NEED FOR PERMIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23150, 23 September 1938, Page 14

NEED FOR PERMIT

FRIENDLY ROAD SESSION ROTORUA COITNCIL'S RULING SUNDAY POLITICS REGRETTED [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] ROTORUA, Thursday When it was asked at ft nieeting of the Borough Council last evening if Mr. C. G. Scrimgeour had a permit to conduct a. public meeting here his Friendlv Road session—on. Sunday night, the Mayor, Mr. T. R. Jackson, said that no permit had been applied for. Mr. Jackson added that if the meeting were either a straight-out political or religious meeting, no permit was required, but it had been held in a similar case at Auckland that where a proportion of items was given, the meeting became an entertainment. Mr. 0. H. Coleman said the matter had been fairly freely discussed in Rotorua. There wore many people who strongly regretted the practice of conducting meetings of a political nature on Sunday evenings, and he thought the council had a duty to consider the public attitude in such matters. "I think that if the meeting is to be the same as that broadcast by Mr. Scrimgeour every Sunday evening, then some of the records used could hardly be referred to as of a religious nature," said Mr; E. T. Johnson.' The town clerk said it was not purely a religious meeting, but partially an entertainment, with something of a political nature, so the organiser must now apply to the-council for a permit before Sunday night's meeting may take place.