SUNDAY SPORTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 123, 20 November 1941, Page 6

SUNDAY SPORTS

ON BASIN RESERVE

CITY COUNCIL CRITICISED

The action of the Wellington City Council in granting the use of the Basin Reserve on Sunday. December 7, for what was described as "a glorified sports meeting." was severely criticised at the annual Methodist Synod of the Wellington district yesterday.

, The Rev. E. S.'Hoddinott, convener of the public questions committee, said that the application to hold the sports meeting was made for December 6, but as cricket was being played at the Basin Reserve that afternoon, the reserves committee of the City Council had suggested that the sports meeting should be held on Sunday. December 7. The trouble was that among the attractions to be held that day was a girls' inter-house marching competition, and many of the girls who would be engaged in this were members of the Bible classes of the Methodist and other churches The meeting had been camouflaged as a bands' performance, but in reality it was nothing but a sports gathering. It came as a shock to churchmen, after the strong circular on moral re-armament which had been issued by the City Council to citizens, to find that the council had granted the use of the Basin Reserve for a sports meeting on a Sunday. The meeting was being held for patriotic purposes. The' Presbyterian Church Bible Class had protested against the meeting being held on a Sunday, and he considered that the Synod should join' wholeheartedly in this protest.

It was decided to join with the Presbyterian and other churches in a' deputation of protest to the Mayor of Wellington.