"IMPROPAGANDA.”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 201, 18 August 1921, Page 2

"IMPROPAGANDA.”

Last night (writes Dr. Grubb in the Sydney “Sun”) it was my misfortune to be'lured by my daughter Chrysalis into a theatre, whore I was compelled to witness a performance that shocked —though not Chrysalis—by its revolutionary tendencies. How such a dangerous piece of imprope.ganda is allowed by the authorises I cannot imagine. Surely the censor of films, or the police, or’ Mr. Hughes, should step in and stop it! The play was a frank piece of pleading for job control, not merely of our mercantile marine, but the British Navy. On the stage, which presented the deck of one of H.M.B. warwere seen to take complete control of the ship. The captain, a fine figure of the British officer, was corrfpelled by the union secretary to prefix all his orders with the degrading formula “If you please!” The crew did what they liked on board; they danced hornpipes on duty and raised their voices in chorus in the captain’s presence; they did everything but work. The. union secretary, or strike leader, .attired in a gorgeous costume, of a Lord of ■» Admiralty, took every occasion to slight the captain’s authority and degrade him in the sight, of the ratings. It was easily seen that he, and not the captain, was the boss. Further, owing to an, acident of birth, the captain was callously reduced in rank to that of bluejacket—and he meekly submitted, while a seaman who seemed to do nothing but sing was elected captain! We have heard much of the wicked* ness of job control, but hero w:> painful example of the dreadful thing paraded before a respectable audience as right and proper! Such disintegrating travety upon the British Navy has never been so insidiously portrayed before. I feel sure that when the police investigate this play it will b> found that it has been produced by the bosses of the stewards in an effort to popularise job control; and though this piece of impropaganda will appear ridiculous to all right-minded persons like rnysdlf, its disintegrating influence will spread like a miasma through the community. The name of this Trades Hall play is “H.M.S. Pinafore.” It will be staged in Hastings on Thursday, September 1.