SUNDAY ORGAN RECITALS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1209, 18 August 1911, Page 3

SUNDAY ORGAN RECITALS.

Sir,—The C'hristchurch .Ministers' Association are carrying on their objectionable clerical crusade against New Zealand liberty, in the matter of Sunday organ recitals. I trust fhe 'Wellington City Council will net be influenced by them.- The president brings forward the exploded sacredness of the "Lord's Day of rest." This amounts to pure fudge in New Zealand, with its weekly half-holi-day. A day of rest is not wanted now for Suiulav, but rather the Continental Sunday— the afternoon being given up to innocent out-door games. The Continent of Europe hasn't a weekly half-holiday, but they do not allow their clergy. to make Sunday repulsive. People here also only work how about 10 hours in fhe week of 148 hours. Allow another Mi hours for sleeping, 'which leaves AG. What are people to do with the other 72 hours? Allow 12 hours for meals, leaving GO. I presume the clergy want them to devote those GO hours to'going to church. At all events, a full Sunday's rest is not now required, and golf should be made compulsory on Sunday, as Elbert Ilubbard advises. When landlordism and sweated employers ruled (with clerical help) in England and Scotland, 50 years ago, a Sunday's day of rest was required.. But it is not required in New Zealand. Golf, hockey, croquet, tennis, cricket, are all innocent out-door games, and should be indulged in in New Zealand on Sunday afternoons. Sundav is named after the Sun—a pagan day—god's day in fact—and the people had a far happier Sunday in Pagan times than they have to-day in Europe, with its battle llcets of costly Dreadnoughts, huge standing armies, and compulsory military service, costing live hundred millions annually. 'The clergy here want to bring exactly Hie same state of tilings upon New Zealand. Allow me to (ell the Church Ministers' Association that we don't want any "god of the sword in New Zealand, but a Clod who wishes us to enjoy themselves a little in inuccont out-door game.-, and organ recitals on the Sabbath. We want the Sabbath to be attractive, not repulsive, and, as I say, there is uo ueccsjity for it to b'2 u day oi rest

at all. That necessity only aro.-e when the clergy ruled the in Europe, and the poor were so terribly oppressed that they had to have a day of rest. Xor is Sunday' "the Lord's Day." II is God's Day, and God wants us to enjoy ourselves. We lon't want a crowd of religious loafers in New Zealand, t'onipuls.iiy military service was brought in here lo "discipline" the young men. Fancy that, sir! To make thont respect their parents and teachers. What 'have wo paid the Churches for all these 'years? Churches are tumbling over each other to I'onn Church brigades. At the same time they aro objecting lo golf, tennis, cricket, or an innocent organ recital -on Sunday. Thoir whole position is inconsistent that it is positively laughable. There are some Anglican clerics in Knglnnd who will have cricket on Sunday afternoons, and take part in the game a? it does the young men good.—l am, etc., NEMO. July 21, 1911.