CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22018, 26 January 1935, Page 15

CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS

Sir, —I congratulate the children of Auckland, and two of mv fellow citizens upon the decision of the City Council to unlock the amusement devices in our parks on Sundays. Miss Basten and Mr. D. Donaldson questioned the conscientiousness of Rationalists in demanding that the children's playgrounds should be unlocked on Sundays, and implied we were influenced bv political tactics. This is a cheap slander! They and those Fundamentalists who Mould keep Sunday, according to the Calvinistic conception possess no monopoly of moraltv. As Balzac said: "They would if they could steal youth from humanity and the spring from the year." Rationalists love children just as deeply as any of the thousand and one wavering sects of Churchdom, for children are the most important assetf the world possesses, and their welfare and health should* be the supreme concern of citizens —vastly more important than politicians, town councillors, banks or Lord Horder, physician to His Majesty the King, speaking recently at a great medical conference in London, stated that " In the years of childhood it is absolutely essential that adequate provision of playgrounds and playtime should be provided." We Rationalists agree with Lord Horder, and we believe that the environment and means of recreation for both children and adults should be available in our public parks seven days every week. Henry J. Haywahd.