TOWN HALL PICTURES.

Putaruru Press, Volume VIII, Issue 343, 19 June 1930, Page 4

TOWN HALL PICTURES.

NO TENDERS RECEIVED. Offer and Counter-offer Made. Tenders for the picture rights at the Putaruru Town Hall closed recently, and at the June meeting of the Town Board it was ascertained that no tender had been received. Mr. C. D. Brown, the present lessee of the hall, in explaining that he had not tendered, stated that the introduction of “ talkies ” at Matamata had considerably affected the attendances at Putaruru.-

In reply to the chairman (Mr. R. A. Bent), Mr. Brown said that he was not prepared to carry on at the present rental. He would only consider a Saturday night proposal. The chairman thought the best thing would be for Mr. Brown to put in a price and the board would consider it. Mr. Yandle, jocularly: What about the Town Board running them. Talkies were too dear for the working man. Matamata was still a novelty, and it would soon wear off. Mr. Brown gave it as his opinion that the younger generation knew talkies only. Mr. C. C. Neal said that they had called tenders at a time when things looked pessimistic. If Wednesday night was cut out they should have a crowded house on Saturday night. The chairman asked Mr. Brown to make an offer, and the latter offered 30s for Saturday night, with 30s for Wednesdays if required. At this stage the board went into committee. The matter was referred to at the close of the meeting, when the board decided to offer the hall to Mr. Brown for Saturday nights at £2 10s a week. As regards the installation of talkies, the board decided that they would listen to any suggestion made by Mr. Brown. The new arrangement, if accepted by Mr. Brown, is to be on a monthly basis.