A CONTRETEMPS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 101, 23 January 1920, Page 7

A CONTRETEMPS

NEW SOUTH WALES ORCHESTRA AND ACCOMMODATION.

Before the big orchestral concert commenced in the Town Hull last evening Mr.'H. Gladstone Hill, manager for the New Zealand tour, came forward and announced that a regrettable contretemps had occurred. Tho orchestra had just arrived from Napier, and some of tho members had. not even had any, thing to cat and others were not in evening dress. That had to be excused, as great difficulty had been found in getting accommodation, and some of them even then had no place to lay their heads that night. He did not wish to cast aspersions on anyone, but tho sort of thing which had occurred was that three weeks ago twenty members of the [orchestra had been booked at a certain hotel, but on Tuesday even, ing the owner of the hotel had rung up° to say that he could not, accommodate them. (Cries of "Name," "Name," from all parts of the audi enee.) , Mr. Hil! declined to give tho name of the hotel, but said something to the effect that such treatment was no credit to tho Empire City. Ho also asked members of tho nudience to do what they could to relieve tho situation. Somebody in the audience suggested that offers of nssistanco should be received in the interval. At first Mr. Hill thought the gentleman was saying something about refreshment at tho interval, n't which there was n genoral lunch, but tho suggestion was at once accepted. Later on in the evening Mr. Hill announced that people in the audience hud tnkon nity.o'n the "wnif«," and the Chief Magistrate of the City (M r . J. P. T.nke) lvd led the way by, taking in three. (ApplnnsiO All wore ultimately accommodated. On behalf of the orchestra, Mr. Hill thanked the peonle of Wellington for their generous action in the matter.