The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1901-10-05 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

WHAT BYE-LAWS ARE  MADE OF.  When • corporation provides . 'such as a park or a recreation ground, for the benefit of the public, it is of course a usual dud a necessary procedure that • set of b7e4aira should be drawn up in orderthat offenders can be brought to book for their actions. It is in accordance with this that the Birkenhead Corporation has just issued • draft of the proposed bye-laws for the .sesently-opened Victoria Park. They provide 1 leading interesting enough, but those who visit Victoria Park, if they go simply for enjoyment, would do well to leave the rules severely alone, for in reading them it will be found that the pedestrian's almost every Aotion in the park is governed by some law, and if he infringes this law he is liable to certain dire penalties. And, besides this, the reader will dimmer that there are alined countless ways in which he may offend ,against the bye-laws---waye which he would never have thought of had it not been for • glance through the rules and regulations. It is certainly rather fortunate that everyone who walks through Victoria Park does ' not always confine his attention to the rules .laid down, or there would be more sad faces In the park than is the case at present. On a bright Sunday afternoon it is a usual thing to ass a great many people strolling about.l the local parks. Victoria Park is not behind' its elderly neighbours, Birkenhead and Trazunere, in this respect. If you see On& I.of the male riem coming leisurely along the' path, cheerfully smoking his pipe, apparently thinking hard, admiring what there is to admire, looking philosophically upon everyone he meets, and in fact appearing in a general way to be. meditating upon the comforts of this life and the pleasure of his afternoon stroll, you can easily observe from that man's pleasant countenance that he has never troubled. his head about the bye'•laws before coming into the park, and therefore he is at peace with everybody.  thia,l  But take the case of a man who has read the bye-laws, and is afraid of offending against them. He walks along in a furtivelypeeping manner, mentally rehearsing the rules, and now and again palls himself up and wonders if the park keeper has seen him do anything wrong. So that if the ordinary stroller through the park wants to enjoy his stroll be will not read the byelaws. Not for an instant must it be supposed that the bve-lavni are wrong. They are not. They are merely alarming from a common-sense point of vies. For instance, when the ordinary person goes into the park he must sorely know he is not expected to " break, bark, root up, cut, or in any way damage or injure any tree, sapling, underwood, shrub, plant, or turf in the park; or remove, take up, pull down, break, injure, deface, or soil any wall, gate, fence, railing, hurdle, or post enclosing the park; or any garden seat, or chair, or fountain, building, erection, statue, monument, work of art, ornament," Itc.  But still, in case any should be found who are silly enough to do such tricks, a law must be waiting for them which will turn them from evil paths. The sentence just quoted does not leave a loophole for escape, although of course one might be inclined to wonder at first glance what possible reason • man would have for rooting up, say, a good-sized oak. And besides, how would he do it? Another rule runs as follows:—" No person (other than a servant or person acting by the direction of the Corporation) shall enter any of the shrubberies or plantations in the park." So that if a small by knooks his ball into a plantation he is not allowed to get that beiL‘Without first summoning a meeting of tie Corporation, after which he will be graciously enabled to climb the plantation railing and get his ball, conscious in the belief that he is a good and true citizen. Carpet cleaners are not allowed to "beat, shake, or clean any rug, mat, or carpet in the park." Neither is a washerwoman allowed to spread any linen or other fabric for the purpose of drying or bleaching in the park. One would think such a rule was hardly necessary, for if carpet cleaners and washerwomen monopolised the park at the ratepayers' expense it would no longer be a pr.rk, bat a kind of waste piece of ground granted for the use of industrious people by a benevolent, charitable organisation. , In order that "peace, perfect peace," may 1 be maintained, no person is allowed to play any musical instrument or sing in the park. Nothing, it will be noted, is said against whistling, only two bars of which, when indulged in by some corner-boy sifileur, are enough to place a violin solo or well-rendered song beyond comparison. But a very important item is kept to the end of the bye-laws. We are told that before a man can discharge a loaded firearm in the park he must obtain permission to do so from the Corporation. If he neglects ' to do this, then he is liable to a fine of 40s. 1 This is all very well perhaps, and as it should be, but it does not provide for everything. Supposing a man, tired of life, resolves to end his existence. He chooses Victoria Park as a place wherein his demise might take place in comfort. The manner in which he proposes to take his life—should naught prevent—is by firing a revolver. Now, to apply to the Corporation for permission to fire off the revolver is against all the rules of etiquette known in suicide society, and yet if he does not apply for permission he is liable to be mulcted in a fine of 40s. and costs. Disregarding the bye-laws, however, he goes to Victoria Park and kills himself. The question of course arises Will the man's body be liable to a fine of 40s. and costs? Taking the law as it stands, it will. One can easily see how dispiriting this is to would-,be (suicides, who, rather than submit to the indignity of having their body fined when found, will transfer their attention to more desirable places than Victoria 1 Park. Then we . will have the tradesmen 1 protesting through people not being encouraged to stay in the district. The rule, if anything, will take away all the romance popularly supposed to be attached to suicde, and bring it down to a mere business concern. It will be the duty of the police-constable or park keeper who finds the body, not to see if there is any farewell letter from the deceased man to his relatives, but rather if he has obtained the written Permission of the Corporation to fire off the revolver. Altogether, the idea is rather American. IL. G. F.  saytbAng. oPivimu