THE BASIN RESERVE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5338, 7 May 1878, Page 3

THE BASIN RESERVE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HEW ZEALAHD TIMES. gm Allow me throxigh the medium; of your ’paper to reply to the very onesided letter of “ Old Wellington Cricketer” which . appeared in your issue, of this morning. i “Old Wellington Cricketer..appears ; to think that the Basin Reserve is intended ‘for • cricket'only, and is specially set apart for that .game. I would, beg to remind him that the reserve was granted for “ public jreoreatidn,’’ -rand theTfO'etballerg are Therefore' as much '-‘ehtitlfid ‘to' theWe of the' ground during the winter, .as : the'icricketefs ’are" during, the. ’summer.” ’lt '’certainly appears'bard "oh the cricketers,that,after Spending a. considerable . amount of money ip order to improve the ground for purposes; 1 it should be ■ cut up and-damaged'by the . footballers but Old Wellington Cricketer” .must recollect vthat the t expense incurred by them was for their own especial’benefit, and not for the "Benefit "of 'the public generally, and that bo-, cause the cricketers have chosen to go to thisexpense it does not follow that the footballers should be deprived of their amusement, ilf there were any other ground in Wellington on which football could be played, it would be a very different matter; but there being none, it .would be manifestly unjust, to put. a stop, to, 5 football being played on the Basin Reserve, in order that the cricketers might have the mono- . poly of the ground. ' . i . . .With , regard to .the latter portio.i .of '“Old Wellington Cricketer’s” letter, L in which Jie tries to imagine the nbsurcUty of a proposal; to play‘football on any cricket ground outside , of. Wellington,his ignorance will perhaps’ 1 be enlightened' when he . is informed .that.football; is . not -.only played on two of the finest cricket, grounds of the world, viz.. Lord’s and the Oval, but it is also played on the cricket grounds in Melbourne (at least so I am informed by a Melbourne player). ■ In conclusion, I may pbsevye that the reason given by the Basin ‘Reserve trustees for disallowing football, viz.,, that the shrubs, &e., 'planted . by‘the, Lity. Cbnncit, at an outlay, of ‘.about £3OO, “will be materially damaged if the “above game is carried on,” can hardly bp the ■ trne'ono; 'for it must be, obvious to ~any person 'Watching, the. two games,that cricket is’infinitely more calculated to damage the plants • than football; in fact, ; with'; the : latter., game it ‘would bo almost impossible;to do so otherwise than wilfully.—l am, &e., Fair Plat. May 4,1878, T y -j j ;