SUNDAY GAMES IN PARKS.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17814, 13 July 1923, Page 14

SUNDAY GAMES IN PARKS.

♦ LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL'S DECISION. (BT CABLE—PBBB3 ASSOCIA.MOIT—COFTKMT.) ' x (bbdtke's tklbobams.) LONDON, July 11. After a long controversy in the Press and elsewhere, with showers of petitions and counter-petitions, the London County Council decided to continue to allow games in the parks on Sundays. An amendment in favour of the withdrawal of the permission was defeated by 83 votes to 33, after a debate in which the Sabbatarians contended that the people of London did not want Sunday games, and expressed fears that the British Sabbath would be destroyed, and the seven-day week return with general Sunday trading. Opposing speakers taunted the Sabbatarians with self-righteousness, and urged that play did not desecrate the Sabbath, but kept young people from morbid thoughts and promoted vigorous bodies and healthy minds. [The parks committee of the London County Council, after hearing 200 petitions, recently decided to recommend the continuation of Sunday games, which were favoured b'y 25,000 signatories. The "Daily Mail" reported that the majority in favour of the petitions included every class, from members of Parliament to schoolboys, thus leaving no alternative to the committee, a member of which pointed out that during the previous eight Sundays 692 games were played in one East End park—a higher number than on any day except Saturday.]