SUNDAY CONCERTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 492, 27 April 1909, Page 2

SUNDAY CONCERTS.

DEBATED BY MR, FISHER AND REV. J. J, NORTH.

: . ..... A LIVELY MEETING. . . Mr." Fisher's.clcctioh meeting at the Town I'Hall.. last night became very lively, when tho Rev. J. J. North,'who had. attended at tho invitation. of. tlio. candidate,; roso .to speak' .on .tlio Sunday concert question; In spito i of Mr. Fisher's appeal for a courteous for his opponent,. the groans, interjections, and ironical laughter woro such that much of Mr/ North's speech must havo boon inaudible to most, of thoso. present. There did •not appear, to' bo any. organised opposition,, but'.there was-'-'u largo "noisy element., ; :. Mr. North said he hated the I'uritan Simday in the old interpretation of the term. Mo would hato to seo the city domineered over by, a clerical party, which overboro tlio conccionces of tho people. (Mocking laughter and some applause.) Ho believed in a rational Sunday for every man, but that was impossible ,if they let in tho element, of ■private' gain. If wo would maintain our Sunday, wo ncedftd to havo a good fighting frontier. (Cric3 of,'"Shut up".") Tho best lighting frontier Was tho eliminating of private gain. Tho late City Council said to tho entertainers, "If you like. to sing sombre sonfjs on"Bunchy for your gain, you may." (Voices: "Quite right.") That was liko\tolling. a tobacconist he might- sell churchwarden pipes on Sunday, but not Vanity Fair cigarettes; (Laughter.) Entertainments on Sundays led to' an ever-increasing amount of work. Figures for other countries wore quoted in 1 support of this statement, and wore greeted by cries.of "Rats!" Mr. North went on to adduce tlio experienco of Tasmania, where a , reaction had led to the passago of a strict Sunday Observance Act.. In civery country where tlio sacrcd conccrt was triod it became tlio absurdest of incongruities; (A voice: "Wo'ro in •'Wellington.") "You'ro a swollen-headed Wellington," retorted Mr.. North, "if you won't take tlio experience -of your kin (Uproar.) 'Mr. Fishor, at this point, again appealed for a; patient hearing for Mr. North! , Mr. North went on .to' arguo that-. Sunday concerts would lead on to tho. opening of shops 011 Sunday. Tho experiment tried in Wellington had ;been tried '•'.in Tasmania, Canada, and' other countrios, and ; had failed. Thero. was, however, mo '.reason.™ why there should not bo plenty of music in. tho Town Hall, without private gain, and supervised'by tho Corporation, .which already provided openair music on Sundays. ' ''Mr;- Fishor said that both Mr. North and himself wanted; to seo a clean and healthy' Christian community,' but that would bo tho community With tho healthiest minds; a state, of affairs .which would be promoted..by--tho kind of music given' in tho Town' Hall on, Sundays! 'In--'regard' to_ Mr. North's , statements touching Tasmania,-Mr. .Fisher read tho clause of tho Sunday Observance Act; showing that though Sunday .concerts_' for which a charge was made were prohibited,; exception Was made in tlie caso of such, as we're sanctioned, by tho municipality. ~ 'Ho, read" advertisements from Melbourne, Sydney,' and London papers to show that'concerts for which achargo was made .were'held oil' Good Friday. He did not think Mr.- 'North - would, deny that Good Friday was moro sacrcd than Sunday. ■,-_. ' -.' ' ■Mr. North :"I do deny it." ; y Voices: "Chuck him:out!" . Mr. Fisher road further from Svdney papors to show that moving picturo shows were held on Sundays, and, therefore, the council .was inconsistent in closing, tho: Town Hall. , Another newspaper ; extract showed that Sunday , football, had been: introduced by an English clergyman ihto-his'parisli. : Ho' did not say the clergyman was right, but thero.wero great differences, of opinion.;' Ho'-recognised; that 'Mr.' Nortli was acting, from sincere convictions, but . for.' his own part his, viows were unchanged., (Applause.) : The Rev;; Mr. North, in reply, .again emphasised the element-: of privato gain ; ap the, crucial point; . The Queen's Hall,,' London, mentioned- by Mr. .Fisher,.was -not run.for. privato gain. Tho' Canadian Act was quite explicit, and the English; Apt,, had .not- yet coijie. into operation. 'He did riot' aslc tlie'm to vote against Mr. Fisher, who was ,a courteous ; gentleman, but lie hoped, they-w-bulcl . put ,in fifteen councillors.who would.,set their faces against Sunday entertainments'for gain s (Ap-. plause;groans, and general uproar.)': - '.' . Replying to a question, Mr. Fisher said the element of private .'gain. in the Sunday, con-; certs was small compared with,' tho' amount of good that resulted; If he stood on the point 1 of private gain, ho would have to oppose the Sunday' running of trams, trains,.- and.-ferry: steamers. '/'.,;" - . ; MR. J. E. FITZGERALD'S VIEWS. - , The 1 * following is Mr, J. E;. Fitzgerald's ; roply to the Council'of Churches circular ro Sunday concerts:— ; "Dear, shy—Your circular letter, of the ICth in-st. I received only 011 Saturday last. I do not favour tlio, :sngge'stion that.'. tlio should prohibit all Snnday'entertainments in'halls under -its jurisdiction, ; save such- as-.are' held for distinctly charitable, purposes,' for tlio reason that I believe sucli. entertainments; .if .rightly.'controlled and ;con-; sisting of only really good music, can do 110 harm and much good/ I fail to see that such entertainments'interfere with /one- of. the most cherished of, the customs of. the British race,' and I .consider'that' in listening to the best musio we are -cultivating an ideal.';'l am opposed to 'any private individual organising these,-concerts for the purpose of moneymaking, .and; I' think that tho -practice, ..if existing, should bo chocked. : Tins; does not,' of course, dobar the performers receiving their just allowances for their services. .1 would always insist upon having only music of a highclass standard rendered at. these entertainments. If these condition's be observed'these entertainments are, in my opinion, productive of great good,, and shonldlnot,'bo prohibited."