10,000 SAW THE TEST FROM ROOFTOPS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 4, 28 September 1937, Page 14

10,000 SAW THE TEST FROM ROOFTOPS

Our Own Corresnondent.)

Union Wanted to Block Their ,View MANY HURT AS IRAGILE STANDS, COLLAPSE

(From

AUCKLAND, This Day. All angles of the iinal Test crowd have been faithfally touehed upon with the single cxceptiou of the ba-ekyard speetators "vvho occupied home-l)uilt stands overlooking Eden Park. Fiftyeight thousand people pourcd into Edeu Park, and perkaps another 10.000 were on the outside looking in. Rooftops of houses were black witlr people. Some residents had let their baekyarda to enterprising speculators who had buiit more or less secure "grandstands." with afternoou tea thrown in, while others again had built stands over the rooftops. lt was all very thrilling, more eo to the occupauts of two private stands which unfortunately collapsed. Creaking and crashing timbers and the skrieking of injured women cave ua iukling to tlie huge crowd inside the ground of goings-on outside; they had their own troubles, partieularly those on the terrace, who were packed liks sardines, and fainting mcn and women had to be passed over the heads of tho crowd to get to the ambulance men. There was no sueh first-aid treatmeut for those who Btruck trouble in tho baekyards. After one stand collapsed there were three men and* two womeh. stretched out on the lawn, for all tho world like a casualty clearing station in the war zone. Another stand collapsed, fortunately without dire results, but fortunately the game was not of a naturo to arouse the speetators to furious bursts of enthusiasm. If the All Blacks had played up to international form tho 1 excitoment would probably have brought down every fragilo 6tand, but fortunately for the oceupants it was a very quiet game from the local standpoint. This whole business must cause the national Rugby authorities, as being more concerned than local unions, some food for thought, for the position now is that people from very far afield could not get into Eden Park and at almost the last minute were forced at the risk of life and lirab to occupy seats on many jerry-built jetands to see the game. The local Rugby Union did not ineet the situation as it might have done. For instance, on one private stand, affording a wonderful view, by the way, there wero at least 150 speetators, very few of them city residents. Waikato, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wellington, Hawke's Bay and the South Island were represented in this assorably; yet if the Kugby Union had had its ,way the view of all those visitors would have been barred by special] yerected hoardings' bloeking a view of the playing-area. Some baekyards were so treated, but it is understood that others were able to come to a satisfactory arrangoment with. tho union by paying tho ground admission chargc, 2/6, to the union when representations were inade. There is not tho slightcst doubt that the Kugby Union know that Eden Park would be paeked^right out for the final Test, yet it wanfed to debar travellers from all over New Zealand from tseeing the game because they were going to patroniso it in tho interests of private speculators, who were charging ten shillings a time. There seems to be little doubt that Eden Park would not have been able to handlo without chaos the added 10,000 speetators who saw the game from neighbouring rooftops and backyard stands.