SUNDAY TENNIS

Levin Daily Chronicle, 24 November 1917, Page 3

SUNDAY TENNIS

(To the Editor.) Sir.—Tho Tennis Club by a large majority decided to play on the courts on iSuiK.tty.s. Our worthy .Mayor, ■President of the CIill) expressed an adverse opinion. He approved recreation but did not think ..t was nece-sary to use Sunday for the purpose, Working in a garden lie did not mention. Ho also slated that tho question was pariiculaivy unfitting during wartime when so many people's thoughts were turned, upon more .-•orious subjects. Js not distraction by far more beneficial than continually dwelling on unpleasant thoughts 'i At the last meeting of the .Borough Council the subject was brought up lor discussion and again hi- Worship commented on the Club's decision, pleading that the thing; was improper at the present time and adding that the point as to what was conventional or proper in regard to Sunday observance was out ol the question, hilt in contradnction '.o this statement he sn <1 that he had received letters from influential people commending the a'.ti'.udo he has taken up. Who are these influential people who have the power to make the -Mayor's conscience so elastic ? Tho coin- i billed churches of l.evin have al>o sent a- letter of protest .against Sunday play on tho municipal reserves. As the matter will, come up for discussion at the meeting of the Domain .Board tho decision of the Courts in the matter of Sunday golf may save n lot of desultory debate. It was decided that where the local aii/:ho'rity of a borough, makes a by-law prohibiting the Sunday playing of golf on a public lesc-ivt vested in the borough with a view of enforcing some measure of Sunday observance on tlioi-e using the reserve, and there are no corresponding advantages to the borough, the by-law is ultra vires and unreasonable. The finding of the Coirm was based on the provision* of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, that (1) "A by-law shall not be valid if mamEestly repugnant to the laws of Now Zealand ; (2; "Inasmuch as it is inexpedient that questions of religion or morals should be regulated by by-law, no by-hns f shall be valid if a breach thereof would involve a breach only of some religions or moral rule." The spirit of this decision should guide the Council in deciding the same question of Sunday play in Levin. To .still criticise the Mavor's speech, full of pathos as wap I say that pride instead of sorrow ought to fill the hearts of those vho have lost dear ones in realising that they have died a glorious death in fighting for the" greatest cause that has ever been fought for in the wor d MARCO FOSELLA. (To the Editor.) Sir, —As a member of tho 'Levin Tennis Club and a Sunday player, 1 feel 1 must reply to the remarks made by the Mayo* at the Council meeting on Monday night. As the matter was not before the Council, for d>.seur>-:ion it seems to me the -Mayor war out to try and influence the Councillors before the next meeting when 4 he matter conies before them. Now, w'hy all this fuss about Sunday tennis ? if the .Mayor and a few others are Keen on stopping play it is a wonder _u> me they don't try to stop swuum..ig, shooting, gardening, etc., on Sundays. Why not close the swimming b.ions k-i the noise that is made there can be heard all over the town. When c-.w----day tennis was brought bel -> -o t.'io Club about three years ago we w.-n; defeated by one vote. ~We toon our defeat with a good heart and d.du oo round saying we would resign I*o some of our members (who never come near the courts) are doing just because thoj are beaten. I m.rfht mention that those who opposed scnij tennis last time were very ciitlns:a & uc Sunday golf player-. 1 myse*f fai

sec any harm in playing on Sunday because no one is allowed on tho courts in church hours, and it is 110 worse, than half the things, dpne by hundreds of people 011 Sunday. 11" .-ome of the. people who are making all this luss did a little less talk and more work to help win the war, it would be alright. Why don't they show their patriotism when any returned men arrive, back home. There is never a soul 011 the station to welcome them. I am, etc. A RETURNED SOLDIER.