SUNDAY CONCERTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22986, 15 September 1936, Page 7

SUNDAY CONCERTS

UNDULY LIBERAL INTERPRETATION WHAT ARE “CHARITABLE PURPOSES ”? At the meeting of the City Council last night the question of permission to grant the holding of Sunday concerts was once again discussed, consequent on the receipt of a letter from the Council of Christian Congregations. The letter, which was signed by the president, the Rev. W. A. Hamblett, read as follows: — “I would ask you to bring the following matter discussed by my council concerning Sunday entertainments before your council at its next meeting. “ The Council of Christian Congregations respectfully requests the council to adher strictly to the principal enunciated by his Worship the Mayor in connection with the granting of permits for Sunday concerts, viz.,:— 1. That such concerts be only for strictly charitable purposes. i: That no charge be allowed. 3, That the programmes be supervised by the council. “ Recent permits granted seem to my council to give an unduly liberal interpretation ro the term ‘ charitable purposes.’ We would point out that on the occasion of the pipe band function at the Caledonian Ground a charge was made for admission and no prosecution followed. We should like to know if programmes for recent concerts were supervised by the council, and would request that this condition be not overlooked when the granting of further permits is under consideration.” The Mayor said that it had only been on a rare occasion that the usual practice of the council had been departed from. The presence of 21 pipe bands had been a unique occasion—he supposed unique in the British Empire—and it was the only occasion on which the bands could give an exhibition of their playing. He had been present on that Sunday afternoon, and it had been a most thrilling and enjoyable gathering. It had been attended by 10,000 or 12,000 people, going to show that the public of Dunedin appreciated listening to the music provided. The music had been inspiring from beginning to end, and the parade was one which those present would not forget for many years. Regarding the suggestion that some of the programmes were not up to standard, that was a matter hardly under their control, unless they went and watched every time. Permission was supposed to be granted by the City Council or the town clerk. It had been overlooked that the City Council could stop and had stopped the concerts when they had not been up to standard. Last year they had stopped them altogether. He understood that the next concert to be held at the State, Theatre would be the last. The theatre was not having any more. Cr Mitchell said that he had been informed that at one Sunday night concert a charge had been made at the door. If the council discovered that this was being done it should ask for an explanation. Cr Batchelor: I think this is a lot of humbug. Cr Mitchell: Of course you do. Cr Bachelor said that he was satisfied that people in Dunedin “listenedin ” to these concerts, and he went on to remark that people played golf on Sundays and went for motor rides on Sundays. “And we poor devils ” The Mayor: Withdraw that. Cr Batchelor said that he meant unemployed workers. These people could spend only a “tray bit” at the door, and they went to these concerts. “It is a lot of humbug.” reiterated Cr Batchelor. The Mayor said that some of the bodies castigated by Cr Batchelor were not members of the Council of Christian Congregations or of the Women’s Temperance Union. Cr Allen said that many organisations in the city were trying to maintain the Sunday traditions of the British Empire, and he thought that there was nothing in the letter to which they could express disapproval. He would move, “That we thank the Council of Christian Congregations and express our entire agreement with the opinions contained in it.” Cr Begg seconded the motion. Cr Batchelor; I am going to oppose the motion. Cr Begg: Bow, wow! Cr Batchelor: Bow, wow from a puppy dog. (Laughter.) The Mayor: Take no notice of interjections. Cr Batchelor said he thought these people were looking at the matter only from a monopoly point of view, and that they considered their collections were being affected. Cr Silverstone said that he had no objection to the council receiving the letter, but for a councillor to move that they approved of the sentiments in it was going too far. The Council of Christian Congregations represented only a section of the community. Cr Allen: The body is entitled to have its opinion. Cr Silverstone said that it had taken up a bigoted' attitude. It was opposing the right of the people to amuse themselves on Sundays, by hook or by crook. They said that the people must come to their churches whether they liked it or not. If they did not come to the churches they could stay at home and be miserable. Cr Allen had referred to the upholding of the British traditional Sunday. Cr Batchelor: There is no such thing. Cr Allen to Cr Silverstone: Why so heated? T . . Cr Silverstone: Because 1 don t believe in hypocrisy. At the back of it all was a political motive. Cr Mitchell: That is not right. Cr M’Millan said that he was in entire sympathy with the letter, but that he had no intention of supporting Cr Allan’s motion. It was most improper and, as Cr Silverstone had said, there was something in the nature of a political motive in it They required their tramways employees to work on Sundays and then they were supposed to be shocked because some people wanted to go to a theatre on a Sunday The Mayor said that he was in perfect agreement with the Council of Christian Congregations drawing attention to any anomalies or in the departing from their usual practice, but he did not agree that the band concert was detrimental to the religious interests of the city. He did not think they should approve of the letter, as Cr Allen sug gested, though he admitted that the Council of Christian Churches had the right to draw their attention to the concerts, if they were not up to standaic’r Cameron said that he did not think there was anything in the letter to which they could take exception. The three clauses in the letter should be the policy of the council.. The questions of religion or politics did not come into the matter. Cr Allen, replying, said that if they were not careful they would be intro ducing a Continental Sunday, and did the councillors who claimed to represent Labour want to see their fellow workers being called on in increasing numbers to work for the pleasure of others? If they did, well, he en tirely disagreed with their attitude In spite of Cr Silvcrstone’s facial contortions and physical jerks the fact was not altered that they were slowly destroying the Sunday that they had been taught to observe. Cr M’Millan said that the present Government was stopping Sunday work. , Cr Allen: Why don’t you, then, support my motion? Cr M’Millan said that they were making it too expensive for employers to work men on Sundays. Cr Scott: Or any other day. The motion was lost, only Crs Alien, Begg, Cameron. Shepherd and Mitchell voting for it. c .. The honorary secretary of the South Dunedin Unemployed Association applied for a permit to hold a Sunday concert in the Empire Theatre on September 27, the proceeds to be in

aid of the children’s Christmas treat held by the association annually. The secretary of St. Francis Xavier’s Free School applied tor a permit to hold a Sunday concert in the State Theatre on September 27, the prbceeds to be in aid of the school. It was decided to grant both applications. with the proviso that the date of one of them be altered