CHEAP SPORT.

Shannon News, 14 March 1924, Page 4

CHEAP SPORT.

"An unique collection of idiots" is how an American tourist describes New Zealand in connection with their low charges for sporting facilities. He was especially ridiculing the £1 fep for fishing licenses. "To think that wo can come here and fish for seven months for five dollars—really it's too absurb." Our American visitor's astonishment is fully justified. New Zealanders are fond of all kinds 6f outdoor sport; they want the best and they want it cheap. If they get it cheaply for themselves they have hitherto felt that they can hardly discriminate against visitors, and yet this American declares that if the fee were £25 or even double that to fish over the whole Dominion it would cheerfully be paid. New Zcalandcrs will hardly agree that they aro an unique collection of idiots in connection with their sporting finances; but they assuredly love to cut things rather fine in paying.for their pleasures. Our sports clubs members' subscriptions would probably jnako visitors from other countries sinile. Our bowlers expect to get all their fun and keep up their greens for a sub of from a shilling to eighteen pence a week, cricketers seem to" believe that about sixpence a week is all their game is worth, and practically the general public is expected to pay for the sport of the footballers judging by the small subscription charged to members of the various' clubs. Still, small fees is pur system and. it docs not seem to work out badly on the whole; but such outspoken , criticism from an outsider will give our sports something of a shock, and give them a thought' that our financial standard for sporting pastimes is a rather limited one. The matter of discriminating between visitors and resident fisherman and deerstalkers has, we believe, been discussed, but turned down; yet there would be justification for it, as the New Zcalandcr pays for providing the sport in other ways than by license fees. According to the American we are losing a great deal of-money under the present system and possibly future tourists may find a change from the present "idiotic" £1 to something more in proportion to the privilege enjoyed.