SMOKING NOT ALLOWED

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 6, 2 October 1926, Page 9

SMOKING NOT ALLOWED

PICTURE OPERATOR FINED

Dominion Special. ’ Auckland, October 1. An unusual prosecution was made in the Magistrate’s Court when Francis X. Bouziad, employed as a projectionist at the Queen’s Theatre, Auckland appeared charged with smoking in tiie operating box of the theatre, and also with permitting the rewinding of a film during a performance, sucn rewinding not being necessary. Mr R. Girling-Butcher, deputy chiet inspector of explosives, of the Dominion Laboratory, Wellington, who- pro-, secuted, said the charges were • fought to obtain publicity. He did not press for a heavy penalty. He said that one dav recently lie went to a theatre and saw defendant with a lighted cigarette leaning over a box of film. A copy of the regulations, which stated that smoking was not allowed in the projection room, was hung up in the operating box. The practice of smoking was a dangerous one, and in case of fire a panic among the audience mtgtit easilv be caused, with disastrous results. As to the other charge, a quantity of film which was being sent out to’ another show was being rewound. This was unnecessary. Defendant, who stated that be had been an operator for the past ten years, said that he thought his mate was a competent person to rewind the film. On the first charge a fine of and costs was imposed, defendant being fined £1 and costs on the second charge.