LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13726, 15 November 1916, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

VENTILATION ('?) OP THE OFEUA HOUSE. To the Editor of "The Times," Sir,—lt is about time that a most emphatic protest was raised about the ventilation—or rather the absolute lack of ventilation—in our local Opera House. Can and -will the town clerk 'or the caretaker tell us: •" Are those'hide-. oils green linbloum shutters fixtures'!" If thoy are not, then.why in the name of health and common- sense afe they not removed? If fixtures, why , not ■wall tho window space up, and thus remove an eyesore? But no, there they remain l , summer and winter, crowded theatre or otherwise, so that by no mistake may one cubic inch of pure air get in, nor can the foul air escape, I I say, without fear of contradiction, that it is an absolute sin to hold picture shows, at which hundreds of children attend, and every window in the place hermetically sealed. Where are our health inspectors? And if light must bo excluded from daylight performances, then surely in these days of advanced science and invention there arc preparations for darkening' the glass and methods of opening the windows so that- God's fresh air can. gain access to the building—see Hay ward's local picture theatre and bo convinced. But thei'e is no excuse why the shutters must remain up (luring evening performances—poison the children if the expense of removing the shutters is too heavy, but let the adults off. Again, in any decently-conducted public building the doors are left wide open during intervals, so that a current of fresh air may flow through the building; but this is not so in our Opera House. After thp men have gone out the doors are quickly and tightly shut. With the hot weather approaching, these matters should- at once be remedied, And, sir, dare I suggest that 1 as the glorious spring cleaning season is here—or, to give more time, Christmas approaching—that those names (oh, I'm heartily sick of reading them) on the "fresh air excluder" downstairs be erased. But if, after the manner of so many and much in our town, only one thing can be done at a time, then let us have those shutters down and a current of fresh air through the building.—l am, etc, OXYGEN.