PICTURES ON ANZAC DAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 21 March 1936, Page 6

PICTURES ON ANZAC DAY

; ARE j/THEY: ALLOWED„ BY LAW?i l ■ jNO SUNDAY ENTERTAINMENTS .. Entertainments on Anzac Day, which this’year falls on a Saturday, and Good Friday were stated to be illegal at Dunedin recently and advice -obtained in Taranaki (states the “Daily News”) confirms this view. Should this be so it is doubtful whether theatre proprietors will open on these "bights. The propriety of the proposed entertainments has been the subject of controversy at Dunedin, Christchurch and Timaru, at least, in the South Island and is at present being debated at Stratford. The legal poesition as to public entertainments on both Anzac Day and. Good Friday was quite definite, it was stated yesterday. Both were statutory holidays, to be observed as Sundays. The Anzac Day Act 1920 states, inter alia, “the day shall be observed ill ail respects as if Anzac Day were a Siinday,” and Good Friday was included in a list under a statue defining'special holidays to be observed as Sundays. A theatre opening on those days laid itself open to prosecution. Apparently under these conditions no local body had authority to grant permission for entertainments on either, (lay. It was understood that in some places permission had been given and entertainments for charity or otherwise held, but they were, he considered illegal. At Auckland, for instance, a performance on Anzac Day had been been given but the programme was of a\ sacred nature. On the other hand there had beensuccessful prosecutions in connection with entertainments on Anzac Day and Good Friday. - NO PERMIT FOR PICTURES A request for a permit for the screening of pictures on Good Friday and ? Anzac Day was refused by the Eqst-, bourne Borough Council. The Mayor (Mr E. W. Wise) stated that this action was in line with what was being done , in other parts of the Hutt Valley.