NOT A SHOW

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 626, 1 April 1929, Page 11

NOT A SHOW

PICTURES AT SUNDAY SERVICE . ; The City Council on Thursday ! evening spent 10 minutes in a lusty debate as to whether the ! Rev. £. G. Scrimgeour, Methodist City Missioner, should be permitted to show moving pictures in conjunction with his Sunday evening theatre services. rpHE Legal and By-taws Committee reported that Mr, Scrimgeour had applied for permission and had submitted a form of service. Its recommendation was that pictures be not allowed. After discussion an amendment by Cr. J. A. C. Allum that persion should be granted, subject to approval by the town clerk of the film to be screened, was carried by a small majority. i On Saturday Mr. Scrimgeour told The Sun that he had made no application whatever for permission. Ho had merely forwarded- a form of service to let the council know what he was doing. V‘l have no need to ask permission," said Mr. Scrimgeour. “A religious service is not covered by a single one of the city’s bylaws. Entertainments only can be regulated. My services are not entertainments. I have obtained legal opinion and find that I am quite in order to carry on despite what the council may say. "It is presumption on its part to say what sort of pictures I may show at a religious service. How the town clerk managed to make out of my letter a request for permission I cannot say. The communication could never have gone before the committee, otherwise it would have been apparent that 1 was asking no favour from the council,” the missioner concluded.