OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 January 1942, Page 4

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

SUNDAY CRICKET (To the Editor! Sir, —Our Borough Council’s decision to ban cricket on the Park Oval on Sundays is a perfect example of the autocratic old conservative spirit that prevailed in England prior to this war —the intolerant autocratic spirit that failed to change with the times, that failed to advance and progress, that preached democracy but failed to practise it. No doubt in the event of hostilities coming to Masterton and action taking place on the Park Oval, the majority of our council would decree that fighting cease on Sundays and, of course, when issuing this decree, they would undoubtedly advise the respective forces that tennis and bowls might be played round the corner and pleasure rowing indulged in, on the Lake —the latter, of course, for a small fee. The crux of the whole question is this —the Army may have tennis or bowls in the Park and swimming in the council baths, all on Sundays, but anyone in the Army who is a cricketer, is denied Sunday cricket. This, in spite of the fact that Sunday is the only day on which an Army cricket team can be got together without disrupting training operations. Surely it is much more to be desired that our troops should be engaged in or watching a friendly game of cricket than that they should spend their leave aimlessly “doing the town.”

To my mind it is our council’s duty to give the soldiers every facility for sport of all kinds, so that their camp life may be just so much more pleasant. Of course it is just possible that our council may have made provision for the Army to get their Sunday cricket —as' long as they have it in some unseen spot.

In conclusion I suggest that the names of the councillors who voted for and against Sunday cricket for the Army on the Park Oval be published, for the enlightenment of the Masterton public.—Thanking you, I am, etc.. d. e. McMichael. Masterton, January 24.