TALKIES FOR FOXTON.
(Concluded from page 3). I'or the Council to contemplate the insinuation of (alkies in Foxton at the present time. They considered that it would lie Car better to (dose the pictures up for at least six months rather than go in for the installation now. MONEY DIVERTED FROM TOWN. The Town IClerk said that scores of ipeople were going to Levin to the Talkies, and as soon as Shannon opened up they would go there. Or. Lucinsky: If we let the hall it won’t matter where they go. •CV.' Thompson: 'There was no guarantee with the previous offer we received, was there? The Town Clerk: No. PLAYING SAFE. Cr. Lucinsky: Play safe. The Mayor: We are going to do that, We are confident that we can do well with Talkies. Cr. Barron said that he was keen on Talkies, but he was doubtful if llie 'Council should go in for them just at present when there was so much unemployment- in the district. Several families would have to leave Foxton if the railway service was done away with or curtailed. He, like Cr. Lucinsky, thought the Council should play safe and call tenders for the hall. No possible harm could come from that. “1 for one have got the ‘wind up’ over the matter. Let the other fellow take the risk. If not, then we’ve got t<v find £11)00 in three years,” he added.
iCi’. Cowley: Let us carry on as we are in the meantime. W*e can go into the matter again, in two or three months -time, when possibly things will be better. Cr. Thompson aslked bow long il would take to insta! the Talkies, and the Clerk stated that it would lake from a month to two months. THE UNEMPLOYMENT QUESTION.
Cr. Cowley: We. couldn’t face the position at a worse time. We are considering the expenditure of over £2j()0() while people are clamouring •for work. It doesn’t tend to make one too enthusiastic. He said, however, that if tlie Mayor could recommend the proposal and was confident, that; the (Council could make money out of it, he would support the installation. The Council had eertainlf operated the silent, pictures successfully and given its patrons the cheapest pictures in New Zealand. The Mayor said lie and the Town Clerk had given the matter serious consideration, and devoted a great deal of thought to the matter. There was a lot to be said both in favour and against ,tho proposal. '1 here was the unemployment question. It was the same all over New Zealand, bill nevertheless there was scarcely a town or subnib that had not got its talkies or was at the present time having its then-ires wired for the installation. Shannon was palling in a. plant immediately.
Cr. Cowley: That, is private enterprise, though. The -Mayor: Yes, but (lie people of Foxton will have a lot to say if they lose THE MOUTOA TRADE,
which will most certainly go to Shannon once the Talkies are installed there. No matter what happens, I am quite convinced that, the time has arrived when Foxton shauld instal the Talkies. At first, lie said, lie thought they might, he able to bang off for a while, but after his visit to the north be considered every day brought the matter of installation more urgent. As far as rates were concerned, he thought that he was as heavily rated as anyone else, and lie would he one. of the first to have to pay if things did not pan out right. He could not give a guarantee that 'Talkies would pay as well as the silent pictures hud during the past few years, but they could not. lose a great deal. They knew the amoimt of patronage'they were likely to get which would not be the same if tlie ball was leased. If the. hall was let to a person who lost money on it, then it would he thrown hack on the Council, and they would have no operator, and would have to start all over again. They luid already had one experience of a set back of that description, and they were not likely to forget it. Cr. Lucinsky said that he was not. for one minute suggesting that Foxton people should be deprived of tlie Talkies, lie merely thought that it would bo better for someone else to have a shot at the business. VAST SUMS GOING OUT OF TOWN.
Cr. Thompson said lie appreciated all that had been said. He felt the burden of rates in Foxlon fairly heavily himself, but the fact remained that by not installing Talkies they were watching their money drift into other towns. Vast sums were going to Levin and Palmerston North, and Shannon would soon also ‘be taking its quota. He had recently been to Rotorua. There he had attended the Tail kies, and had had to go an hour before the commencement of I lie programme in order to get a seat. 'Previously there had been four silent picture theatres operating, Ind to-day there was only the one Talkie theatre, and it was packed nightly. He strongly favoured installing the Talkies as a municipal concern and putting in a Western Electric machine. He had no faith in letting the ball after previous experience. : ONE MACHINE SUITABLE.
Cr. Cowley said the price submitted was for one machine only.
The 'Mayor: It would cost another £SOO to instal two machines..
The Town Clerk said there would be added expense also, as the opera ling box was not big enough to accommodate two machines. They recommended one machine to save expense. The delay would not he any more than at present. Their present operator had tried out a Western Electric machine at Wellington, and could change over in .35 seconds. Daring this time music would be played.
The Mayor said that at Mamalni ; i one-machine plant was operating quite successfully. UN THE EVOLUTION STAGE. Cr. Ross said that Talkies were possibly in the evolution stage. If the -Council contented itself with ue machine and improvements cam one- machine and improvements ~ame along there would not he such an expense in replacing it in years lo come.
The Mayor said that it. was all light, to have two machines where pictures were being run continuously for six days a week, but. in l-’oxton it was unnecessary. The local public was already; accustomed to the delay in change of spool, which would not be any longer than at present with the Talkies.
Cr. Cowley said that after hearing the Mayor’s and Or. Thompson's remarks he did not think they would he doing wrong in supporting the proposal. Both were large ratepayers.
1 NiSTALLATJON RECOMMENDED The Mayor: I feel I can justly recommend the installation. The Town Clerk said that the hard part, was that the installation had to be paid for in the first two or three years. The revenue, however, was spread over ten vears.
Cr. Lucinsky: The people of Eoxton might want Talkies, but they will squeal when the'rate demands come out.
Cr. Thompson: If they want amusement they will have to pay for
Or. Barron said lie still felt nervous over the question. There was a meeting of the unemployed to be held the following night, and it seemed as if the Council was incurring an expenditure in spite of the conditions. He still favoured calling’ tenders for the lease of the hall. guarantee could be demanded, and if no offer was considered acceptable, then the Council could insta! the machine themselves. He believed in giving everything a try first before spending such a large sum.
A BOLD SURMISE. Or. Robinson : Tf a poll was taken on the question to-morrow Talkies would be turned down by a two to one majority. He supported letting the hall if possible. LEASING THE HALL. Or. Barron then moved, and Cr. Lucinsky seconded, That- t-ernl err he invited for the lease of Ihe haL for ten years, conditions to be prepared and submitted lo Monday idgiit.’-s Council meeting by the Town Clerk. FACE THE RESPONSIBILITY. Cr. Thompson, in speaking to the motion., said that he would not support it. The Council should be brave enough to face the position now. They bad discussed the position fully, and nothing was to be gained by delay. Foxton could just as well afford to face the cost of the installation now as any other town. The depression was universal, arid worse in Britain and Australia. The Council should not lie down when it bad a responsibility In face.
!C!r. Ross said he did not favour the motion. If anything was to he made out of the Talkies the Council should have it. They bad made a success of the silent pictures and could do so with the Talkies. He also felt nervous about spending annoy at present, as it was not altogether in keeping with the state of affairs, but people insisted on having their amusements whether there , were unemployed about or not. The Council had catered successfully for the people’s amuse-, incut in the past, and should now c-a itv on.
MAYOR’S CASTING VOTE. The motion was then put, and the voting for and against was equal. Votes were recorded as follows): — For the motion: Crs. Barron, Luciiisky, Robinson and Cowley. Against the motion: The Mayor and Crs. Rand, lioss and Thompson. The Mayor was called on for his casting vote. The position was awkward, he said. He was not in favour of leasing the ball, but at I he same time lie was in no hurry to rush the installation of the Talkies, lie would therefore declare the motion carried.
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Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4477, 12 July 1930, Page 4
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1,616TALKIES FOR FOXTON. Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4477, 12 July 1930, Page 4
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