The Athenæum.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5976, 31 October 1890, Page 3

The Athenæum.

[to THE EDITOn. I

Sin,—J list a word or two about last night's ball and tho Athenmum. The Garrison Hall was not nearly so weil filled as it should havo been, and I feel there must have been n s-.rcw loose tome.litre when the powers that be could no more than half fill tbo large hall; indeed, con.-idering the price of admi-sion, and the cause for which tho ball was got up, it should have been crowded. There was much dissatisfaction. As a mutter of course, tho " upper class" wero tho moving spirits in tho ball. The coraphiiuts came from the middle find working classes principally. Ac u-mul, patrons bought their tickots under the natural impre-siou that one ticket admitted v gentleman and lady. Not so. When the couple presented themselves ut tho door for admittance they were asked for two tickets, f..r which the gentleman had to pay five shillings each, and if ho brongbt two ladies fifteen shillings wero required for tho admittance of the three. This was not tho end of the discontent. Tho bull bud been liberally "puffed," and made to appear to all intents and purposes a public ball, which there is no doubt it was, but during the »■ veiling one lady, whose years would havo led one to hopo for tho opposite treatment to that received, wanted to know where Mr So-and-So—a highly respectable young artisan — got his invitation from (he had not received one) ; he and his fair partner —a servant girl—had no business "thore, &c, _o. Surely snobbocracy never went further ! The proper way to havo excluded the objectionable couple, had the/ so desired, was for those elling tickets to have been requested to refuse to takj the young man's hard - earned money. Then it is wondered at that our Atheriroum is not more popular! Until these class distinction, nro far loss exercised that institution will always remain iv the same lethargic state a« at present, and the dances and other events got up in aid of it will not be tho success that they should and otherwise would bo. Thero is always room

for all, and so lons, as decency and decorum are recognised, it is a piece of impertinence on anybody's part to interfere with another's enjoyment. This is not the first tine that feeling of tbe abovo description has been shown at similar gatherings in Napier, but never have I known a worse example than that of last night.—l am, &c, Anti-Snob.