SUNDAY SPORT IN LEVIN

Chronicle (Levin), 21 April 1948, Page 4

SUNDAY SPORT IN LEVIN

Ministers Wait On Borough Askipg for information as ' to, the principles. on which the use of public gyounds, was granted for Suuday sport an,d displays,. and. whether applications were decided by the fuIL co.uncil,. a committee appointed by the council or one of its, . paid oificiala, a deputation waited on the Levin Borough Coum cil at, its monthly meeting on Monday night.: It comp.rised the Revs. A. Salmond and H. S. Kipgs. Broadly, the isaue was. the use of public groun'da. for sport and displays on Sundays, said Mr. Salmond in stating the deputation's requ.est. They were concerned that these functions were adyertised as such. and the public invited to attend. They felt that in Levin there ha.d been an increasing, tendency to S.unday sports displays and demonstrations,. and that it was not' in the hest interest of the coinmunity. Qn difi.erent occasions he had expressed an opinion against Sunday sport,. remarked Cr. D. J.. Gardiner.. He did not believe in it, but on travelling about the Dominion and seeing the extent to which it was indulged in, he wondered if it had not become part of the life of the community. Whether Levin coulh do. anything to ob.viate it he did not know. . •. Cr. F. D. Chainey 'asked the. deputation if it thought that sport or displays were 'detrimental to young people when there was no. .competition. Good, healthy sport for thern was bett'er than having them lounging round' the town, he: thought. * ' • Mr. Kings said the deputation did not raise the issue of golf, tenhis or other sport on private areas.' It was the q.uestion of publicly advertised sport and displays, Qther to.wns had had to face the i'ssue and recentlv the Wellington City Council had declined permissioh for a Sundav b.and dis.piay on the Basin Reserve. The deputation felt it was a question of principle. The most logical conclusion was that a demonstration or display led inevitably to competition, an'd the next step to that was organised competitive sport. They viewed these functions. as the "4hin end of the wed'ge." The Mayor, Mr. . H. B. Burdekin, thanked the- deputation for attending and assured members of it that the eo.unc-il would give the matter careful consideration. After the 'deputation had retired, the Mayor said the ministers had plaeed their views elearly and fairly. it- was for the cnnncil- to decide whether an organised display ofTended the canons for good taste- as far as the community was concerne'd, and where it should draw the lrne. Sport on Sunday was fairly uniyersal- , .today, eommented. Cr: C. Sherwood, and .young people were better off indulging' in it than lookihg round for other a-venues of enjoyment. He could see no harm in what had been done in « the past. Those who desire'd to attend eo-uld do- so and those who did not need not do so: Cr . W. Telford said he was oppbsed to Sunday sport, and he did- not think displays on the' Levin Park Domain should be advertised He did not decry- sport, but felt that the obsprvance of the Sabbath should be c'arripd nnt. t n fho m-nnn.

spirit. . ^ v . Oppo-sition to Sunday sport was voicd bv Cr. J. Miller but he said he had no. .desire to try a-nd force jhis view on ' qthers. Nevertheless the council had a duty to. the public, and would have to consider -ths matter very carefully. The Mayor said that while the council had to: consider the opinlons of those who regarded the observance .of the Sabbath on a fairly strict basis, and members would have respeet for- them, it also had to, consider- the vieWs of the majority of the people in .ffhe borough which it representedv'^e the gatherings such as we have had prop.erly conducted, are they capabiy supervised and has there be.en anything of an unseemly nature. at them?"' asked Mr. Burdekin. '-"It rather comes back to whether the people we entrust the control of the ground to us.e it properly and in such a w-ay that it is wholesome, clean and well conducted. T am averse to any kind of competitive sport," continued the Mayor, • and it will probably me'an that we will have to take a stand against Sunday cricket on the Weraroa Reserve, which is competitive It will- bring up some difficult questions, b.ut whatever 'decision'we make we want to be able to justify it and be able to stand by it " . pF. A. J, H. Allen : What the ministers want is a clarification of the position in regard to advertised Sunday sport and displays. It is the organised sport tney want us to take a stand on. Cr. Chainey: We have ban'd concerts m the Public Gardens on Sunday afternonns. Are we going to stop that kindi of thlng? Persons who do not want to go to these functions • need not do so. If the functions are properly conducted there is: no harm in them, but if they are not going to-, b.e under adequate control then we must stop them. * wrL^rdiner: i® not a matter which the council should be calle'd on to. decide. It is one for a poll of citizens. . , - - - The council would be right in carrying on as in the past, eommented Cr. R. A. Frederikscfrv but it it received an application for the purpose of a function which it felt would not bte- in good taste it should be declined. . Cr. Fre'derikson then moved that the council thank the deputation, adyise that after full consideration it was of the opinion that each

application should be -decided on '.ts, merits, and assure" the deputation "that it was. fully aiive to the neeessjty of proper control of such gatherings by responsible citizens. .It was seconded by Cr. Miller and barrie'd unanimously. The Mayor added that it could be pointed out to the deputation that decisions on this matter wer.e in the hands of the full council. .