The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-17
. aHoNp'S
~ GzoE 0gjewg.
The English Statesman Eloquently Main
tains It's Superiority.
london telegraph.

London Telegraph.
Mr.. a. J. Balfour visited Dundee yes
terlay ard opened a bazaar promoted TO
purchase the Mcnifeth golf links. The
Earl Of Strathmore presided. Mr.. Bal
four, on rising to open the bazaar, said:
Could we have foreseen the course of
events l do not think we should, pro
badly, have fixed upon this particular day
for the opening ceremony of the bazaar.
the result of which will. / hope and be-
lieve, be the purchase of the Monidcth
golf links. And the reason that I should
prefer another day is that. the very
nature of this occasion requires ts to
turn our gaze to concentrate our atten-
ton upon what / might call the lighter
side of public life at time when very
grave national anxieties are weighing
upon the minds and consciences OF the
pe1ple. (Chcers.) But the date vas
fixed, and could not without great in
convenience be altered And let me saw.
when | describe an occasion Ike this as
dealing chiefly with the lighter side Of
our public interests, you must not sup,
pose me to mean by that that Il Is an un-
important side. On the contrary, my firm
conviction is that there is no public inter.
est of greater Importance than that Of
providing healthy means Of Tecrca tiOn for
all classes III the community. (Cheers)
We rightly and properly spend a great
deal Of thought III finding means for rec
reatioa within the reasonable limits OF
the working hours OF the community
But, after ALL when you have diminished
the working hours of the community
whatever class you are dealing with, you
leave the more time to be spent IN recre-
alton. And 1t is just as difucult--it IS
more difficult very often to find good
recreation than it is to find rcmunerativc
employment. Now, have strCpg views
as to the place which golf takes among
the reasonable recrea ttons Of mankind
(Chee~s) There is an olI-and in soIoc
respects perhaps a wise-adage which
tells US that there is 40 dispute about
tastes, and in one sense that adage Is
true. 1t is impossible to compare the alb
stract merits of art so different, for in
stance, as these Of music and painting
In the same way it is Impossible, reason
ably to compare the abstract and ir-
trinslc merits of games so different, foc
example, as golf and cricket. And on
subjects of that kind | am prepared 10
put aside all disputation.
NO COMPARISON WITH CRICKET.
But I mean to argue-I have often
argued, and l shall be prepared to argue
in the future-that if you come to these
games ir the concrete, IF you ask how
each is fitted to do that which it IS in
tended 10 do, viz, to supply recreation
for the busy, then | think there is 40
comparison Letween me Two great games
tina. have mentioned, and I am prepared
on any platform and on any occasion to
upheld the rights and claims of gol.
(Che@rs.J l quite acknowledge that as a
spectacular game, there is no comparison
between the two. 1t is impossible at
golf 70 have arrangements b. which, al
present in London, and most OF the
great provincial centars of England you
may have Il BODY of spectators as numer-
Gus IS that Of any good sized country
town to congregate without difficulty and
in position to watch the minutest vicis,
situdes he most delicate requirement Of
play, between two great county or inter,
national elevens. Golf can present moth
ing like that
1t is perfectly true that there is no
more agreeable occupation than seeing
TWO great eXpOnents Of the game play
ing their best round on a good links, al
though the number Of people that can
enjoy that sight is necessarily limited
and | am afraid it already often reaches
numbers which actually interfere with the
play, which is the object of general in
terest. Only yesterday, I believe / am
not wrong in saying, the St Andrews
medal, instead of falling to that great
golfer, Mr.. TAFT (cheers), might have fall
en-, and probably would have fallen. to
Edward Blackwell, had it not been that
his ball struck one Of the spectators who
was standing too near the green, and
glanced from him to hazard / men
ton that incident merely to show that I
am fair-minded man, and that, in com
pairing golf and cricket, 1 acknowledge
that, as spectacular game, cricket has
the advantage.
FOR PLAYERS. NOT SPECTATORS.
But. after all, the game is for the play
ers Of the game. (Heari Hear3 The
game primarily exists, not for these who
look on, but for those who act not for
the spectators. but for the participators
In its pleasures; and from that point Of
view 1t appears to me that on almost all
counts, under almost all heads golf has
the advantage. (Cheers) To begin with.
cricket is not game for the busy.
great match takes three days No busy
man, except on rare occasion, has threa
days to give to a great match Still less
has he the time to go through the requi-
site practice to enable him to do himself
justice when these three days arrive IN
the second place, cricket is not for the
middle aged, still less for those advanced
in years. Cricket loses its charms when
a man reaches middle life, and finds that
he can no longer stoop to field Ehe bal
with his old agility or run between the
wickets with his old speed; but golf. while