Should Clubs Be Allowed to Charge Adinission Fees?
A point of general interest concerning the: management of that most important Shanghai institu tion, the Public Recreation ground, is raised by a correspondent, who sends us the following note on the subject:
"The Baseball people are getting in the regular habit of charging for admission to the—enclosure, which is entirely against the tradition of the Public Recreation Ground. Also they are putting up each year more and more unsightly bamboo fences, the present view from Loongfei Gate right up to the Golf House being entirely spoilt. "As far as admission money is concerned, 1 know the Baseball people contend that it costs a lot to entertain visiting teams—aquite so: which also applies to cricket and foot-all, but they don't charge ad-
"T regard this rather seriously, because I fear the present authorities are allowing so many precedents that there is a great danger of its becoming a recognized practice."
In commenting upon this _communication, we would first like clearly to be understood that we on the general principle raised.and not specifically on our correspondent's criticism of the Baseball Club. The latter, both in the matter of charging gate money and in respect of the erection of sheds, must have obtained per-the authorities before they could do either and, enjoying the same privileges as other foreigners in the use of the ground, mus so far be held to be fully within their rights. The real point. at issue therefore is: should any Club using the Recreation Ground Permitted to charge ordinary or special games, the authority to decide?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.