An Extraordinary Step

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 167, 11 April 1932, Page 11

An Extraordinary Step

Sir, —One cannot but be amazed at the announcement which appeared in your issue of Friday’s date regarding the regulation authorised by the Minister of Industries and Commerce to restrict the building of new picture theatres. Surely, if there are men in our midst who have sufficient confidence in the future of the Dominion and the courage to invest capital in theatre enterprises, this is the very period when they should be encouraged rather than hampered by regulations such as now introduced. No doubt the Minister has been appealed to during his term of office by representatives of industries employing many thousands of men and women, in various parts of the Dominion for some form of protection against outside competition, to which he has turned a deaf ear. It surely cannot he claimed that there has been any universal demand for the present regulation, rather does it suggest that interested parties are endeavouring to protect some picture theatre concern which may. be affected. It would be interesting to learn from the Alinister whether a proposal afoot to build a picture theatre in a certain North Island town will be affected. Apart from this, the building trade was never quieter than it is at the present time, and it surely behoves the Government to place no obstacles in the way of enterprising business men who are willing to provide modern places of entertainment, and by so doing, provide profitable employment for large numbers of skilled and unskilled workmen. May I express the hope, sir, that “The Dominion” will use its influence in the direction of having this most unwarranted interference with private enterprise removed.—l am, etc., CITIZEN. April 9.