SUNDAY TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1988, 19 February 1914, Page 6

SUNDAY TENNIS.

ON VICTORIA COLLEGE COURTS.

VETOED BY THE COUNCIL.

LOGIC OF THE EMBARGO.

Should tennis bo permitted on the Victoria College grounds on Sundays ? This question was discussed and finally answered in the n-cgativs by the College Council at its meeting last flight. The qnestitfn had cropped up at the previous meeting, but the difference between the students and the Professorial Board -of th'o college on the point is some months old. In consequence of a. complaint from a resident of Keltmrne, the board issued instructions that the playing of tennis on the college courts on Sundays must cease. Against this decision the students appealed to th<} College Council. The council referred the matter to the Professorial Board, which replied, tliat they saw no reason to reverse their former decision. At the last meeting of the council a motion was proposed that the action of tho Professorial Board be approved, but consideration of it- was postponed, and it was resumed at the meeting last night.

Sir Robert Stout Asks: WJiy Not? Sir Robert Stout opposed tho motion, "I don't see why the students should not be allowed to .'play tennis if they wish," he said." "If it is'going.to be a universal law, it is all right, we know;, there are, people. in ie sponsible positions'in W-dling'ton who play golf on ■Suiiflays. Why should not- the Students be allowed ,to play tennis-? . ..' ~' I can't understand it-.. I.bpUeyo sortie ,of tho members, of. the Professorial Board play golf oil Sunday. . I ; . csl.n't undorstind why if that hajmc'iis should, he any attempt to deal with this' thing. I think students should bo allowed freedom to do as thev think, right. I am prepared to veto that the appeal be upheld."

Oilier People's Feelings. The Hon. A, L. Herdman. said lie thought ' the view the Professorial Board had tsiken Was not that it was wrong to.play tennis on Sunday, but that , tho college as. a pliblip .institution should not allow tennis to.be plajed.on its grounds on Sunday if. the. playing offended.a certain section-of.the community. ; The attitude' that he took up, aiid tlie,attitude lie believed tho Professorial Board had taken up, whs. not that the playing of tennis on Sunday was objectionable if it did not offend a section of the community, but that <>ii a piece of ground attached to. a public institution the playing of tennis might bo ;ofr fensivo, and some regard_should.be pgid to the views of prdplo likely ;to bp tffmidqd. Ho Would support tho, reeoihmelidation of the Professorial Board,

Mr. C. B. Morikin siid he certainly thought the co-uiicil should support- the Professorial Board. He thought there was ii distinction between playing, a game, under tho window of, Sdnj.eorio'who might object.to ganVca on Suiidav and playing right, out in tho country. Dr. Pren'dergastKnighlhit is n'6t undoj- ariyonfc's. window.- .You can't seo.it.

Mr. Morion,: It is in a moro qr less populous sjjot. . He again'-repeated his geri'ersl proposition that .games ought not to bo played on Sunday if tho playing of there was offensivo,to.-anybody, ' Sir Robert Stout: limit t/f our liberty, is the opinion: l of tho minority. Mr, Morison: Wj&< have all got to judge that-for ourselves. Dr. Knight said ho agreed with the general idea of Mr. Hcrdman and Mr. ; Morison, but- said, that the courts were in such a secluded—;in fact, the most secluded—part of the college grounds that they could not.be Seen. "I tlrink," ho concluded, "that as these courts are .not in view of anybody, except people going out of their way to be hurt about it, the appeal should fie upheld." Let Us be Logical, . Sir Robert Stout: "I don't.understand why people can be offended. We run trams on Sunday> excursions to Day's' '.Bay, and tbe..excursiona are crowded. Go : across to Day's Bay. Teivnis is being played there—rio objection .taken. Why should this be tho only prohibited place? Let us belogical,. If there is to be no amusement oh Sunday,- let All games cease, let thb trams tea So, let Day 's Bay excursions cease. Then I: can understand it. But to force our students to play tennis elsewhere, at extra east to themselves, is not fair. ' I should like to know who , the people are who are objecting. According ,to'the Professorial Board's letter, there is one •person. If there is only one person, ho 'should, turn away his head." lie added that reading rooms, museums, and art galleries were open on Sunday. He' remembered when,- tho first leading room was opened in New Zealand on Sunday. Thero was objection at first, tat now every reading room in the country .was open on that day. Tho motion w-as pot and declared carried oil the voices', wit Sir Robert Stout called for a divisioii.

Following was the'voting:-*-For the mot-ion (7): The Rev, W. A. Evans, Hon. A. L. Herdman, Messrs, W. Ferguson, T. R. Fleming, W. H. Mttrton, 0. B. M.orison, C. Watson.

Against (3); Sir Robert • Stout,' Mr. H, H. Ostler, and Dr. G.'.P.' ICniplit., Mr. C. Wilson, on whose motion the matter was- held over at- last, meeting, arrived too late for the division. He had previously supported Sunday ten* nis.