SUNDAY MEETINGS ON BAY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19451, 28 March 1933, Page 6

SUNDAY MEETINGS ON BAY

COUNCIL DECLINES PERMITS. On the casting vote of the Mayor, the Timaru Borough Council last night declined to grant permission for public meetings to be held on Caroline Bay on a Sunday. Two application'; to hold meetings on Caroline Bay on a Sunday were before the Council, one being from Mr G. T. Koller, on behalf of the Timaru Unemployed Workers’ Union, and the other from Mr F. Hilton, asking for a permit for an address by a Mr Doyle, who recently returned from Russia. Councillor W. H. Hunt said that the Council had passed a resolution that all Sunday meetings were to be held in Alexandra Square, but that had been broken through allowing the Ministers' Association to hold a meeting on the Bay. A precedent had been created and he would vote in favour of the permit being granted. Tire Mayor (Mr T. W. Satterthwaite); “It was no precedent.” Councillor Hunt: “It was. I have my cwn thought ; about it. I don't see why we should make fish of one and flesh of another.” Councillor M. H. Richards: “I am going to vote for it, too.” A motion that permission to hold the meetings be held was moved by Councillor Hunt, and seconded by Councillor Richards. On the motion being put there were four in favour, and four against. The voting was: For—Councillors G. Benstead, W. H. Hunt, M. H. Richards and F. B. Hawkey. Against—The Mayor and Councillors H. J. Mathers, C. H. Mason and J. R. Hart. In giving his casting vote against the motion, the Mayor said that he did so on the grounds that the Council had previously decided that there were to be no meetings on the Bay on Sunday afternoons. Nothing had been put forward to make them change their minds, excepting that they had granted the Timaru Ministers’ Association permission to hold a religious service on a Sunday evening. One was practically a Labour demonstration, and the other was a religious service. “We don’t want the Bay turned into a talking shop on Sunday,” he concluded.