AMUSEMENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13289, 22 May 1905, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

ALHAMBRA THEATRE. pe weekly change pf programme at the .Ulianibn ( ThciUre on Saturday evening attracted a vciy full house. Many were unable to gain admission, tho sole of tickets by the instruction of Inspector Donaldson being discontinued at five minutes to 8 o'clock. There wero a number of new artists, and an added attraction was the reippoamcc of some old favourites well known in connection with tho Fuller's Entertainers. The new members include Mr Harry Leeds, who, with Mia Trine j Lem&r, is a decidcd acquisition to the burlesque and comedy strength of the company; Mealing, a really clever lioy dancer and a promising \ocalist; Sir Leslie a falsetto entertainer, whose vocal gymnastics were liberally applauded; Mr Harry Marshall, a, femtJe impersonator; and Mr Les Warton, a versatile vocalist, whose impersonaltions and coon Singing evoked numerous recalls. The artists above - mentioned, strengthened by Mr Charles Moody, Mr F. H. Graham, 1 and Miss Nellie Bent, Mis 3 G. Fraser, and tho YanteiJ horizontal bar artists, form a strong combination, and, judiging by the leception accorded on Saturday evening, they will fill the house nightly for tho remainder of the week. The management displays good judgment in frequwitily shifting and exchanging its large number of altaste between tho four chief centres of population in the colony, and this practice, combined with strong and constant additions from abroad, no doubt accounts for the libera! patronage so long and consistently accorded to these entertainments. Saturday night's programme, with ejioore additions, will bo repeated this evening, and for the remainder of the week ending on the 26th lnM. " J. C. WILLIAMSON'S OPERA SEASON. Playgoers whose'memories go back a quarter of a century or more, recall with keen satisfaction the delight they oxferienced on witnessing the production, one after the other, of that brilliant series of operas which was the outcome of the long and fertile partnership between W. S. Gilbsit and Sir Arthur Sullivan. These people and tho joungcr generation who have had opportunities of enjoying some of these operas will welcome the piesent revival of Gilbert and Sullivan's pieces, under the management of Mr ,T. C. Villiamson, {lie entrepeneur who first mfet of these operas to the colonial public. Too long has the modern musical comedy held the lyric stage to the detriment of the public taste for tuneful melody, wedded to clever words, and interwoven with a coherent plot. The people have become weary of inane songs, strung together without any semblance of a connected story. Recognising this, Mr J, C. Williamson has ceine'to the rescue with a well-solected opora company, comprising new stars and old favourites, which 13 to produce six of the .most charming of the Gilbert aud Sullivan series— " Paticncc," " Pirates," " Pinafore," " lolanthe," " The Yeomen of the Guard," sad " lho Mikado." What Mr Williamson himself thinks of the company and its capabilities may be inferred from the fact that he has called away I from other important business Mr Henry Bracy to manage the operatic season 111 Dunedin, which commences at llis Jfo-jesty's Theatre on Monday evening next, May 29. Lovers of opera will, wo aic assured, have as gicat a treat afforded them now as was given them in 1979, 1830, and 1881, when the threi P's —" Pinafore," "Pirates," and "Patience" -Were produced 111 succession by a company that comprised a number of famous artists, iududing one who is with the present company, the ever•rcn Howard Vernon. Mr A. V.' Juncker, the conductor, has under lfim on this occasion a chouu reputed to be the best ever yet got together in Australasia. Notliing. therefore, seems wanting to furnish a feast of wit, satire, railcry, and charming melody for the entertainment of music-loving and intelligent people. The box plans for tie whole of the reason will be opened at the Dresden on Tkuisday morning next at 9 o'clock, and there is every indication of a bitr bookirp OTAGO UNIVERSITY SOCIAL. The first of the Otago University socials was held in the Victoria Hall on Saturday evunng, and pro/ed a most successful function. 11l spite of tbe e.xertitms of the afternoon. most of the University footballers were able to put in un apwaratice, and the hall was just comfortably filled, about 75 couples taking the floor. Doiicicg commenced at 8 o'clock, and continued till the siith stroke of 12, while cards were provided at side tables for those who _ did not dance First-ciass music was provided by Yates's Bond, and tho supper supplied by Miss Murray left nothing to be desired. Tho hoard room was converted foi the time being into a " sitting-out" room, all the rooms being most tastefully decorated. Much credit is due to the Management Committee for the manner in which the arrangements for the evening were carried out. Tlie members of the Caversham Presbyterian Girls' Club entertained the members of the Boys' Club on Thursday evening in the Hall. A very enjoyable evening was spent with musical items and games, and the gathering broke up about 11 o'clock after giving three cheers for the Girls' Club The young ladies had gone to some trouble in pieparing cakes and other ca'ables, and these were dono amnle justice to. Miss Allen (leader of the Girls' Club) mentioned that it was the intention of the club to hold a sale of work on July 5 and G. the proceeds to go towards the reduction of the church debt. Arrangements were being made for the following stalls:—Work, fancy or kmok-knack. produce, flower, refreshment, and fish pond. As side shows there would be Japanese ladies And two gipsy countesses There would be bat trimming and buttonhole-making competitions for gentlemen, and screw aud naildriving competitions for the ladies; also a guessing competition, which would be open to all who attended the bazaar.

THE RETAILER AND TIIF, SHOPS AND OFFICES ACT. TO IBIi EDITOH.

Sir,—lll reference to your leader of today's date criticising tho amendments to thn _ abovo act as proposed by tho retail section of the Otago Employers' Association, I note particularly your remark that some of tho amendments will necessarily excito keen contention, and among them the following:—■ 1. That tho act should apply to country as well as to town shops 2. That tho " one-man exemption " should bo struck out, 3 That tl'o past system of weekly employment, without payment for overtime, should be reinstated. There can be no doubt about these thrco clauses forming tho crux of tho whole act, and that on the treatment of them by Parliament will depend tho success or failure of, the new bill. As one who may fairly claim some acquaintance with tho working of the Shop and Offices Act, I plead the hbeity of a fc« words in connection with the above. "With regard to tho first I ask. AVUy should country shops be exempt from the operations of the act? You practically contend that they should be, but your reasoning does not bear out your contention. As a matter of fact, most of tho country stores now close voluntarily at 6 p.m., and for the reason that there is very little inducement for tliem to lemain open after that hour. This is borno out bjr tho fact that in several pf fho country districts the shopkeepers have taken advantage of tho now clause in the -act which enable* the majoiity to fi\ the closing hours for all, and have accordingly fixed 6 p.m. for v.ock nights and 9 p ni. foi Saturdays, tho hour* as rppciitytl in the act. I do not know of one "ingle icason why the country should bo exempt. People do not walk the streets of country, towns as they do in the cities, and the necessity for krepmg open is not nccrcsary. As an old traveller who knows the country well I assert that, with the proposed exemptions, country businesses will not be nearly so much affected as they will bo in the towns. If it is right compulsorily to close the town shops, it would be a wrong to exempt the country. If the atft is not to bo universal, then better no act at all. With regard to the second pioposal, I can only express Burpriso at your taking exception fo it, as without this olause tho act, to my mind, would be an unjust one; outside thoso specially interected I liuve not 'heard a word in Javour of the "one-man exemption." _ Shopkeepers generally aie unanimous in denouncing this clause— indeed, they look upon it as an ugly blot that must be wiped out at any cobt. and m this they ar? supported by the general Pubho. the Trades Unions, inspectors, the JI.H.R.'e, and the Premier. It is worthy of note that the Premier, after hearing deputations throughout tho colony, lias come to the conclusion that the "one-man exemption" must go. To prove that this clause is a most iniquitablo one I have only to point out the effect it would have on one or two' trades. Take tho hairdressers and 'tobacconists, for instance., One-third of these'' would bo compelled to closo at the stated hour, while two-thirds would be allowed to keep open aa long l as they liked. I need not point out how seriously this would eventually affect those compelled to close. Apart from this, the trado has almost unanimously signed a I requisition in favour of closing at 8 p.m., ' which proves in itself that tho exemption is not required. Again, in connection- with the fruit trade, it would play directly into the hands of the Chinamen, and in two or three years would bring about the condition of things in Dunedin which now exists in Wellington, and is an indelible stain upon tho business of that town. It Ms largely owing to this that tho inspectors have for many years strongly urged the Government to have a compulsory closing I hour for'all shops without any exemptions. It wonld be too great a tai'on your space.

Ito enumerate the many gross injustices that would folloiy in the waio of the " ono-man Suflico it'to eay that hajdly a day passes' ;without tin instance being brought under my notice. In my opinion there is only one class that deserves consideration under this clause, and that is the widow; but o\cn this exemption is fraught with danger,' and in consequence was abandoned by the retailers, If wo must havo a 'Shops Act—and lam ono of thoso who belicv.e it'is imperative,—then it must -be just and equitable With the "onoman" clause it would be neither the one nor the other. With regard to the third proposal, with the insistence on payment for overtime, "where the workers have a weekly employ'mcnt, are in .receipt of 'wages for idlo time,, sickness, and all holidays, it is very questionable indeed as to whether tho workors' position would bo in any way improved, more esoecially in view of tho fact that tho majority of them now get from so\en to 10 days' holidays every year on full pay. .Your reasoning 011 this proposal seems to me to be most uusound, and not in keeping with fact. Your reference to the Arbitration Court awards is particularly unfortunate, as the underlying principle of all Hie recent awards is " no work, no pay " to all who "are in receipt of payment for overtime. This 15 tho outcome of a. strong and emphatic protest, lodged in the name of tho employers of the colony in Auckland, the logic and reasonableness of which so appealed to the court that it has now practjicaJly laid it down as a principle. I • think you are also unfortunate in your pre--1 sumption: "Tho time that is spent in I stocktaking is not a quid pro quo for that j spent in enjoyment for holidays." With very few exceptions in the retail trade in Dunedin, the time off in the nay of sickness, public holidays, and tho now almost universal week or 10 da)S far more then compensate for any oveitime worked. In I h'ose shops that do work overtime at stocktaking tho employees do not work anjthing like 52 hours a week. If the 52 hours a week oro worked (as is at present being done), there J will be 110 overtime; some retail shops boast that they never work overtime from one year's end to another. Then again, your contention " that the statutory holidays are paid for simply because ic has beoomo customary to pay for them" is altogether illogical. Bccausc the shopkeopors' havo not revolted at being squee7ed in the past is not to say that (hey should submit to more of the squeezing process in the future. As a matter of fact, the payment for statutory holidays under tho Factories Act is a great wrong, and contrary to the British constitution, and it says a good deal for the peace-loving dispositions of the employers that it has been so quietly submitted to. If it is insisted upon under the Shops Act it will be an evon greater wrong If provision for payment for overtime is insisted on in the amending bill, then tho privileges and boon of a wcojtly employment must go by the board, and if that' goes, with many other privileges, such as shorter hours than those specified in the act, the right to purchase goods at a small percentage on cost price, annual holidays, payment for idle_ or slack time, etc., then the Inst condition of a shop assistant will be worse than the first— a groat deal worse. Spare forbids my following this question any further at present, and I close this letter by saying that I am generally in- hearty accord with the views of the Otago Daily Times on Labour questions, but in this instance am compelled to differ materially from tho reasoning and views of the article in question,—l am, etc., A Faie-minded Employer.