The Daily News. SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 1904. THEATRE EXITS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 7, 9 January 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 1904. THEATRE EXITS.

From far tvn'H near comes news c! U«e intentions of various municipal bodies to move ill the matter of providing udaqimte emergency exits at Llicatiys. It was couilidentlv expeetcii that, acting upon the news of the awful disaster at Chicago just recently, when six hundred people were Ijurmiil, the Borough Council might have touched on the matter when sitting as a Works Committee. It iff plainly a duty on the part of the Council to set' that proper exits are furmnhtid here, as in the larger cen-

tres. Our theatre is of wood and iron, and a lire starting amidst ihe l.'iyii'ly iicflaumiablc scenery and stage littmgK would prove a veritable cut-a-strophe. Our theatre has several lire escape doors. Are they sufficient, Hind u-re they well enough known ? For it is well-known that 011 an occasion s'ucli as a lire in one of these buildings the muss of the pulilic in their excitummt aue liable to forgvt or overlook (lie mean!? of egress provided for emergencies, surge towai'ds the main entrances, by which

they were admitted to the building. Take the local dress circle. What chance would there be of a crowded circle emptying itself by the main staiicaw with an alarm of lire ringing in their ears? There may be ample provision at the Theatre

Iloj-Ul, but al any rate \vc hope Iho | Council will iiiquire into Hie matter, | and imikii public the result of its | ii;\ est.ij.'>i ' i<iti. M is suggested 1 hat. some means of cutting oil' the stage fi-c.lll the audito'iimn by means of at-iix-stow curtains should be devised here, lor most theatre fires emanate from the stage, where the lliins.v properties rapiidly feed an apparently harmless Maize until it 'becomes- a ringing conflagration, and a menace lo the 'lnn ml reds' of people itssembkid i in tl* buikllnlg-,. rroW)l.v the nuitler will lie discussed on Monday evc-iiiing at the ondimrv meetings of the Ilcrough Council. ON THE FOURTH I'AUE. Bab.v-fanning. Thi' Dairy Industry. Unborn llilli.o'ns, Divine Services. Mail Not id's.