THE TUAM STREET THEATRE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10112, 10 August 1893, Page 2

THE TUAM STREET THEATRE.

TO THE EDltok. Sib,— While the case 'concerning tbiat.' theatre was suh judice ,1 refrained fronlt! writing and pointing ou'j the petty annoy*? fences I have been subjected to by Coun*|| cillot Gray and severs,l other Councillors!, ever since I took charge of the theatre;) and which the following extracts from thej Town Clerk’s letter book will prove:— , Copy.—Juno 10, 1893. To iho Inspector j of Police. Public Buildings.—l eco by the i papers that meetings are to be held at the Cutim street hall and. -Oddfellows’ Hall

!and theatre on Sunday next. The theatre: only has a permit. Will you kind'y have, the necessary information, if the meetings] take place, to enable action being taken if? the Council de-ires to do so.—P. T.j ! Haskins, Town Olcrk. 1, Copy.—July C, 1893. Informations,*-!.’ I have instructed the city solicitors t(fo draw and send to you the informations ae| desired, and also to conduct oases in Cour|l re Tuam street hall and Oddfellows* Hal| .for opening them on Sundays without per| |mits.— F. T. Haskins, Town Clerk. | Copy.—Messrs Garrick and Co,, informations. Please draw [iformations and forward came to the police Sto be laid. I saw the Chairman of thb l ‘By-law Committee, and ha directs tlib informations to bo gone on with, as in tl|e face of the fine infiictcd on Mrs Beatty fen? similar offences no other course ia opes!. P. T. Haskins, Town Clerk. i Copy.—J uly 22; 1593. To Mr Inspected Brolram. Timm street hall. It is no® true what Mr Brooks states, as'the door| were shut, and Councillors tried the doors to rnuke sure they, were fastened, but they, jdecline being dragged into Court, as thqi ■Mayor is concerned in the matter. I anf| sdirected to ask you to give Itiona to the police to try the doors| there is anything going on.J fthere, and insist on a'l doors being j ■jppen during the whole time the hall < Ss used by the public, and in every case of Ipefault information to be laid.—P. T. !. Haskins, Town Clerk, •, This is a sianple cf Councillor Cray’s’

ISnerciful considers'ion of tho Mayor being; ;|nt3ret-ted. Councillor Gray is evidently fkcting on the advice of Shakspere: “As-; -isume a virtue if you have it not.” What: 'hypocrisy! Why, Councillor Gray and ilia colleagues have been straining every (point to force the polico into useless 'prosecutions. Several cf the Councillors, Especially Councillor Gray, Lava been Constantly hanging round tho theatre | doors at night (p.s ono of the above letters l proves) in. hopes of discovering some S breach of tho law in ,wblch they might ' prosecute. Can the public imagine p. more ! deplorable sight than seeing Councillors hanging round the doors of my theatre like so many detectives ? They want to open all doors, to blow my audience out on these cold nights, but I am not going to do it. Councillor Apple by stated that it was a breach of the by-laws to close any doors! Poor Appleby ! He is a splendid fellow in company, can sing a capital song, | but of him I can say no more. He knows as much about the by-laws of the Council : as t-be man in the tooon; in fact he ia the weakest member of the Council, and he is ; the only respectable member who can be? induced to throw the bulls of mud pre-J pared by Councillor Gray or Mr Haskins.; Perhaps Councillor Appleby would pointi out the by-law compelling all doors to; be kept open in order to kill an audi-' once with cold. Councillor Appleby j says it is a pity the Mayor did not • get the information ■ sooner with rsfer- ; ehce to the mortuary chapel. Why, j I have held the opinion all through that it ’ would be illegal to expend the Council j funds on tho mortuary chapel, but Councillors preferred'to take the ciieao advice

lof the .three Richmond lawyers, and in ['Committee ordered the two expensive [plans, and when the matter was brought before me I immediately ruled the work [illegal, and the unemployed who were I present will remember the unseemly wrangle that took place owing to the | jthree E chmond lawyers opposing my fruling and quoting their cheap Jaw on ’the subject. It was Councillor Appleby and his friends who should have taken advice earlier and saved the cost of the plans, as I only armed myself with the authority of the Auditor-General when notice of motion was given by Councillor Flesher to traverse my ruling. Of couse, had it been a legal expenditure I should have voted for it, if only out of commiseration to Councillor Gray and the three Eichmond lawyers, who will require a heap of praying over when they die, and there ia no doubt that the worries ; of the Tuam street had doors will laud them in an early grave. Councillor . Plesher gave notice of motion that Council meetings were not to extend af.'er 10.80, and yet ho is the gentleman who moves the Council to adjourn for a month, and consequently accumulat a the work, which meann. late meetings. Look at my proposal regarding newspaper boys. What would our Labour Government say if tradesmen were to employ boys of from five to ten years of age to hawk goods round our stret ts until all hours at night ? They would step in andaayyou shall not ruin the future and constitution of these young Isd'. Councillor Gray admitted that he was a newspaper boy himself, p.-r.hapo that will account for the vagaries and peculiarity of big actions, which have proved so harassing to tho few friends he .still possesses. T£ his yearly drink bill to be relied upon as much as his public I fear the public have been |sadly deluded bvthe figures cf this apostle t»2 agua pv.ra.— -I am, ir, | GEORGE. !■ TO THE EDITOR,

Sri;, —A correspondent in your issue of to d-iy, signing himself “ A Protest,” accuses the Jewish rabbi of writing a pamphlet tor the purpose of “ bolstering up the vile drink traffic,” &o. Be i-j quite wrong. The pamphlet in question was written for the express purpose of instructing, ignorant persons such as the writer of " A Protest,” and other?, as to what the Bible really contains on tbe subject of wine. Many people, Rome of whom profess to be able to instruct the public mind, arc in the habit of qu ting the Bible when it suits their arguments, and denying its authority when it does not, and others are bo far-.i'ical that they would Rend to the stake anyone who professes moderate views on the brick question. It is to be hoped that the reverend gentleman’o pamphlet will have an educational effect on the persons above-mentioned.—l am. &c., MODERATE.