ENTERTAINMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 309, 23 September 1908, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE. The Meynell and Gunn Dramatic Company concluded its season at the Opefa House last evening, when "The Old Folks at Home" was played onco moro. THEATRE ROYAL. Tho Wide World Pictures at the Theatre Royal. continue to attract large, audiences nightly. The series includes a fine .kinematographic trip from Quebec to the Niagara Falls, to see which is the. next best thing to making tho trip itself. There aro also a good assortment of comic and dramatic pictures to while away a pleasant hour or two. . HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Tho week's programme' of the Royal, Pictures was repeated for the last time last ovening before a large audience. A complete change of programme is promised for this evening. The usual :matmee will be given on Saturday afternoon (Dominion Day). . . - - ORGAN RECITAL: Mr. Maughan Barnett. gave another delightful organ recital at the Town Hall last evening, there being a fair attendance considering tho wild state of the weather. Tho capital programme presented included tho Anclante of Mozart's Second Symphony and Wely's familiar "Storm Fhntasie,". an ..item that was in accord with'.the-rain-storm, sweeping over the city at tho time. During one of the pieces a fuse blew out on the switchboard which controls the . electrical blowing apparatus, causing the flood of harmony to unexpectedly cease.. A new fuso was smartly adjusted by the electrician in charge. CATHOLIC CLUB. . A lecture under tho auspices of tho Catholic Club was delivered by Mr. P. J. O'Regan last evening before an enthusiastic audience presided over by Mr. A. H. Casey. Tho subject of tho lecture was "The Real Functions of the State." The speaker combated the dictum that it was only by -virtue of belonging to the State that the individual had any rights at all, and went into further, and'interesting detail in this direction. Mr. O'Regan remarked that tho true_ principle was that tho individual, existed prior-to the State, and had rights independently of tho State —indeed the State, theoretically speaking, had not tho power to add to, or detract from, tho human rights by one iota. Historically it was beyond all question that the human 'race had existed for ages before the State existed, and the rights of men were tho same then as now, and the . true principle was that human law was not law at all unless it flowed from tho eternal law of justico. Tho lecturer contended that the real functions of the State were t<> protoct tho rights which existed independently thereof. Another question to be determined was the rights of man. Tho first was the right to live, from which flowed right to work, and as every man had an equal right to work it must follow that every man had equal right to accumulate property, provided the property had its foundation in the natural right of the labourer to the fruit of his toil. This doctrine necessprily excluded the idea of unrestricted private ownership of land; and land, the lecturer argued, was by natural right common property. It was not necessarily a good thing to multiply State functions, and they should be careful not to convert tho Government of the day into a bureaucracy, as herein lay much of the danger of modern Socialism. Tho lecture concluded with a hearty vote of thanks to Mr.-O'Regan. MOUNTEBANK DRAMATIC CLUB. The Mountebank Dramatic Club will produce tho military comedy " Our Regiment" on September 28, 29, and 30,. at tho Opera House, for-tho local branch of tho St. John Ambulance Association, which is in need of another ambulance wagon to meet the requirements of Wellington. The efforts of the club aro worthy of support, as their two performances ■ a year, are wholly devoted, to charity. : In this instance the cast is a strong one, and no effort will be spared to givo 'the public of. Wellington a treat and bring tho performance to a' successful ■ termination. '

• A fairly large and most appreciative audience assembled at tho Vivian Street Baptist Church last evening to hear ah elocutionary recital by the Rev. R. S. Gray, of Christ church. Mr. A. Hoby presided. _ The recital consisted of a number of varied selections ' from tho best English literature—: Tennyson, Shakespeare, Inn M'Laren, and others, and in his treatment of- tho selections Mr., Gray displayed great versatility and clifirm. During the evening, musical items were contributed by Miss Erica Hoby (violinist), Miss Kirk (pianist), and Messrs. Dowling and. Jones (vocalists). A collection in aid of tho Indian Mission Fund was taken lip during tho evening.

The popular concert to be given by the Wellington Professional Orchestra at. the Opera House on Thursday next promises to be successful. The programme will include: "Tancredi" Overture; a selection from "The Fortune Teller"; "The Valse des' Fleurs" from the " Casse Noisette" (Tschaikowsky); and the introduction to Act 111 of "Lohengrin." The lighter, pieces will include Von Blou's " Sizillietta" (Mr. oboe); . Godard's "Berceuse de Jocebyn " (Mr. H. Moschinij! clarinet); "Air do Ballet." from Masscct s " Scenes Pictoresquo' (Mr. Huggins, 'cello); Michaelis' popular- "Forge in tho Forest," with the necessary effects, and Volsted's. Valse "Lustigo Bruder." It is intended to improve as far. as possible tho acoustic properties of the Opora House so as to enable tho programme to be given to the best advantage. Tho vocal soloists will be Miss Amy Hyde (soprano), and Mr. .Ernest Parkes (baritone). Intending patrons can book their scats at the Dresden.