Will National Theatre Be Politically Controlled?

Chronicle (Levin), 4 November 1949, Page 3

Will National Theatre Be Politically Controlled?

Press AssociationJ

(Per

. AUCKLAND, November 3. A sliafp protest, expressing "grave concern" with the steps being takeu toward the establishment of the National Theatre Organisation, was made by the Auckland Drama Council at a meeting last night in a xesolution now on its way to the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser). "We are profoundly disturbed to learn that the decision to *set up by legislation a non-eleetiye board to. control the National theatre should be accepted from an admittedly non-re-presentative meeting," the resolution read. " We consider that no decisive actio'n regarding a national theatre should . be taken until a properly representative eonferenee has been held." The resolution was based on tne Prime Minister 's recent statement that a eonferenee on the theatre question held in Wellington on October 3 was not broad enough to deal adeqnately with the probiem/and that a fuliy representative eonferenee sHould be held. Mr M. Gittos, the council 's seeretary, said today that they were not only concerned with their plea,for-re-gional control of the theatres'in the four main centres, but also with the methods being used. The members oi Auckland drama societies, who o^pos-. ed centralised political control fox the1 National Theatre Organisation, feel an ' ' anti-democratie.- step ' ; toward this, is seen in' the ereation of "the tive board appdinted presixmabj^' •" .By; the Prime Mini£ter>. , •• / >-