AMUSEMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 21 October 1907, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS

THE WILLOUUIIBY AND WARD COY. "MR. 110PKINS0X" TO-NIGHT. 11l view ol the great popularity of play and players, the members of the » illoughby-W ard Company, which includes Miss Grace Palotta/will no doubt be warmly welcomed at the Theatre Royal this evening. The season, which is limited to the one night, will have for its piece a very recent success in "Mr Ilopkinson," which captivated the playgoers of Melbourne and Sydney and the South. The piece at once achieved an enormous success at the Savoy Theatre, London. It is a lau»litermaker of the best kind, and no°t the least, of its merits is its freedom from anything coarse or vulgar. The plot seems to have been suggested by Thaclc-:-ays ".leauies," if immortal memory. I he play is full, of very humorous situations, and is pungently and well written. Til" '''-esses form a notable feature of ltta .'-"due-lion, being stylish and ele-) gant, and the scenery and general' mounting is superb. The maiia"ement announces that the box plan is rapidly filling at the Colonial Piano Co., so success should be assured. The company will appear at Stratford on Tuesday evening. '

POLLARD'S JUVENILE OPER\ COMPANY. '•Return of the favorites"—so runs the advertisement. Favorites tlicy are, there is no doubt, by the way their performances are appreciated in every town and city that they have visited since their organisation, ft is within a few weeks of Jive years since the Pollards visited this town last with the elder juvenile company, two or three of the same being members of the present company. This, clever little combination will arrive from I Nelson on Tuesday morning next, audi will open their season of three nights in the Theatre Royal. The first production will be 'iUuebcll in Fairyland," for two nights only, in which .the youngsters are said to be especially good. ° The Press, in speaking of this performance in Christehnreh, says that in this piece the juveniles excel themselves, and in many instances can give the adult companies points; while the scenery comes in ior a great amount of praise. So, what with pretty dresses, bright., sparkling dialogue, music, and dances, not forgetting the iranpformaHon scenery, the Theatre Royal should present a brilliant scene on Tuesday night next. On Thursday night the second production by this company, entitled "JTia Highness the Rev." will be produced here, for the first, time. The box plan is now open at the Cottier and Colonial piano warehouse.

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the tramways bill CITY COUNCILS !.< OPPOSITION. For Press Association. Wellington, Saturday. A deputation rq.re«witing the t™'"; way controlling authorities ot \V<! ; V t„„. Auckland, ChrisUd.mxdi, aml J -din waited on the Acting M.m»Ui 01 l'ublij Works (.!!«»• ,lav to co , 1 Tramway liiH looently introduced bj the Minist' r in l-lio House of lltpil--4 r Tha Mayor of Dune.ln. ox-prc«-a the opinion that the Bill unduly interfiled with the [unctions ot una. authorities. They believed that P£; son heat qualifled to gauge the qualfica tiona of a luutorman was the tuiiu "^ ; manager. A certificate ot could not be ojtamed m a da) oi two, but only by eontinuouß supervision extending over weeks. . . ~f4 of carriages should remain .in thel«nd. or the inunieil.alit.es, which weit quitcompetent to look after them. • sbc proposal that the Gowr#M. nl sum.d fix tha nunibei of passengeis to be. cm lied in a ear, that wa» 3 t because they knew that a rush of tiafflc was generally the only time when the system failed. l"t was, lie added, impos-

sible to avoid overcrowding. The Mayor of Wellington opposed the | Bill on the same lines. As to the provision for the inspection of rolling stocK, that, he said." would be useless, because the ears had to he examined and any repairs effected every night. All tins interference with local administration was going to have an effect on the lninistrators, because people would not put up with the indignity, after being elected to the position of controlling and administering public affairs, oi being themselves controlled and inspected, the implication being that they were unfit to manage things with the same sense of responsibility and intelligence as the administrators in other departments. For his part, ho thought it was. becoming a very acute question, in this, country whether the continued centralisation of these functions to the diminishing dignity and importance of local authorities ought to be permitted. Several other members of the deputa-

lion expressed, similar views. The Minister, in replying, said that in his opinion something was needed m the way of codifying the law on the subject of tramways, and that was one of the reasons why the Bill was introduced. It was not the municipality that was the party concerned; it was the public. The municipality was carrying the public every day, and if the Council did not do its work properly it was the business of the State to step m. As to motonneii being certificated, he had had very strong approval of the proposal from the motormen themselves and from electrical engineers, who regarded it as being absolutely necessary. There were only one or two new things in the JJill, and although he was not wedded to the exact order of that part of the Bill thai, was fresh, lie did think that some such provisions were necessary. As to the overcrowding of cars, he remarked that if they couid not run trams at a profit without endangering life by overcrowding, the trams should not be run at all.