"A FLAPPERS' RETREAT."

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18015, 6 March 1924, Page 10

"A FLAPPERS' RETREAT."

DOINGS AT THE SELWYN HUTS.

During the discussion yesterday at the annual meeting of the Lake Ellesmere Domain Board of the proposal to erect on the Domain a smalT hall for the use of hut-owners and permanent residents at the Selwyn Huts, some rather startling statements were made regarding the manner in which some visitors to this popular resort comport themselves. "From Christmas to the end of January—that's the lively time," one member remarked.

Mr C. H. Cook, a member of the Board who lives at the Selwyn Huts, in opposing the hall scheme, said that to erect a hall would be "simply encouraging young flappers to go to the Selwyn Huts for week-ends —people who have absolutely no interest in fishing at all." He mentioned that one young fellow went about with only trousers on, which was not very nice Tor one's wife and daughters. He added that he had also seen married women walking along the road clad only in bathing costumes. He felt that the Board was not realising what the place was growing into. There Avas no doubt, he thought, that the Board's duty was to keep the place for those who hshed.

Mr G. H. BuUard, Commissioner of Crown Lands, said he did not agree with this laist-expressed opinion and said that the Board had really exceeded its functions by letting the sections, part of the area of the Domain, on which the anglers and others had erected huts. The only way to legalise what had been done was to get special legislation passed. Mr C. Wolfe urged that there should be no further encroachment on the Domain area by letting any more sections : the Domain was intended originally for the residents of the district for recreation purposes. If the Board erected any building on the Domain it should b© a spectators' stand from which athletic events could be witnessed.

Mr E. J. Karris also opposed the hall proposal. He said that there was a certain amount of larrlkinism and they knew ivery well that they would not be able to keep "these irresponsible young men" away from a semipublic building like a hall, the Board would be laying up for itself no end of trouble unless it had a permanent caretaker. If they decided to have such a caretaker, their first work would be to build a caretaker's cottage.

Mr G. Mcßean expressed similar opinions, and said that under present conditions the chairman and members tvere continually receiving complaints. Mr Bullard concurred with the views of the two previous speakers, and said that it might be possible to combine a spectators' stand and a hall.

The chairman (Mr P. J. De La Cour) said that such a suggestion could be given effect to.'

At a later stage, when matters relating to the control of the tennis courts on the Domain were being discussed, Mr Cook said that his idea was that the courts should be locked up on Sundays. They attracted an element that the Board ' should try to stop: those comprising that element monopolised the courts and paid nothing towards them. "I certainly play tennis on Sundays," he added; "and I don't see any harm in it, but it is the element that we are getting that leads me to suggest shutting up the courts on Sundays." _ In the course of remarks made a little later, Mr Cook said that he did not wish to convey the impression that all the visitors to the Selwyn Huts behaved like "those Tie had referred to: manv of the visitors did not offend in the way he had mentioned.

The members o? the Board intend paying a visit of inspection to the Domain yi the 18th inst.