BEHAVIOUR AT A BALL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18722, 30 May 1924, Page 6

BEHAVIOUR AT A BALL

COMPLAINT TO THE COUNCIL." " V- ; '• •" : '' v:; ■ ; '" r ' : V; -;s-; ■ - SMOKING BY YOUNG GIRLS. '. -• - V"'. ';- '\-X: ; '-•>■..* •- '• - >. INCIDENTS AT TOWN HALL: -V '• 7-—i-i ; A protest ' against the conduct' of certain :of r those who attended the -Empire ' Ball in the Town Hall on May IS, on the occasion of the visit of the Special Service Squadron, was made by Mr. F. W., H. Brinsden, at the meeting of the i City Council last evening. Mr. Brinsden said it was with regret that he had ! to refer to this matter and he wanted to emphasise that the offenders comprised only a very small section of those present. He was satisfied that those In charge of the ball would be just as I anxious as he was to stop what he saw I there. He mentioned that on going into the hall, he was shocked to see "bits of girls" in the gallery with their ;M feet on the seats and smoking cigarettes. They had young men with them. Mr. Brinsden said he was a rsember of the Boxing Association, and at number of other decent organisations, and was any-. ; thing but a "wowser." s Women some , times intended boxing matches, but ho had ne-er seen any of them behave like 4 some oi' those; at . the ball. Mr. Brinsden said the council had dealt with the Boxing Association as a ' result of complaint about behaviour at matches and he felt that' if it was wrong for boxing patrons to act so, it was worse in the case of those attending a ball. He referred to the fact , that complaints had been made concerning the defacing of the Town Hall walls by boxing patrons, and said that on the night of the ball he saw a young girl extinguish a cigarette by stubbing it on the newlypainted wall and drawing it down the wall, leaving a trail of black ash and stain. The caretaker had found it necessary to obtain the assistance of a fireman to prevent girls smoking in the gallery. Mr. Brinsden urged that the council lay down rules requiring that the council's property be respected by those using the all, whether they. bo girls or men. At a later stage Mr. Brinsden urged that the prohibition against "smoking in the Town Hall, as enforced in connection with' boxing carnivals, be applied impartially. This was referred to the Legal and Finance Committee for attention. •. ; , ~