LIVELY SCENES

Hokitika Guardian, 14 April 1930, Page 3

LIVELY SCENES

DANCE HALL EXCITEMENT.

DUNEDIN, April 10

The spotlight of publicity was cast by the City Council at its meeting last night on the conduct of some dances.held recently in this city, with special reference to a ball 1 itely held in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall for a semi-philanthropic purpose. Revelations made by the city councillors were mostly of 'behaviour outside the concert hall, and imiuuu.lto*s that all was not well in the ballroom itself were flashed across the council table.

“ WOH TH Y PATRONA EE. ’ ’

Some time ago the council held a • : rau,. discussion nn ' :ic c ndurt of a dance in a public Inll in Ceorge Street, but last night, probably because the concert hall ball was held under worthy patronage, the name of the function was not exposed. The City Council discussion has again directed attention to the need for a stricter supervision over some of the suburban dancing halls. The happenings at one of these dances the other night are said to have involved the total abandonment of decorum. This particular dance has no pretensions to being fashionable. By its patrons it is considered to be a. homely little affair where those go who cannot afford a more expensive rendezvous.

AMAZONIAN BATTLE

Tho hall became the other night, (it is stated) an Amazonian battle ground. Convention, fickle as it is, expects that girls should be accompanied to dances. At this function many of the girls arrived without partners and were admitted free. The trouble started when one of

the hall managers objected to two girls dancing together. , “The boys are too backward in ask- ' j ing us to dance, and anyway they can't dance,” was the retort of the girls, and the reply whipped tho Objector into anger. Off went the two girls, dipping and swaying flexibly. They were stopped by a lad who demanded that one should sit down again. The g,irls objected, as the presumptive partner would not obtain another young man and so amicably separate the'girls. ,t..Vi i ! INI Oif HEADS. • The -ir i:i various parts of the hall was already heavy with threats disturbances. The la,d was annoyed, i jin' l ’ (•■■: yUi- i]ip giH- bv their necks and knocked their heads together. Tho ma.na.por then bounded across ( the floor and tjhrew her weight behind tho young man into the argument. Dancing stopped at the promise of a fight, and another young „, ..!aii pushed h;a* way through and I i”' I ’seroptly "oiced her ervein'n of r tho girls. A diminutive maid then stepi ’'cd forward and challenged, the I weightier and more robust intruder to keep quiet. I The gauntlet was picked up. Then I a male stalwart, who considered he had cause to take umbrage at the conduct of the young man who had endeavoured to separate the dancing I'eiu'les. promptly invited the offender to “step outside..”.

IUTTLE IN THE STREET. Sides were taken by nearly all the natrons, aiid the dance broke up in disorder. Tho sequel was that, the Whs adjourned to a nearby open space to settle their differences, hut the girls staged, an Amazonian battle in the street. Though outweighed aiid outreached the small girl was the superior modern edition rif Wad icon., and she sent her opponent down for the count.

Quito a number of male patrons rt.o"d bv and watched this unseemly, spV.acle and only exerted themselves when one of the girls was lying limp and senseless on the pavement.