THEATRE BOOKINGS

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3248, 19 January 1926, Page 6

THEATRE BOOKINGS

HOMELESS HOUSE PLANS.

ARRANGEMENTS TO BE FURTHER CONSIDERED. The Opera House committee has been instructed by the Palmerston North Borough Council to give further consideration to the booking arrangements in connection with plays that come to Palmerston North. The matter was introduced at the Council meeting last evening, when a letter was received from the lessee of the Opera House (Mr. H. E. Bennett), stating that Mr. Farrell, touring manager of J. C. Williamson's Guy Bates Post Company, resented the Council’s insistence on the box plans being laid at the Opera House and that he had made arrangements with a firm in town to handle the plan for the third night performance. Mr. Farrell contended that the only proper place for n booking office was :i shop in the mi-ln streets, open at all 'Lines, whereas fl ! i tho Opera House the booking horn* were UC a.m. to 1 p.ra.; 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mr. Bennett also stated that Mr Farrell objected to a booking fee of 3d a ticket. Tho public was prepared to pay 8/10. but not 9/-. There had also been numerous complaints by the members of tho public over the ballot syctom, whereby they were shut out of tho best seats because they were not prepared to go to every production sent round by J. C. Williamson, If the plans were taken from tho Opera House. Mr. Bennett said he did not see how he could impose tin other conditions of the lease in the matter of seeing that at least five rows were kept at each price advertised by the visiting shows. Cr. Hodgens asked why the Council had decided to transfer the booking office to the Opera House. There must have been some reason for such action. It had been mentioned that if the touring companies did not receive fair treatment, they would out Palmerston North out of their itinerary As far as he was concerned, lot them cut tho town out. They took 8/9 i-£ hard cash from the peopl-i of this town and the Council surely had a right to say for Instance, that they were ■ not to charge 8/9 for seats that came within the back stalls. “Are wo going to be flouted by this company out to make profits 7" said Cr. Hodgens. “We can safeguard the theatre-going people by keeping the plans at the Opera House." The Mayor remarked that the Council could not dictate to companies where they should place their plans. v

Cr. Eliott also considered the Council could not Interfere. There had been an agitation to change the booking and now apparently a number were still dissatisfied. He did not think the charge of 3d was at all out of tjio way. j The Mayor again remarked that the matter had nothing to do with the Council. Cr. Oram: The Council should not have interfered in the first place. It has brought this on its own head and it serves us right. I don’t think we can dictate to 'Williamson's at all. Cr. McX.eavey urged that the new method be given a fair trial (Hear, hear). There had been too much dissatisfaction in the past.

Cr. Edwards stated that the Council' had to consider the public. The proper place, in his opinion, was the Opera House.

The instruction, as noted above, was then given