SUNDAY TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 19772, 21 February 1923, Page 5

SUNDAY TENNIS

LAST NIGHT’S DISCUSSION COUNCILLOR PREDDY’S MOTION DEFEATED The motion brought forward by Councillor Preddy at last night’s meeting of the Town Council was defeated by seven votes to four. At the conclusion of the ordinary business Councillor Preddy moved: “That all sports bodies (excepting the Queen’s Park Golf Club) be notified that lhe existing arrangements under which they hold portions of lhe Borough reserves will be cancelled as from March 6, 1923, and the various grounds re-allotted under conditions to be drawn up by the Reserves Committee and approved of by the Council.” In moving the motion he said that it was desirable that all clubs should have some agreement with the Council under which they held their ground. The Golf Club had a definite agreement and it was keeping it. He proposed that all existing grants be cancelled and the motion passed so that terms of tenure could be inserted in the new agreements. The agreements would give the clubs some protection and also protect the public with regard to the uses of the ro serves. They could also provide for certain games to lie played on definite grounds.

Councillor Glass: Get on to the Sunday play.

The Mayor: Come to the j>oint; the present tenure is satisfactory to all except upon one point.

Cr. Preddy continuing said that they simply should have a better tenure. The letter horn the Invercargill Tennis Club referred to Sunday play on those courts, and if the Invercargill club persisted in playing tennis on Sunday the Council should not grant them permission to play. Cr. Macaliater: You are going to m tike us grant it.

Cr. Preddy said that he would not labour the question but would move the motion which he did. Cr. Lennie rose and seconded the motion saying that he did not approve of the principle of Sunday play. If he were of Anglican upbringing he would probably view the subject with more toleration, but being a rrtsbyierian ho adopted a different attitude. He had not the slightest objection to people spending Sunday as they liked, but he would not like Io see the Council sanction the use of its reserves for Sunday play. The individual was responsible only to himself as to how he spent Sunday, but the Council was the custodian of the reserves and on principle he would not agree to countenancing the use of the reserves for Sunday play. There was no difference between any other game and tennis and if they did not pass the motion they would have golf, tennis and football on the reserves. If they allowed tennis they must be prepared to allow the playing of other games.

Cr. Macalister here asked if he could move that the motion be put, but the Mayor said that he would like to hear a discussion on it.

The debate was then taken up by Cr. Glass who said that he was sorry that such a motion had been brought before the Council. It did not reflect any credit upon Cr. Preddy and he was of the opinion that after a little thought Cr. Preddy would have withdrawn the motion. In the first instance they were forbidden by law to pass any resolution preventing Sunday games, and Cr. Prcddy’s motion was just an evasion of the law. They were told that legislation was not their business. The Mayor: I can hardly agree with you. If we can prevent Sunday play by legitimate means we are entitled to do so.

Continuing Cr. Glass said that if they passed the motion what position would they be in ? They would have prevented the Invercargill club members from playing on the courts they had put down, while people outside the club would be able to play to their heart’s content. The position would be a ridiculous one. The hooligan element of the town would take full advantage of the motion. The passing of the motion would create unnecessary’ friction. Cr. Macdonald said that he had been a member of the Invercargill club for the past 15 years and it was only during the last, season that Sunday play had been indulged in. Cr. Preddy had by bringing up his motion made the position of the Council clear to all, and the Sunday play was now extending. He did not see that the Council should pass any motion telling people how they should pass the Sunday.

Cr. Clark indicated that he was in favour of the motion by saying that if they did not stop the Invercargill club they would have all the tennis clubs in town playing on Sunday. Cr. Macalister said that he was opposed to the motion and that Cr. Glass was right in his contention that it was an attempt to evade the law. Religious and moral questions were outside the jurisdiction of the Council according to the Act. By the passing of the resolution they would be putting under a penalty those who were beautifying the reserves and spending money on them, as outsiders would be able to use the property when the club members were debarred. The question should not have been brought up at the Council table. If they had a mandate from the ratepayers to deal with the matter it would be a different situation. If they were going to fight an election on the question let it be fought and let the ratepayers decide. If the ratepayers did not want Sunday tennis they should try and give effect to their wishes but as a Council they should not have any capacity to deal with it. The Mayor said that the matter was an important one and that the Council should deal with it. He had never expressed an opinion on the question but he would support the motion. He did not think that the Council could dictate to the individual. That was a matter for the individual, hut when it came to the matter of a local body sanctioning Sunday play different conditions applied. He himself played golf on Sunday, but he did not think his action inconsistent when he supported the motion. It was not a matter for public opinion whether the Council granted permission for the use of the reserves on Sunday or not. That the Council could not enforce the private court owners to stop playing on Sunday had nothing whatever to do with the motion. If the Council granted the use of the reserves for Sunday tennis they could not stop any Sunday play. Cr. Macalister: You can’t now.

Continuing he said that the Rugby Union had never suggested that their ground should be used on Sunday and if the Union came along and asked for the use of the reserves the Council could not refuse the request. “We as a local body should not expressly say, ‘go and play on Sunday.’ ” Cr. Glass: We are not saying it now. The Mayor: Yes you are. If the Council could prevent the use of the reserves for Sunday play by any means it was entitled to do it. He was sure that there was not a councillor present who would like to see Sunday football played. The Otatara play was a matter for the individual. Cr. Glass: Putting a premium on the rich man. The Mayor said that he looked at the question from an individual point of view. Cr. Preddy then brieflv replied. A division was asked for and the voting was as follows:—For the motion—Councillors Lennie, Preddy, Clark and the Mayor; against the motion- Councillors Boyes, Mackrell, Sheehan, Meek, Macdonald and Macalister.