CRICKET ON SUNDAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22901, 2 December 1937, Page 18

CRICKET ON SUNDAYS

SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS USE OF PARK REQUESTED RESIDENTS TO BE CONSULTED [by telegraph —OWN correspondent] CHRISTCHURCH. Wednesday Whether Sunday cricket should be permitted on a city reserve produced strongly-opposed views among members of the Christchurch City Council when it considered an application from the Conference of Seventh Day Adventists for permission to use St. James' Park for cricket on Sundays. A proposal that - permission be granted had only one supporter, but eventually it was decided by a margin of one vote to consult the residents near the park, on the iinderstanding that if they opposed the granting of the request the Reserves Committee should try to find another park on -which Sunday cricket could be played. The application said that for obvious reasons members of the sect could not play cricket on Saturdays, and they therefore sought permission to play friendly matches on Sundays. St. James'' Park was the most suitable, and there were no other grounds apart from council reserves that could be used.

"I am opposed to cricket on Sundays," said the Mp.ycr, Mr. J. W. Beanland. "It is a free day on Saturday now, and wo are being asked to provide parks for people to play cricket on on Sundays. Our parks arc for the people, but not for a section of them to commit an outrage against the rest of the community. I think that in getting the opinions of the residents the council would be shirking its responsibility of saying yes or no to this application." "Your speech is probably the most disappointing I have heard from you," said Mr. M. E. Lyons, addressing the Mayor, "for it suggests a desire to override the • convictions of a sect of people. I cannot see any reason, short of the unsuitability of the park, why these people should be denied the nsis of our parks. At present they are practically denied that use. These people are called on to pay rates nnd do all the things we ask citizens to do, and I cannot understand why they should be debarred from giving their young people some recreation." The Mayor: You advocate the right of those people to play cricket because our Saturday is their Sunday. It would lie interesting to know how you would feel if Methodists or Anglicans sought permission to play on Sundays.