HOSPITAL MATINEE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 893, 12 August 1910, Page 5

HOSPITAL MATINEE.

. THE SALE OF SEATS. ' MISS PALOTTA AS AUCTIONEER. The most unique feature of yesterday's meeting at the Town Hall was the salo at auction of tho reserved So great was tho. crowd in' the Concert Chamber and tho corridor that it was decided to change the scene ,o cne big Town, Hall. There Mr. Hugh Ward took charge, and assisted by a huge plan of the seats erected on tho stage, and by Miss Grace Palotta, enthroned in ' a rostrum, the public was asked to buy at their own jirice. After reading the conditions of sale, Miss Palotta, who was accorded an ovation, began with-great vivacity and charm to extol the merits of the goods she was called oh to purvey. "Here you are now," 6he announced, "five beautiful seats in the front row of the dress circle. Nice soft seats, which the Governor likes to sit in. What will wo say for these seats. They are so soft, so nice!"

Who.i could resist the appeal ? "A pound!" offered a male voice. "Not enough! Not nearly enough. We want quite a lot for theso beautiful ■ soft 6cats —tho best in-the theatre!"

"Twenty five shillings!" bid another. "Good, but not good enough. Como on now, bid up!" said tho fair auctioneer. "Thirty shillings!" "Thirty-five!" came after persuasion. Then' followed more cajoling, and finally two I pounds was bid.- 1

"How many?" said .Miss Palotta. "Five," came the answer.

'Good, whoso the buyer?' •Mr. Fuller!"

"Good for you, Mr. Fuller!" And the crowd endorsed tho sentiment.

Theu followed the rapid sale of dress circle seats at £1 10s., ~£l 55., £1, 10s., 7s. fid.,. and Gs„ and, by 4.30 p.m., the sum of -JEOO had been netted for seats.

„ The box plan of the -rest will be open at tho Dresden this morning at 11 o'clock. There is little doubt that it will be filled during the day. The prices for' seats have been fixed as follow:—Reserved seals, 65.,•-unreserved seats in dress circle and front stalls, 55.; back stalls, 45.; and gallery, 25., Tho performance is to begin at 2 p.m., and the doors will be opened an hour earlier. Tho full programme appears in the advertising columns.. At the conclusion of- the auction of seats for Saturday's matinee, Mr. A. L. Wilson, the well-known auctioneer of this city, secured the hammer for £1. Mr. Parrington reported to Mr. Ward yesterday that he would realise about ,£4O on the advertisement programme ho is preparing for the matinee. THE STREET SHOW. Arrangements have alillo'jt been completed for the Saturday morning street show to be given by. Mr. Ward and tho members of his talented company. Accommodated in a motor-wagon (as a stnge) tho company will appear at Veitch and Allans corner at, 11 a.m., at the Bank corner, Manners Street, at 11.15 a.m.; at tho Albert Hotel corner at 11,30 a.m.; at the Banlc of New Zealand corner .(opposite Stewart. Dawson's) at 11,45 a.m.; at the Dresden at noon; and at tho Queen's statue at 12.15 p.m. The public are requested to move around with all the spare cash they can afford to donate to the Children's Hospital. Thero will bo ways and means of getting it provided ,in plenty.