THE OPERA AND THE POLICE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4137, 24 June 1874, Page 3

THE OPERA AND THE POLICE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — 1 t is very possible to have too much of a good: thing. The presence of the police during the performances of the opera should he a great boon ; a rowdy pit is at any time a nuisance, and to lovers of the opera interruptions from senseless rowdies are insupportable, bnt on more than one occasion lately the conduct of the police has been unjustifiably severe, so much so that many frequenters of the pit who, are in the habit of behaving themselves without interference, are almost afraid to make a remark to a friend, or, indeed, to move in their seats, for the fear of being bullied or perhaps roughly handled by the police. Ins) ances of both have lately occurred. This treatment can hardly be intended by the management towards their supporters, and I think they would do well to remedy it.—l am, &c., Fatp.l'l.ay. [lf the services of the police are at all required in any part of the Theatre Royal, the necessity —supposing always that they have a right to interfere for the purpose of preventing rudeness—is certainly not limited to the pit. Loud talk and laughter, affected and unprovoked, have been a source of sore trial to many who

have attended the theatre during and before the sojourn of the Opera Company, and who have been present with the desire to appreciate good acting or good music, and in the hope—vain hope—that they will not be distracted by what in the pit would be pronounced “ rowdyism.” If it is the duty of the police to subdue sources of irritation to the actors or audience, there would be propriety in distributing them in all parts of the house, but there would be greater propriety in more attention being paid to ordinary politeness than to the presence of police.]