ABOLISHED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1726, 18 April 1913, Page 5

ABOLISHED.

o CENSOR OF PLATS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (llec. April 17, 9.10 p.m.) London, April 17. The House of Commons, without division, agreed to Mr. Robert V. Harcourt's, (M.P. for Montrose Burghs) motion, to abolish the office of censor of plays, mid also the distinction in the licenses between theatres and music halls. During the past three years the matter of the censorship of plays and the distinction made between a theatre and a musichall in respect lo the performance of plays have occupied the attention of Parliament from time to time, chiefly on account of the energies nf Mr. Robert Harcourt. In 1910 a .loint Parliamentary Committee was appointed lo inquire ir.lo the question of censorship and theatre licenses. That committee recommended the in>titution of a censorship under which it would be optional lo submit a play for license, and legal to perform an unlicensed play,' whether it had been submitted or not; and the abolition of the existing legal differentiation between a theatre and a music hall, so that each should be-allowed to present whatever form of entertainment it desired (as in the colonies). In 1911 Mr. Charles Brookiield was appointed joint censor with Mr. Kadfovd. The change did not prevent anomalous mistakes, however. The abolition of the legal differences between a theatre and music hall is held to be rnly rational.