PICTURE THEATRES

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 302, 20 December 1918, Page 7

PICTURE THEATRES

CURTAILMENT OF HOURS. STATKMF.NT BY MINISTER. CIIRtSTCHUROH. Thursday. ■Replying; to a deputation of pictureShow proprietors to-day, the Minister lor Public Health said that the country liad experienced an unprecedented epidemic, and the Health Department had lo try to raise the people's standard ot health. The Department knew of buildings originally used for other purposes and simply adapted to picture entertainment-, t'rowdri assembled in those building-, iiii'l ventilil inn arrangements were Titi doubtful. Uuv. were mnde. not for the givnd. but fur the had. 111111 the Department h-.nl to take note of cases, not when- the conditions were perfect, but -wli.-re they were not. lie could not express any opinion a „ 1,, whether the. restrictions miirht be modi lied tt t present or a.- to how far the tiovernment would be justified in t.iking steps to alter the law. All ne could say was that it might be desirable t,, modify the law next .session by the special circumstances of each city and each theatre being considered.

During the recess careful inquiry would 'he mnde int.. the position. The (lovcrnment's paramount duty wan to safeguard the public health, and noliodv could tell him that it was desirable for' people to he crowded into iinv luiildiiig from II a.m. t.. 111 p.m. without steps liein" taken ... see that the building wa« thoroughly ventilated mil clean,. I The restrict ions were carefully considered be I ore they Here made law. and he had expert advice that the law ultimately would he for the good of the country. There were times when business airnirs imust be subordinated to the public interests. If it was ,„,„„, t)mt thp had gone too f., r . it „., doubt would lie modified next session. „„,, tll „ modifif , a . tion. he thought, would lie in the dircc■ti«n ot allowing the health otlicer in ca : r 'j. t, 7 l ' r '' *" li<t '<«e the theatres. Ihe Minister said he was sorry for the employees thrown out of work Inquiries would he made from their aspect ot the position. Information he had £ C 'rjfl phnWo,i that o,os(> investigation should He made as to whether the drastic steps already taken towards the employees were quite justified. WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A deputation from workers in the pK't-ure-show business in Auckland waited to-day on the Acting-Prime Minister and asked him to use his influence to have the operation of the Act suspended until it could be amended hv Parliament. Sir .Tames Allen replied that he would communicate with the Minister for Public Health on the matter.