SUNDAY EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22284, 9 June 1934, Page 18

SUNDAY EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I was astounded to read in your. issue of the 7th inst. that the City Council has taken. upon itself the right to contravene all Christian. principles and the'moral feelings of the great majority of the citizens of Dunedin. You do not state in your report the names of those councillors who voted in ..favour of the motion for the opening of the theatres on Christmas,. Day and . for the indiscriminate screening, of pictures on Sunday evenings. I am sure the citizens are entitled to know the names of those who voted for and against the motion, so that when election time comes round they may show whether they desire those councillors to represent them. Certainly the objects for which the entertainments, excepting those' to be given on Christmas Day, are worthy, but if the people must have something in exchange—in this case amusement-r-before they will give to such objects—the spirit of the giving sinks from that of selfsacrifice to that of self-indulgence.

Then there is another aspect of the matter. Councillors Munro and' M'lndoe state that it is hardly fair to those people who do not pro to church to deny them the opportunity for amusement. The theatres are open six days, afternoons and evenings, for the sole purpose of amusing the citizens, and if people are so devoid of intelligence that they cannot amuse themselves on one day in the week, then the British race, as represented in Dunedin, is deteriorating very'fast. Further, have they considered the number of people who, by the opening of the theatres, are prevented from going to church in the evening?—-the ticket collectors, kinema operators, and ushers. These people are prevented from having even one whole (lav of and also from going awny at week-ends if they so desire. Consequently, their liberty, that boast of the British people, is curtailed except at the risk of losing their'employment. Again as the theatres wil! not close till after 10 p.m. if a full programme is presented tram ears or buses will have to be kept running to convey patrons home. As the motion was moved and strongly supported by Labour adherents the present followers of the Labour Party would like to know whether if Labour comes

"into power sb the governing party it will be its policy to abolish Sunday as a holy day and holiday, and so force workers Whom they presumably represent to work all day and,every day—all this, pro s fessedly in the interests of a small minority whose Opinions are evidently identical with their own! If this is so, the moment the Labour Party takes ofhee will be the' end of the Christian era in New Zealand, and the commencement of government in the interests of a minority. —I am, etc., Liberty. Jqne 8. •