THE THEATRE FIRE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 7874, 8 January 1904, Page 2

THE THEATRE FIRE.

DISCUSSION BY BOEOUGH COUNCIL.

Ati the -Borough Council meeting on Wednesday • night, Tihe Majrbr (Mr Bobbins) said that while he diif not desire to create alarm the awful '< fire that had recently occurred in , America should open their eyes to tie necessity for seeing- that their plaoeq>pf entertainment were provided TOto/\propcr «xi%a ino»se of fire. ■< He could x^ort but mention, too, ; *hat at a recent j performance in, tho Cfoera House a lot of chairs were used in -frhc gallery aijid he felt certain that if a fire *ad occurred a great many people would have been crushed to -ueath tihrougii filling over thenu. The importance of keeping the aisles free from , obstruction had been emplasised by tfoe numjber of j prosecutions that had taken place. The, Council did not desiro to harass the; proprietors but tut present th© Qperaj House appeared positively damfferoma especially \ down stairs where there was n*>t sufficient means of gelting to thd doors in case of a panic He would a full report so a» to see what "could be done.

Gr mrttafcer.aaid h© was g-lad the Mayor has called attention to ihe matter. IWnKrUirs th© , spat© Were ng-ht aorosa tbo hall and it took hjm at a ooncert tho other nigfct, ekfcreii liartutes to get from his seat to the ■door.

libe Mayor movo^ That the Borough Inafcecjor vi ft w the Opera House and other local : places of entortaimnent aaul report forthwith %0% 0 th© Council Cr McNiven seconded tibe wtf&m. j He fully agreed that the Op«ra Blouse ■ was dangerous ati present. Cr Sarg^pn said there should be at least tfcrpe aisles dowmßtaias g^ people might easily g e^ *\ tto site exits, * ! Cr Wh^taker : There' should algo be a ligiit fa th& side doors. Th^ lK«yo« : Something trtugt be dope. Under present; conditions if a panic, occurred the people would bo i ca,Tighs in | a trap. _Cr- Mor&jeey suggested th&t at' least Iwo firemen should bo present i» unfcfotin «t wery entertainment. l The motion calling- for a repoyifc wis carried vframimo'usly. i ' >

As the Jifajiaia sjocfa sale as advertised would clash with othef eng»g»lueartp/Mespirg J. R. Stewart and Co. havjj ' cancelled it. A first offender appeared before the Court this morning and was retnanded for a wpgk. f- <• * Th© first term %v 1904 of tfae W-amafe-itui Girls' College will comtoenc© jbn J^Ja^ay, 9, ' I '