A NOVEL SALE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15289, 27 May 1915, Page 10

A NOVEL SALE.

AUCTION IN THE THEATRE ROYAL.

THE "GERMAN CONSUL'S SEAT."

J "To such an honest and iutelligent I audience we shall give unlimited tick— j ;it least until June 3rd," declared Mr jO. T. .). Alpers in the Theatre Royal | yesterday afternoon in reply to a question. The occasion "was the sale by auction 01 a number of scats in the theatre by .Air Alpers for th c concert to be given there on June 3rd in aid ioi the Red Cross Fund. There were a | large number- of people present, and they ably assisted tlie auctioneer to keep the occasion merry by many a quip and jest. Altogether £.0- 4s was realised, some of the seats fetching very high prices. On the stage was a huge box plan of th 0 theatre seats whieti. as they were sold, had their corresponding numbers blacked out on the plan. The conditions of sale, announced th" auctioneer, were that anyone could buy a seat ior any price he liked, provided ho was the highest bidder; there was absolutely no reserve. It had been suggested that he was. going to gridiron seats by holding them back; that was. not true. "Kor a start, T offer you Xo. 13 in tlie dress circle," said the auctioneer, "*the buyer can secure up to ten seats to the right or left of it at os each." Bidding commenced at tl Is nnd inn up by guinea bids to i' 3 3s, at which i price No. 13 was knocked down to Mr S. A. Orchaid. who purchased also Nos. 14, 10. and 10 at os each, under the terms of .Air Alpers's oiler. Air Orchard at first asked for the whole row of seats. -J will lot you havo them for £20,'' declared -Afr" Alpers. •'Say it quick," replied Mr Orchard. At this stage Mr Alpers pointed to No. '2(>5._ which had been blacked out. All the King's horses and all the King's men would not at that stage make him confess whom that' *,eat was for,, he' declared. The- front right-hand box downstairs was the next to the put up. Quickly the [nice rose from £2 _s to £17 17s, at which figure it was knocked down to Mr J. T. Sutton on behalf of the Licensed A'ietuallois' Association. "1, would like you to accept that box for the performers when they are not on the stage," said Mr Sutton. The auctioneer bowed his thanks and patted the Licensed A'ictuallers' Association approvingly' ou the buck.

, Next camo the turn of tho top lefthand box. Mr Alpers announced that he was inviting Nurse Maude and her district nursing stall' to occupy it. AA'ho would like to be their host? Mr .Al. Hollander secured the privilege at fifteen guineas. Attention was now directed to the first row of seats, in the dress ciccle. "Five pounds for sweet seventeen," chirruped M r F. AY. Johnston, who also bought No. 18 a t the same price, the purchases being made on behalf of the Canterbury Automobile Association. Seats 10. '20 and 21 were purchased by Mr M. Steeds (per Mr E. N,ordoii) at £7 7s. No. 22 was then purchased by Mr E. Nordon on behalf of Dr. l.evinge for £2 2s. "I am sorry the Mayor is in AA'ellington," remarked Mr Alpers." AA'ho will buy seats 23 and 2-1 for the Mayor, so that the doctor and he may sit "together on such an auspicious occasion,'' "I svill pay £5 os for tho two." called out Mr J. I>. Hall, "and give them to tinMayor." Seats 59 and 60 were the next to be put up, and tho auctioneer eutroatcd that they be bought for the editors of "Tbe Press" and "Lyttelton Times,'' so that they could sit together in perfect amity. Mr A. E. G. Rhodes and Mr E. Nordon responded to the request for each editor, each paying £2 2s for the seat. Several more iseats in the dress circle were 6old for amounts ranging from £1 Is to £2 2s, and then the stalls camo under observation. M r AY. J. Hopkins and Mr W. H. MeDotigall, declared the auctioneer, had offered each to'buy two stalls seats at iivo guineas each' if ho (Mr Alper.) could sell 46 more at the same price. Accordingly , seats No. 30 and 31 were knocked down to M r Hopkins

at £10 10s : and seata 28 and 29 to Mr McDougall at the same price. The other seats were then offered at this .. price, and elicited responses from the following: Mr Charles Clark, Mrs Harvey. Dr. Evans, Mr G. T. Weston. Mr A. E. G. Phodos, and .M r F. "IV. Johnston. Several stalls seats were then disposed.of at a guinea each, and then a •couple of seats near the exit, which the auctioneer announced wero ncco'rdiiirr to the- attendants, tho best in the house for enabling one to -rush away and get a drink, were announced by the auctioneor to have been «old to Mr C. E. Salter for £1. Moro seats upstairs were the n disposed of, two bei'iip. knocked down to Mrs Ballin for £5 os, and several others from price"* ranging from 10s Od upwards, ibe Commercial Travellers' Association buying seven for a guinea each. There only remained to dispose of the "black" seat which, in response to urgent requests from the auditorium, the auctioneer announced to be the German Consul's seat. Bids started at a copper, rising to 13d. nnd then at the auctioneer's bidding, they shot up from that figure to 13s, theViccossfi-l bidder bein_ Mr 0. Anderson. Tho following; were the amounts received for eeate:*— - —. £ n. dS. G. Raymond, K.C. .. .. io 10 0 H. Cottsrell .. .. .. 10 10 0 A. iv. Firth .. .. .. in io 0 W. J. M. Hopkins .. 10 10 0 W. H. McDougall .. .. in 10 i> C. R.. .Chirk .. ' .. .. 10 10 0 .\lr.s .Harvey ... .. .. 10 10 0 Dr. Evans 10 10 0 G. I*. Wc-i-lon .. .. .. io 10 0 i -*;• "?• °v Rl-oa-io.- io io o j 1-. I\. JohnsUm .. .. 10 10 0 1 Commercial Travellers' Association 11.5 0 CiMitjrl.iiry Automobile Association 10-10 0 Mark Steeds .. .. .. 7 7 0 M. S. Brown .. .. 5 5 0 Mrs J. D. ll,ill .. .. .. 550 —ra Ballin ... .. .. 5 5 0 -N. L. Macbeth .. .. ~ 5 o 0 W. E. Simes .. .. .. 4 10 O. Anderson .. .. .. .1 1G IJ Mrs Cecil Lonisson .. .. .1 .l 0 \Y. Stiange and Co. .. .. -2 10 0 C. R. Chirk, 11. Sorensen. junr.. W. D. St-ewart, George Clarkson, C. E. Jon*?*, A. K. Moore, J. \V. McCiostie. F. C. Raphael, —. Maynard, F. Hubbard. U. R. Brittan, A. L. Smith, A. E. (.'..- RhcKk-?, Dr." ... Xonlon, J. S. William*. - Lamb." G. Humphreys. A. E. Crad.ictk, Mrs Xichol's. Hon. C. Lou lasers, Dr. Miekie, H. S. Brown, G. Clarks-on. E. T. Harper, each £2 2s. Mrs River i-nd \Y. H. Graham, each £1 lis Ud; Mrs liloxs.ni, £1 Ss. C, K. Salter. M. Godbv, W. A. Orr, M. ?'. Ore—on, U. L. Bowkor, junr.. J. X. Da Fen. AY. ln»)c; C. Vv*. Ilervev, J. T. Sutton, C. Lord. W.W.C., — Shaw. f. L. Cowiishow, Mr* CroAs. P. C. Freeth, J. Hollander, ami J. A. Fros'.ick, each _1 Is.

1 R. B. Walker and Mr? Mason, each 13s Mr.- .1. Cook. R. Walker, Mrs I. Gibhs. T. H. Harkcr. Mrs Bradsl-w, Mr« Hevwood, each Kls. There are still 20S seats to be sold. The box plan will be open for private view at the Chamber of Commerce today between noon and 2 p.m.. to enable those business jioople who were detained in their offices by reason of the departure of the San Francisco mail yesterday, to select seats.