UNKNOWN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 229, 22 November 1900, Page 4

UNKNOWN

♦ SPEECH IK TUB ENGLISH FART.TAMENT. of Commons recently diethe subject of demoralising plays. Samual Smith raised the deby odling the attention of the H)08e. to the " lower class " of plays ■resented in some of the threatrea of Khe country. He moved a resolution Ppiotesting agaioßt 'he "growing tend'eaoy " ti pat upon tbe stige phys of a rkmoralising character, and aiking for • stricter supervision of stage p ays •like in the interests of the poblic and: of the theatrical profession. Everyone knew »hs play cal!ei "The Gay Lord Qaes " by Mr. Piaero. Ho was told that some of the fice ladis of Belgravia were very mach horrified at first sight of that play. If boo. members thought that the subjects treated in that play w,-re proper subjects to be placed before their young daughfßrs and young boys, all he oouldsay was that he would rather accept the moral standard of the avarage coster monger. The success of "The Gay Lord Qaex" had produced a crop of imitations, each a little viler than the original, till ao last they had coma down to such a detectable American play as that of "Zsza." The popular play "Theßalleof New York " bad been characterised by Mr. William Archer as of the " vulgarest order of debauchery." The people who frequented the atmosphere of those disgusting plays rapidly lost all their finer and higher attributes of life. So long as they permitted these most disgusting plays to be performed in the theatres, they could not deal with many other evils arising therefrom. They could not prevent the sale of disgusting pictures to young men and boys, drawn from the worst scenes in she theatres. It was customary to photograph the most indicant sceaes, with semi-nod women in the most indecent attitudes, and he wat told by those who worked among young men that nothing was degrading the youth of the metropolis to much as thoEe pictures.