CLOSING OF THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 16350, 16 February 1917, Page 1

CLOSING OF THEATRES

FRENCH MANAGER'S PROTEST. Will Paris theatres, kinemus, and music nails have to close four days a week? The present rule is that each must olu.se one 'lav a week, but the correspondent of a London newspaper stales that Ihe Home Secretary is coli.sidcijug the question of a four daws' closing lo save fuel. A mass meeting of tails agers. aennro and all employees of theatres and muDc-hmls, belonging to 45 different as-soci-.iurois ;u Paris and the country, has ui-u, been held with M. Gailhard, Into lessee of the Opera, in the chair. The meeting pro--1 "d strongly against any further closing of theatres and oilier places of entertainment. A report was read arguing that real economy would bo effected by such a dra.cUe measure. To begin with, theatre managers, Ihoug.i losing half their receipts, '.vomit slit! have lo pay rent, and world be morally obliged to go on paying ilieir companies and si all's, Afuroover. something like 40,000 people might be. thrown out of work, to whom I .he .mate would have to give some sort of relief. As regards lighting and heating, the report contended that would-be spicuitors would hurt! as much tile! by Stopping at home. For example, the mating ';- of the ‘ Chalelct' said li.al on \\ iHlucsdays, the worst day of the week tor thU theatre, the average attenda.iice was i.SOu spectators. . home 500 actors and others were employed in the theatre durmgi ihe performance. Lighting for these I.aOO poisons came to 110 francs per periornia.uce. whereas he figured out that, it Iney stayed at home, their local expenditure tu lighting would reach about ISO fratt's.

Ihe Hot'. A. If, Myers. Minister in Charge of the National Provident Fund, stated at It cllingtou yesterday that the scheme of extra Slate" benefits and concessions tor members of friendly societies came Into operation on January 1, and appli'-s to almost- all the societies tn the Dominion. ihe department provides the necessary machinery lo enable members to obtain benefits. “hi some, instances, however. it appears that the literature has not reached the members, many of whom ■are. no doubt. unaware of the benefits they are cm hied to.” said Hip Minister: anti if would he as we!l. theig fore, if 1 mention what these honefits are. Firstly, (here is u mulcruily aUmvaiice of .24. payable to (he vile of any member of an approved friendly soi adv whose income was for the preceding y.'ar under £2CO, on acemiut ot any birth after January 1. 1917: and. secondly, any member up'to a given age may heroine a contributor loan annuity at the age of 60 at very mich reduced rates and on except mm, Ii y favortinle terms, jigrlieiilarly in regard to preront memhers. I rose concessions are only iv-ssinle coving lo liberal Government' subsidies, provided that there is no contriluitiou payable by ,g member for maternity allowance, which is claimable whether a member is an annuity contributor or not ”