DANCE HALLS

Evening Star, Issue 20309, 18 October 1929, Page 2

DANCE HALLS

CLOSING HOUR OH SATURDAY NIGHTS RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL If a recommendation of the General Committee to come before the meeting of the City Council on Wednesday night is approved, dance halls and _ other places of amusement in Dunedin will next year have to close at 11.30 on Saturday nights. The recommendation of the committee is:— “ That upon the issue of the licenses for next year for all halls and places of public amusement a condition bo endorsed on each such_ license to the effect that the license is issued subject to the proviso that the premises shall not be used in terms of the license later than 11.30 p.m. on Saturdays ordering Sundays without special permission.” POSITION IN CHRISTCHURCH. The recommendation of the committee in Dunedin closely follows the dcci sion of the Christchurch City Council to close dance halls at 11.30 on Saturday nights. Considerable opposition to the proposal was shown in Christchurch, and one of the newspapers there points out that there is ground for believing that there is no authority for carrying out the proposal. The following is from the Christchurch Sun ’; — “ There is some ground for believing that the Christchurch City. Council has overstepped its authority in ordaining that city dance halls shall close at 11.30 on Saturday evenings. There appears to bo no clause in the Municipal Corporation Act giving it such. authority, and a lawyer, in conversation with a ‘ Sun ’ reporter to-day, stated his opinion that its new regulation could bo easily overturned. “Various clauses in the Municipal Corporations Act give the council authority to close theatres, dance halls, and other buildings, or to impose upon them any conditions it likes, whore there are charges of misbehaviour or disorderly conduct within the buildings themselves.. The closing of tho dance halls, however, has been accomplished on the plea that tho conduct of tho dancers outsido the hall is disorderly. Disorderly conduct in the streets is the responsibility of the police, not of the City Council. The council appears to have no authority to close buildings to prevent nuisances beyond those buildA deputation of dance hall proprietors is to wait upon the council at its next meeting, so that the question is not yet settled. In the opinion of the lawyer, these proprietors would be advised to take legal action to test the validity of the council’s regulation. “ Only two balls are at nresent af fected by the ban, and both have now to close at 11.30 on Saturday evenings. For the other city balls, however, the regulation will not bo enforced until the time comes for the renewal of their licenses —on December 31 next. Closing at 11.30 on Saturday evenings will be a condition added to the terms of the licenses, and proprietors will be required to agree to it before they are licensed.” ..