GOOD FRIDAY PICTURES

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 61, 13 March 1934, Page 9

GOOD FRIDAY PICTURES

DISCUSSION AT LOWER HUTT

In past years Councillor A. Anderson has ploughed a lonely furrow in the discussions in the Lower Hutt Borough. Council in his protest against the showing of pictures on Good Friday. This year, however, three other members of ,the council ha\ Te joined him in his protest, the Mayor and Councillors Ashton and Campbell supporting his viewpoint. When applications from the three theatres came forward at last evening's meeting of the Borough Council Councillor Anderson said he could not understand why the picture people would" not forego the showing of pictures on Christmas Day and Good Friday. The pictures shown had ho bearing whatever on the day, nnd it appeared that the theatres were merely actuated hy commercial considerations. ; It was not that he had religious scruples, but he had sufficient sense to believe that people held these days as something more than ordinary days. Councillor Napier, said that gojf and tennis were played on Sundays and other sacred days, and he considered that if pictures were not, allowed the public would not be able to spend the evening in an intelligent manner. ■ "God forbid that anyone should call going to the pictures an intelligent way of spending their time," remarked Councillor Anderson. There were over 300 other days, he said, on which pictures could be shown, and surely on these two days patrons could deny themselves. • . . ■■■ . Councillor F. Campbell said that Councillor Napier's plea for catering for thoso who had nowhere to go might apply to the city, where many people were living in hotels and lodgings, iln Lower Hutt nearly everyone had his own home and the need did not apply. If they believed there was'anything in Christianity they could surely keep Good Friday as a sacred day! It always seemed strange •to liim that Anzac Day was kept sacred while Good Friday was forgotten. Councillor Anderson's proposal to refuse permission was defeated, Councillors J. Mitchell, A. Grierson, J. E. Napier, W. Wilson, and W. G. Meldnim behig in favour of granting permission. It was decided, however, to restrict the showing, of pictures to the evening only. Councillors Ashton and Wilson were appointed to censor the' programmes.