PONIES ON BEACH.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19786, 26 November 1929, Page 11

PONIES ON BEACH.

PERMISSION REFUSED. There was some discussion at last evening's meeting of the Sumner Borough Council concerning the question ot allowing ponies on the beach. A letter was received from the owner of the ponies, in answer to one from the Council asking for particulars relating to the management of the ponies, that they would be walked round a roped area similar to a circus "cr Oldridge: What's that, a buck-inTSf-^P (Mr W. H. Nicholson): Personally, I can't visualise children paying sixpence or ninepence for a pony ride. This represents the price of two or three ice-creams. Cr Neville: The children don t make the payment. I'm in favour of ponies on the beach, and I think that it is not necessary to confine them to a limited area. I notice he does not say how many hands high they are. Cr. Harris: Four feet. Or. Neville: I don't like the idea of the circle business. Cr Harris: Are you frightened they might catch each other up going round? „ , , v Cr. Neville: Here is a photograph of some donkeys on the beach. Cr. Harris: Yes, that's before we had any sense. ... Cr. Tait moved that permission be granted, subject to the supervision of the engineer. He said that if the innovation proved a failure permission could be withdrawn. Cr. Harris (heatedly): The Council has no right to reserve any portion of the beach. If this motion is carried I will move that any resident possessing a horse be given the right to ride it on -the beach. Cr. Neville: What about the beaches in England? Cr. Harris: My objection is that we have threatend to prosecute other people. The motion was lost, Crs. Dennam, Tait, and Neville voting for it, and Crs. Harris, Oldridge, Sandford, and the Mayor against it. It was decided to acknowledge the letter stating that the Council regretted its inability to accede to the request.