SUNDAY GOLF

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2851, 16 August 1916, Page 6

SUNDAY GOLF

Sir,—l ivas pleased to seo that by publishing the heading of the petition which is being circulated for the signatures of those in favour of Sunday golf that you are prepared to give krth sides in this question a fair hearing. Such a thing as a fair hearing is not to be expected from the present Mayor and City Council, for at the council meeting on July 27 the Mayor and a majority of those present voted against au amendment in favour of giving us time to bo heard. This vote was taken after hearing a deputation of our opponents, and the council was also aware of the fact that our side was preparing a petition to present to them. Our opponents suggested this, petition as a fair way of dealing with the matter. In your columns we read a short time ago about the Mayor's broad-mindedness in connection with this matter, and no doubt the Mayor and his colleagues who supported him desired to give us a sample of their-broad-mindedness. They have also given us au excellent example of their idea of British fair play; From a sporting standpoint the present council is the weakest that has been in office for a great number of years. Personally I am adverse to going ou with the petition, for with the present council in office it will be only a waste of time and money. However, it would hardly do to let it go forth that the necessarily brief headings to the petition are our only reasons for favouring Sunday golf. Our opponents have tried to make much of the fact that wa are trying to introduce the so-called "Continental" Sunday, either with the idea of wilfully misleading the council or from ignorance. As a matter.of fact Sunday golf has been played in England, Ireland, and even Scotland for siderable number of years. Politicians and legislators there' of the highest standing have not interfered or attempted to make the playing of golf on a Sunday an offence against the law. The idea of the municipal scheme was to givo the busy man, and- those who could neither afford the time nor money to go further afield, a chance to take up golt. A number of amateur politicians on the council and the Mayor are determined to add further to their laurels "'by passing a by-law to prevent these peoplo playing the game on a Sunday. They will then provido us with another oxccllent example of one law ior the rich and another for the poor; for golf will continue to bo played ou a Suuday on all tho private courses throughout New Zealand. If the council,desiro to see what politicians in higher fields think of tho matter, let them persuado their representative who is in the Lower House to there introduce a Bill making the playing of golf on a Sunday au oft'once against the law. If it ever readies the 'Upper House, our worthy, opponent there would no doubt bo quite willing to father it through. Personally 1 will bet a pound note to a pumpkin .that it never gets there. Having strong religious viows mysolf, I regret to see a few ministers mixing themselves up in matters like this, and by their lack of knowledge of the subject probably doing moro harmtlian .good. Most people nowadays go in for 'some form of recreation or sport, and to attack these people and unnecessarily close up recreation grouuds in tho city 011 a Sunday-will only drive them further afield, and possibly away from tho Church altogether. . ■ For sake of brevity I propose to deal mainly, although briefly, with tho ar-guments-of a member of the Upper House, and one of our finest citizens, and therefore probably our strongest and roost worthy opponent. Ho candidly admits that golf is a quiet game (indeed ono of our opponents has put it in the same category as "two up" for quietness".) He then asks if golf is permitted to bo played on a Sunday, why should not cricket and football bo

permitted? Cricket and football in the centre'of the city anyway would be objectionably noisy and disturbing. Howover, as our excellent opponent cornea from Scotland, I will forgive him for being a bit slow iu perceiving £ne difference between. the games. He also says that "golf evoked competition and a certain amouut of envy, and this was a feeling that the council should not encourage." Whether he has recently joined a trade union or the Socialists Ido not- know: but I always understood that competition was more or less a, good thing. He is also stated to have • said that "'take away the Sabbath Day from the English-speaking people and they would soon bo on a-level with the Continental peoplo as far as Sunday was concerned." 1 do not know if he calls the scotch an English-speaking people ; but it he does, let mo inform him. that along with about two hundred' other students I once tried to take the' bracks and kilts off a pro-Boer Hielandinan and failed dismally, and I am not taking on lurthcr risky . experiments with Scotchmen, anyway. 1 am firmly convinced that a person taking sufficient reasonable, quiet recreation on a Sunday, necessary to keep himself 'in good health, i s doing 110 harm, and I have failed to discover anything unholy in him doing so. I am also convinced, that a large number of City people are so employed, during the week that for their health a certain amount oi' recreation on the Sunday is advisable. I am also aware that there are many church-going people in the City whose views on Sabbatli observance differ widely, and that. this applies to large sections of citizens. To enforce the ancient Scotch Sabbath on the whole of the community I maintain is too drastic, especially when the electors have not had a fair chance to vote on the matter, and petitions are to be ignored by the council. Seeing that our opponents have brought tTie Puritans under our notice,. we may yet have tlrs rung again at night, and the Mayor coming round to see that we are eafely tucked in. There are other matters, of policy that might well decided by the Our opponents are almost entirely peoplo who have never actively aided the council in the work of Town Belt improvement or taken any interestin sport generally. Are they fit and proper persons to assume the management of our recreation reserves and sports schemes? Judging by the present financial state of various council undertakings, I may be accused of bad form -for also. looking at things from a businesslike and financial aspect. Calculations have been made Which prove that if the golf links are kept open on va Sunday and a charge made they will becomo more than self-maintaining. < The council need not worry about the < question of-Sunday labour, for I will guarantee to them with two professional accountants and auditors who will be quite capable of taking carc of and collecting the sixpences. The council, by its present attitude, is prepared'to risk turning this scheme into another partial "white elephant," but whether the citizens and ratepayers will approve of this when they eventually foot the bill I have grave doubts. When I took office, in the council, . councillors used to boast on the Reserves Committee that the Karori cemetery was their best financial asset. I hope, however, that the present financial aspects of this asset is not worrying them, and that thero will bo no need to rob their health-giving undertakings- of any of their !usefulness on that account.—l am, etc., R. A. CAMERON. 'August 15, 1916.