Theatres may have to close

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33873, 19 June 1975, Page 18

Theatres may have to close

{Neto Zealand Press Association —Copyright) MELBOURNE, June 18. Australia’s oldest theatre management company, J. C. Williamson’s, would be forced to disband unless it received Government aid, the Industries Assistance Commission was told today.

1 The chief managing' director, Mr F. W. Paine, ; said the company faced 1 immediate scaling down' of its business. 1 The next step would be; the progressive sale of its' theatres, a move which; would cripple the company’s' work and inevitably lead to' its withdrawal from live! theatre, he said. [ [J. C. Williamson’s re- j cently offered the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, for sale ' because of rising costs and! reduced occupancy. Thej theatre was passed in at auc-1 tion when bidding reached $255.000.|

‘■i Mr Paine told the.commis-) jsion that the company was' [not “squealing” because of! 'large losses in 1974 (almost ($350,000). but was warning 1 1 the Government and the pub-; llic of the future consejquences. I “J. C. Williamson’s has Inever received Government ! assistance on a continuing 'basis. In fact, in the past [five years we have had subsidies totalling $73,900 on [only five occasions,” he said. “Our need for assistance 'arises mainly from rapidly; rising labour costs, including. | salaries.” [..• In their submission, the (company set no definite sub- 1 (sidy figure, but suggested 10 per cent of the annual pay-1 Iroll. I This was estimated for j ! 1976 at $276,000. rising in' 'l9BO to $411,000. I Mr Paine said the company I | was reluctant to raise admis-' ' sion prices in order to keep i live theatre available to the' general public.

Athletics. — Alice Annum i > (Ghana) broke the unofficial world indoor record for the’ I women's 60m at Mainz. West Germany. She clipped .42sec off 'the old mark of 7.lsec which, had been shared by nine athletes. ; II