A GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13392, 22 January 1907, Page 3

A GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES.

Sir, Having watched an Oceanic steamer enter tho harbour on Saturday afternoon, and the passengers and crew muster before Hie health official t>o thai no chance disease should enter ho. city, a few hours later 1! could not help reflecting that had a small contingent of that, ship's passengers visited a spot not, far from t.lx> landing stage—a licensed building for the assembling nightly of hundreds of all ages or conditions of health or ill-health—all precautions might Ik* set at naught, and those in question gono back to tho ship with tlx? germs of plague or ver implanted, to disseminata throughout the ship or next port of call. Business brings me to Auckland periodically, and during the. prist two and a-ha If years* I have been at the same place, to wit, His Majesty'* Theatre, where the abuse alluded to exists, and has ■existed all the time J have known it, and nothing is done to eradicate if.. Apparently only the acting members of the company suffer, the authorities think, as the dress in grooms in which these ladies and. gentlemen are compelled to spend many hours have windows opening on to what is little better than a cesspool ; and as continued requests, urged strongly as they •should be expected to bo, prove ineffectual, I ask the favour of a little spa-co for the insertion of this letter, to see if the authorities responsible for the removal of this abuse, may lie stimulated into action. I assure you. sir,' just in a corner of tin? right-of-way backing the theatre, and where the public do not go, may be seen many kerosene cans stuffed with l>ones, fat, and decaying animal: matter, tubs of vegetable refuse, and a yard or so away an open drain aiwut 2ft square, which seems seldom to have been flushed with water, while, on being probed on Saturday, it was found to contain in its slimy hi(]uid a dead cat and throe dead rats, while to add to this Augean horror tho corner in, question was turned into a temporary stable for horses. Now, sir, does not this call for redress? Almost all tho ladies of my company had to vacate their dressingrooms 011 Saturday evening, complaining of sore throats, so that 1 am praying no evil will ensue, but having a certain amount of virtuous indignation at. this long-standing evil i ask the courtesy of a little spaoe to air' my grievance. H. W. Vahna.