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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5658, 19 May 1879, Page 2

It is now some months since wa first undertook to advocate the formation of a Wellington gymnasium. Judging by the well attended meeting on Friday last, there is every prospect of an association being formed under the direction of the influential committee appointed, which will carry out the object in view both heartily and thoroughly. ' The number of names already entered upon the list of subscribers is alone sufficient to guarantee the formation of a strong club, and from the information furnished to us on the subject wo have every reason to believe that an opportunity for active practice will very shortly be afforded. A competent instructor, holding a certificate from a military school, has proffered his services ; a quantity of apparatus is now under offer to the secretary, and within a a few days wo hope to hear that a suitable building or flat has been secured. St. George’s Hall and the Arcade have been mentioned as buildings which would meet the requirements of the case, but the cost of retaining them for the purpose would probably be too great for the club in its present weak and struggling condition. Of late years the subject of physical training has engaged the attention of school authorities in almost all the chief towns in England, and the result of the agitation may now be found in the shape of a gymnastic shed attached to almost every school of importance. Simultaneously with their general introduction in schools, a movement has been going on in favor of public gymnasiums in all the larger towns. One of the strongest gymnastic clubs in the world, numbering, wo believe, some thousands of members, exists in London, The annual exhibition of the gymnasts at the Crystal Palace is one of the great shows of the metropolis. If our memory serves ns right, the Prince of Wales presided at the festival some years ago, and astonished the company by trying his hand at swinging one of the ponderous clubs belonging to the highlytrained athletes who exhibited their strength and skill in his presence. The assaults of arms which take place at these gatherings are considered to rival any of those which are arranged at the great military depots, both for skilful training shown, and for the variety of the weapons in use. Lance against bayonet, bayonet against small sword, and against sabre, cutlass, broadsword, and rapier, are all taken in hand by their respective champions, and the contests are so highly exciting that the audience is generally keenly interested in the result. Gymnastics proper, the exercises on the parallel bars, horizontal bar, leathern vaulting horse, and ladders, poles and trapezes, are not by any means so attractive to the average Englishman ; ho often applauds showy easy tricks which, in the eye of a connoisseur, possess but little merit; nevertheless those who exercise a little discriminating observation soon learn to distinguish between the neat and finished style of a clever athlete and the rough and tumble gyrations of a slovenly pupil. But even those who prefer the outdoor exercises of football and cricket, which are so congenial to Englishmen, can hardly avoid noticing the remarkable muscular development which the arms and bodies of a well-trained class of gymnasts exhibit. Sedentary occupations have such an unhappy contracting effect upon the chest, prematurely developing the rounded shoulders and stooping gait of old age, that the most potent argument which can be brought forward in favor of a gymnasium is the invaluable opportunity it affords to all those whose employment necessitates a close application to indoor work of counteracting the hurtful tendencies of their daily vocation. Be the cause what it may, colonials do not take to football and cricket so heartily as in England; the number of those who join regularly in these games is, proportionately to the population, far less than in England. Time is more valuable, and business claims as a rule more urgent than in the old country. In Wellington also there is a difficulty in finding ground thoroughly well adapted for out-door games. The climate, though good, is not eminently suitable ; it is apt to be unpleasantly windy for cricket in summer, and disagreeably wet either overhead or under foot for football in winter. These drawbacks help to explain the want of numerical support and regular practice which some of the clubs comphiin of, and furnish additional arguments in favor of a well-appointed, well-managed gymnasium.

The extreme value of a careful course of gymnastic training can hardly be better illustrated than by a reference to the concessions made by the military authorities in North Germany to all those who succeed in passing an examination as firstclass gymnasts. Some years ago, and we have heard of no change in the regulations, the three years’ service as a soldier required from every adult, under the Prussian system, was, we believe, shortened to one year only if the candidate could claim exemption on the ground that he had acquired a practical knowledge of his drill and obtained an official first-class certificate as an efficient gymnast. An impression prevails that accidents, sprains, broken limbs, and hernia constantly result from gymnastic exercises. During a somewhat lengthy experience, extending over about three years, no serious accident ever came under our observation. Nine times out of tea the accidents which occur in large gymnasiums happen when the instructor is absent ; and as might be expected, generally result from a novice attempting something beyond his skill. A plentiful use of raattrasses or tan flooring will almost always prevent broken bones. The trapeze is a decidedly dangerous apparatus in untrained hands, and its use should be strictly confined to those members whoso proficiency is such as to qualify them for attempting it. The instructor’s word should be law upon a point of this description. During drill hours all the apparatus ought, for the time being, to be under the complete control of the instructor, drill exercise and instruction only being permitted ; the club members ought then to be as completely under discipline as soldiers oil parade ; those who do not desire to enter the ranks should be regarded as hon. members, and should be only admitted as spectators during drill hours. In conclusion, we may state that in gymnasiums all classes can meet on an equal footing without fear of dissension. The intercourse among the members may ho as limited or as intimate as the personal feeling of each man may dictate. A good all-round athlete will command the respect of the majority of his fellows, whether he be the son of a duke or of a day laborer. A man to become a first-class gymnast, if he need not absolutely adopt the German tiirnverein motto of Frisch, Frei, Frohlich, Fromm, must be temperate, persevering, and patient, and his training will help to develop the.se qualities.