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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5032, 10 May 1877, Page 2

The ordinary meeting of the City Council will be held at the usual hour this afternoon. In addition to other business two matters of some interest will come on for discussion, namely, Mr. Cleland’s motion with reference to the rearrangement of the officers of the Council, and,the Mayor’s resolution regarding a by-law for regulating the attendance , at theatres and public halls,and imposing a penalty for overcrowing. At last meeting the Mayor proposed to impose a fine of 20s. for every additional person over the number which public halls might he licensed to hold; but to this Councillor George objected, regarding the fine as excessive, and pointing out that the position of a theatre was different to that held by a steamer in this respect. As other Councillors objected, though they were not prepared at once to make any suggestion themselves and as one or two members had left the chamber—the hour being then late—the matter was postponed for a fortnight, and will come on tor discussion to-day. We would remark, in reference to this question, that it presents greater difficul-

ties than, we should imagine, appeared to his Worship the Mayor when he proposed his resolution at last meeting. Take the case of the Theatre Royal, for instance, on a night when the management present some extraordinary attraction to the public : how difficult would it be so nicely to guard against overstepping the limits of Mr. Hutchison’s bylaw, as proposed. We have every sympathy with the motive which evidently induced Mr. Hutchison to bring the question forward, namely, to insure as far as possible the public safety, for everyone knows how disastrous have been the consequences of overcrowding and want of proper means of exit in places of public resort when danger arises—everyone at least who has read anything of the history of theatres. But some other means than that proposed by the Mayor to surmount the difficulty must be found. It would in the first instance lie imposing too great a tax on the proprietors of public halls, and the task of inspection would lie by no means easy. The “ convenience ” of the public should not be so much considered in this matter, because if people do not wish to be “ scrouged ” when the place is crowded they need not attend. Therefore, the Council might do ranch better than making such a charge as is suggested, if they were to introduce a by-law rigidly enforcing the provision of .the most ample and extensive means of exit, to insure safety in case of fire. On this subject a number of forcible articles appeared iu the English Press, after the Brooklyn disaster, which recently caused so much consternation everywhere, and it was pointed out that despite the many warnings afforded by repeated incidents of the kind in the past, the proprietors of theatres and the public were still indifferent, the memory of such events passing away almost as rapidly as the impression made upon the general mind wore off. We think it is of far more Importance to take precautions in the direction indicated than to attempt enforcing a law such as that spoken of at the last meeting of the Council. However. the matter will be discussed this after noon, and fully considered no doubt. The opinions expressed here are simply called forth by what took place at the meeting a fortnight ago, and the evident difficulty of the question brought forward by the Mayor, and postponed.