CHAPTER XII. 

 SPORT AND ITS RELATION TO THE STATE 



THE relationship between the numerous branches 

 of sport, the object of which is to provide 

 healthy excitement for the population, and the 

 political economy of the State has, to a limited 

 extent, already been defined by those arithmetical 

 politicians whose science is confined within the 

 narrow boundaries of blue books and statistics. 

 Annually we have figures placed before us telling 

 us the exact profit and loss of the multitudinous 

 institutions connected with our national sports and 

 pastimes, whereby we can calculate the amount of 

 money which sport brings into the coffers of the 

 Treasury. The student, if he be of a prying dis- 

 position, can discover the rents paid for sporting 

 estates and the increased income tax paid by the 

 lessors of such estates. The amounts of the dividends 

 paid by companies who manage race meetings are 

 published in the " money article " columns of the 

 newspapers, together with the price of consols. 

 The finances of county cricket clubs and foot- 

 ball league clubs are known to all the office boys 



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