SUNDAY IN GERMANY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 229, 25 September 1903, Page 3

SUNDAY IN GERMANY.

(To the Editor.') Sir. —1 notice in to-day's "Star" a letter, from Mr Fred. A. G. Cottercll, referring to a Sunday in Paris. Now, Sir. 1 have been in Paris only two days, Thursday and Friday, and therefore know nothing of a Parisian Sunday; but with your kind permission I will toll you something about a Sunday in Berlin. Hamburg, or any other great city in Germany. The trams arc running Sundays as well as any other day in the week, with the only difference that the traffic on the suburban lines is twice as heavy on Sunday than on any week-day. In Germany the people go to church on Sunday morning, and then they go om into the fresh air to some beer garden, about seven to ten miles from the city, where the bands arc playing, and all sorts of amusements are provided for children, as well as for adults. All the theatres and music halls are open, and at night are crowded. The shop, are allowed to be open,until 11 a.m., but the restaurants, hotels, beer gardens, and all places where refreshments are sold, keep open all day: the only restriction placed on these is that the refreshments must, be consumed on the premises. Any person is allowed to work within his own premises as long as nobody i; disturbed by tlie noise he may make. 1 remember quite well when a boy my parent's going out on a Sunday, and when we returned home at night 1 had to, go to bed, ami mv parents used to go to the theatre. The people in Germany are no worse heathen than the people of Auckland, although they run. the trams on Sunday, and have done.so for thirty years; that is a. lone,' os f can remember. I think ii is only a certain seel ion of the Auckland pcd'ple. Ihe so-called church people, commonly called "psahu-singers." who object to Sunday trams, as they say if is unnecessary work. N"ow, Sir, I would like to bet my bottom dollar, if I were to go into any of these people's houses about dinner-time on Sunday. 1 would find some poor servant girl standing at (he lire to look after roast million, boiled and Inked potatoes. pudding, etc., or something similar. What about the unnecessary work- here? Why not roast the meat on Saturday, and eat it cold with a piece of bread and butter on Sunday? And then, aft.- dinner, whet about washing up and scrubbinz out ihe kitchen? Why not put-all the [dates, v.hen used, in a dish tilled with water, am! lei it stand til! Monday morning? if these people want to slop all unnecessary work on Sunday I think they can do no better (lain to start in (heir own homes; but many cannot see Ihe beam in their own eye. but very easily notice the splinter in someone rise's eve.—l am. etc..

CGMMON-St.NSE