CHRISTCHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 February 1908, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH.

v 11' ■ • i February 26.. • i Tlio theatre which was 'opened , last night is tho third in succession that has-been in Gloucester, Street./: -Tho first; was. erected as far- back as .1861,' thanks to.the enterprise of the Musical Society of the day, assisted by other citizens. The 'building' 'was owned by'the Canterbury Music Hall Company, autl was originally intended for concerts. . ■ Subsequently Mr. "Johnno" Fall obtained a lease' of it, and ,tlie' builditig : had ii front put to it, a stage 1 erected, etc., so as to lit itin:' some way- as. .a .theatre, and .it was opened as the Royal Princess , Theatre on Boxing Night, "1863,. with "The Hunchback;'/ It" is ; ; a. singular , coincidence, that this 'was tho last piece played by the Hoskins Colvillo Company in the theatre , in June, 1876, it.-was determined to erect; the building now superseded. . :The season which was then brought,'to' aclose.• had extended 0ver,'.240 consecutive. nights, with satisfactory' results to, Mr/-Hoskins, the ■ then manager. This ..was then possible under .the stock > system, as a succession of. stars followed at short intervals. . This season had been preceded by one ; " lasting seventy-seven ■ nights, during which'no, fewer than fifty-seven pieces had been produced, including Shakespeare's old English 5 ': comedies, etc. . \ •'This,", writes " G.R.H.'.v in the " Press," I regard as the. halcyon period, of the drama in Christchurch; both as .regards the character of; the productions'and the talent of the interpreters. The new theatre-..(which is now tho 'old' /theatre) was opened on November. 4, 187,6.' .'jlr. William- Hoskins-delivered at tho opening-an address written by Mr. Walter Hill, and 1 the inaugural' piece was- 'The School' For Scandal,' with Miss Florence Colville, Mrs. Walter Hill, Messrs. ilusgrare, Hoskins, Burford, and H. N. Douglas in the principal parts. I remember how, when compared with the six years 6i discomfort I had endured in the other barn-like building, the new theatre-appeared quite palatial, arid it was with much pleasure 1' selected the

seat on the'plan' which'l have occupied up to now—a period of thirty-two years, which is. somewhat of a.record.'' A Valuable Idea. - The Industrial Association lias decided, to try: to arrange for holding a?"local industries" .week. The chairman explained at a mooting last night that it was desired to msiko ■ one. week a " New Zealand.industries week" .as far as■ possible l , and to that end communications had been sent to sister associations in other centres. It was proposed to- ask the various manufacturers to make displays, and to invito the shopkeepers to assist by showing the gooos .111 their shop windows. The Government could be asked to run. special trains to town during the week, and 'the manufacturers could be requested to allow their advertising space in tho newspapers to be' utilised to boom the display and interest the public. The secretary of the Wellington Association has intimated that the proposal will receive consideration at the next meeting, and the secretary of the Auckland Association licis expressed the opinion tliafc the idea -was. a very good one. Itr was. dceidtsd thai the display should bo made about the last week in_ May. Mr. J. A. Frostick has olTered to visit any centre the' Association may nominate in order to further the movement.

Electrifying the Lyttelton Line. For somo years tho question of electrifying tb.o Lyttelton lino has been discussed here,,as a means of overcoming the- discomfort caused by tho smoko in the tunnel. There is, however j apparently- little hope of an y™j n S being dono for a long time to como. Tliero can bo riot tho least doubt as to the advantages of : electrifying the port lino, but tho Government has not tho money to spare, said Mr. Hall-Jones to a "Times" reporter last,evening. ," The cost would prpbably bo something ljko £150,000, and tho money availably is requirod for tho construction of railways into districts that have at present no transport facilities at all. Tho electrification of the port" lilies is a .matter that is being kept 111 viow, and tho Government is collecting tho best information possible regarding the merits oftho:systems that aro beyig tested in. other countries, Tho application of, electricity to railway tractiori is really ill tho experimental stages,- because constant improvements aro being- made. The third rail system and tho overhead wiro system havo both been found to liavo faults, and it: would bo a mistake for Now Zealand to, be.too hasty, in oxponding large ! sums of money on tho electrification of tho steam lines'..' Of course, tho .Government would bo very materially assisted - if tho local'-bodies interested were ablo to supply the necessary electric power. ; That is-a matter bound', up with tho . development ,of tho Dominion's water-power, and I am .. very anrious to seo something dono in that direction,". ' '

Farm Labourers' Disputs. . A characteristic reply was given by one of tho witnesses callcd for tho Farm Labourers. Union': at tho hearing of the dispute at Cheviot. Tho farmers' representative asked him if he thought tho system of mutual help now prevailing,amongst small farmers should be abolished. 11 Yes/' < said tho fitness (a ploughman)!'." and I don't think that would be any hardship to tho farmers. Their present notion is ii hardship , to the (labouring men in tho district; who arc;dono' out of a certain amount of labour, every year. If the farmer cannot realty afford to employ labour and gets his neighbour's help, and the neighbour helps him in return, they could keep an iaccount of tho number of, days worked, and tho account could bo balanced at tho current rate'-of wafjes, but I' think tho farmers can well > afford .to, employ., all tho labiur' they l wa'nt/at tho Union . rates, and; -should do with preference:to "Unionists."' DUNEDIN. ■ . : • ■ February 25. 'v The proposal ■to hold the country bands annual'; contest 1 in Lawrence this year 1 : has fallen •through. Probably it will .'take place at, the Bluff. ' . Throe hinklred cases of South; Australian grapes 'landed by: the'.'Moeraki brought up ,to;?7d.- per pound.' ; .