A Sunday Entertainment

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 782, 28 March 1905, Page 2

A Sunday Entertainment

THE BOKOUGH COUNCIL AT VAIUANCE. CAUIUED OX THE MAYOH'S ,VOTE.

At Monday night's meeting of tho Itorough Council an application was ruad from Cooper's liiogrnph Company for a permit to Rive « Sunday 'evening "sacred concert." in New Plymouth, the manager stating liis willingness to contrHiuic half the inolits to the hospital funds. The programme would iionsist of living pictures by Mr Harris 11. Stowc ; the Iwuutiful story of iticle Tom's Cabin and Little Kvn ; views ol "The Sign of the Cross." the late Mr Wilson Jinn-ell's play ; ural the following sacred songs : "Dream of Pnradise," "Oni l'ro Nobis," "The Holy City," and "Hocked in the Cradle of the Keep." A Councillor : We wore had by one of those companies before. They manured to slide away and we got nothing.

The .Mayor said that he had been spoken to a'bout the matter, and had told the manager to submit u written application to the Council. He asked the manager if lie could not arrange to have his concert during the week, but the applicant thought it would be more prolitn!>lc. Iwing of u religious nature, to have it on a Sunday night. Cr. A-hier moved that permission be granted. He could not see much difference in having a concert in the hall and having n concert In our churches.

The Town Clerk, by instruction, road the resolution passed by the Council, under the Authority of their bye-laws, which slated that permits would only be granted in cases where the Sautbnth entertainment was strictly of a sacred character and for charitable purposes. Cr. Collis : To rescind that notice of motion would have to bo given. Cr. Frnner, in seconding the motion, thought there would bo no difficulty in passing a resolution and dealing with this matter. The n|>plicant distinctly stated that half the profits were for a charitable cause. Tho other half wero of course for himself, and certainly a man's most sacred duty was to his own family.

Cr. Drown supported the applica. tion.

Cr. Wilson strongly opposed it. The object of passing the resolution previously was because it had been I'oiind here, in common with many other cities, that no proprietor adhered to a programing of anything like n snered nature. The thing was becoming a public scandal until nbout Hint! years ago, when from north to south it was resolved by various boroughs that it lie put o slop to. A Council hnd no moans of binding nn entertainer down to a certain programme. A travelling showman of that description would I not dra w well in New Plymouth on a week nighi, but showed in the country places on six nights und wanted to make a raid here on the Sal>bath, and make a haul. As a sop he offered half the profits to the hospital. A man should not be allowed to follow his ordinary avocation on Sundays.

Cr. Cliff: You pay the organisl. etc., d'or playing in church. Why can't this man carry out his avocation on Sunday as well as the par sons and musicians 1

Cr. Collis, in opposing the granting of a permit, maintained that the application could not l» considered unless the previous resolution was rescinded. The nllcgedly "sacred" programmes sometimes had hardly a sucred item from beginning to end. but were (made up of comic songs and similar inanities. He objected to people coming hero under the cloak of charity and doing seven days' work in the week. •'The last com pany," he concluded,, "cleared out and gave us nothing." The Mayor : I wns going to suggest that you take the money at the door. (Luughter.) It is a new thing for me to hear tliuti the programmes arc what you describe. Continuing, the Mayor supported the application, holding it wns for a charitable purpose. On the motion being put, Crs. Ah er, Jirown, Fraser and Cliff supported it, while there were four aagainst. The Mayor gave his casting vote in tayour of a permit hieing granted. Cr. Collis : This is against precedent. The casting vote is always in support of the existing rules. The Mayor : Next business, please.