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Sunday IVork,
What should be the lawful limita
tions of conduct on Sunday as applied
to ordinary citizens? The point arises
out of the- prosecution of- two' Chinese
market gardeners at Brunswick re
cently for gardening on Sunday. The
local- authorities' are commanded by
law "to cause Sunday to be duly ob
served" by all persons within their :
jurisdiction, and for that purposo must
not permit any -shops, stores or other
places to be open that day for trade '
or dealing. The object of the law —
a very old one, dating from the time
of Charles TX.-y1 was evidently to -send
people to. church and so make
them duly observe the Sunday.
Legislation In this country has
gone a good deal further- In
some respects by means of Shons arid
Factories Acts,' but still the mere argu
ment of works of necessity does not
cover all the exceptions. For instance,
the State itself carries on its railway
business on Sunday; and It permits
tramway companies to do likewise. A
great deal of domestic work is pcr-
forcu done on Sunday, and In many
places machinery has to he kept In
trim on thtit day to be ready for oper
ation on Monday. Yet there are peo
ple who, blind to theso necessities,
would rigorously condemn much hu
man activity Which a number of
worthy persons are wont to engage In
on that day. Theso applaud the, prose
cution of the market gardener, Chin
ese or white, but It is obvious that If
gardening Is to- bo made 'possible or
prolltablo, some gardening operations
on Sunday are unavoidable. in the J
warm weather, -for Instance, watering /
on Sunday may moan all tho dljer.
enco between saving a crop and its
destruction, and the consumers would
soon, flnci that cabhageB or tomatoes
were at famlno prices. Many prlvato
citizens, unconscious of any law-
breaklng, water 'their lawns and gar
dens on Sunday: — probably a proper-
tlon of thorn are churchgoers, too;
many also engage In sundry chores In
and about their houses nnd gardens,
which Involve so-called "work." it
Is possible to read tho law so ns to
make these persons '"offenders" sub
ject to a £10 tine. It Is possible also to i
argue that tho law does not mean any
thing of tho kind. It Is obvious that
a suburban council would bo kept
falrlv busy If It took up tho contract
of spying out all theso offending rate
payers. If they did. It Is safe to say
that tho law would ho promptly amen
ded. In England lately some Sun
day golfers were brought to court for
desecrating tho Sunday by playing
golf, but tho magistrates discharged
them. If they were lawbreakers ho
also aro tho nuntcrous persons who
play tennis and croquet, and — possi
bly — even those who play billiards in
their own houses. It Is questionable
then, whether the law bears tho con
struction which Is sometimes put
upon it, but even if It does then it
might me administered with sense and
circumspection; otherwiso a carter,
ipay be lined for watering hlB horse on
Sunday, and tho trainers of the favor
ites for tho Cups must refrain on that
day from "rubbing down" their re
spective Carbines.
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