VANDALS BUSY IN THEATRES

Southland Times, Issue 24244, 30 September 1940, Page 6

VANDALS BUSY IN THEATRES

Seats Slashed And Broken WARNING ISSUED BY MANAGER A considerable amount of wanton mischief has been committed in Invercargill picture theatres lately by some misguided persons who have deliberately damaged seats. Seats and the backs of seats have been slashed with a sharp instrument such as a razor blade, and the backs of seats have also been broken by misuse, which apparently takes the form of a person Putting his knees up against the back ot the seat in front of him and then adopting an almost prone posture, with the result that an undue pressure is exerted on the back of his own seat and also on the back of one in front of him. The Majestic Theatre has probably been the worst sufferer from this vandalism, and during an interval of the performance on Friday evening the manager (Mr C. P. Shea), speaking from the stage, issued a warning that anyone caught damaging seats would be prosecuted and that steps would be taken to have him debarred from admission to any picture theatre in Invercargill. He said it was intolerable that theatre seats should be damaged in the way they hod been by a few hooligans. Later Mr Shea told a reporter that during the week the staff of the theatre had not been able to attend to their ordinary duties during the day because their time had been occupied with repairing damaged seats. He said that sometimes a person after slashing a seat amused himself by pulling out the stuffing, which was found littered over the floor in the morning. The damage done by persons putting their knees against the bark of the seat in front of them was considerable and sometimes the pressure exerted was so great that the screws by which the seats were clamped to the floor were loosened. Mr Shea added that he intended that the warning he had issued should be taken seriously. Anyone caught damaging the seats would certainly be prosecuted. He had given the warning reluctantly, but the position had become intolerable. It was not easy to catch the culprits by having attendants patrolling the aisles, and he hoped that the public would co-operate in putting a stop to this form of vandalism.