The Franklin Times PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1929. THE PERIL OF PANIC.

Franklin Times, Volume XX, Issue 1, 6 January 1930, Page 4

The Franklin Times

PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON

MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1929. THE PERIL OF PANIC.

Phone No. 2. Night Phone, No. 328.

Office and Works: ROULSTON STREET, PUKEKOHE. P.O. Box 14. “We nothing extenuate, nor aught set down in malice.”

THERE will be exhaustive inquiry into the Paisley cinema, disaster, and all the contributing causes will be examined. . One fact stands out clearly, however: that the disaster would not have been so dreadful had there been no panic. So far as the messages received disclose, there were not the glaring faults theatre construction which led to the holocaust in the Novedades Theatre ol‘ Madrid in 1928, when an old wooden theatre several times the subject of reports to the authorities was burnt down and over 200 people perished. The Dromcolliher. disaster in Ireland in 19.26, also, was due to the use of the/barn with inadequate exits and no fire safeguards. The Paisley tragedy resembles more

the panic disaster at Sunderland in 1883, when 186 children were killed in a crush against a door. There was no fire then—just a rush to get toys that were being given away by a conjuror. At Paisley similarly it seems that the loss of life would have boon much less if the panic couki have been stayed.

We may hope fervently that. New Zealand will never have reason to in* vesligate the causes and consequences of crowd panic. Rut the Paisley experience shows that- there are safeguards which arc necessary in addition lo the adequate exits, safety curtains, and fireproof operating boxes which are insisted upon here. In

modern mechanical entertainment, picture theatres require very few men — no stage slaff. no male ushers, often no orchestra. When an alarm is given, there are not the men about familiar with the building and likely to be of service in preventing a panic. With adult audiences this does not matter. There will be sufficient, men present to make panic extremely improbable. Rut when the audience is almost, wholly juvenile, there is a danger. It may be said that parents should not allow their children to attend entertainments unaccompanied hy the fathers: but we doubt if this is reasonable. Tired working mothers and fathers cannot always be expected to deny their children a little pleasure, or else fatigue themselves hy shepherding them. Where, however, the entertainment is for children mainly or exclusively, and men are not present in sufficient' numbers in the audience, there should tic compensating additional provision- of male attendants. This does not mean that an army should be in attendance. Children, in the presence of elders in whom they have confidence, will behave splendidly. That was demon- |

stralM'Yftre Wceritly^du&ng i ’the earth- j quake, .when Jjiere was., not a single accident in the schools. Teachers who 'retained their presence of mind inspired the children with confidence. At child entertainments there should be men who will do the same. To the child mind a uniform is immensely reassuring. The mere sight of a policeman or fireman spells safety. Panic comes from fear, and fears can be stilled by the presence of trained uniformed firemen, who will be able to check at the outset any tendency bf the juvenile audience to get out of control.