SUNDAY GOLF

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2848, 12 August 1916, Page 10

SUNDAY GOLF

COUNCIL TO BE PETITIONED

ON BEHALF OF SUNDAY PLAY

There are still a great many people who hold tiie beliel that the City Council is acting rather hastily in the matter of passing a by-law to prohibit golf being played on Sundays on the Municipal Links at Berhampore. When, on the motion of the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), it was decided that such a by-law be drafted, the division/ list was: 7 votes for and 4 against was considered hy many to have been a catch vote, because at that time there v,-ere several members of - the council away, who might have recorded their votes against the Mayor's motion, so that the voting is said not to havo represented the real opinion of the City Council. 'J'h'e councillors absent were: —Councillors A. Veitch, J. Fuller, J. Fitzgerald, and It. A. Wright. It is urged that if every, councillor had been present the Mayor's motion would only have been carried by one vote, and, assuming that to be so, it is urged that no council, acting on such a slight majority, should lay down a hard and fast law in regard to a public privilege such as t-he Municipal Cialf Linkn. Those who think that way are at present arranging to petition the council in regard to the matter. The reasons, set out in the petition, for this action are as follow:—

"(1) Golf is a health-giving exercise to many who badly need it after the week's attention to business, and Saturday afternoon alone is not sufficient. In many cases doctors rccommcnd golf in preference to medicine, as it is sucli un inducement to take quiet outdoor exercise.

"(2) Golf, liko swimming, does not become a game until there >s competition. This principle has been recognised by the council in connection with No golf competitions are held on Sundays.

■'(3) Golf is entirely dissimilar fron; cricket or football, especially so as it is essentially quiet, and without spectators to applaud or otherwise. "(4) Golf is played on Sundays all over the British ■ Empire by hundreds of thousands of people, including manv of the most prominent' citizens of all .denominations.

"(3) Many of those who are at present nlayiug on the municipal course have intimated that i" 'Sunday play is to ho stopped they will withdraw from the links altogether, and attach themselves to private f) nhf whora Sunday play is permitted."