrounding districts. If we postpone our sports to the 27th, which is not a public holiday, business people, and indeed the major part of the community, will be unable to attend, and no support we are likely to receive from the few in Palmerston who can or will afford to make another holiday after Boxing Day will justify us iv postponing the sporti. Let us keep to the position we have assumed for some years past, when Palmerston vainly attempted to compete with us in getting up sports and landed their committee in debt in consequence. Our sports must go on, whatever happens in other townships; if they ch»kh * with us it cannot be helped. Our sports \ pay their wav, and that is all we want or | ask for, while the usurping institutioi^^J loses the benefit of the attendance fgd^^H here. If they don't caie for that a^^^^H ance, then let them go on their v|^^^^S joicing with their thousands, while wj^^^JP on quite content with the hundreds, aSP^^ let us have no more nonsense about " opposition" or " jealousy." — I am, &c, Spobts. [Our correspondent is in error in stating that a "committee meeting" was called, as the following copy of the advertisement cenvening the meeting will show : " A public meeting will be held at the Denbigh Hotel, on Saturday, the 21st inst, to receive report and balance sheet for past year, and to arrange for the forthcoming sports. H. L. Sherwtll, Secretary.'— Ed. F.S.: