SUNDAY PROGRAMMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22294, 21 June 1934, Page 12

SUNDAY PROGRAMMES

PROTEST FROM CHURCHES EMPLOYMENT OF USHERS A discussion on the employment of ushers in theatres on Sunday nights took place iu the City Council last evening, when a resolution of protest against the screening of pictures on Sundays forwarded by the Dunedin Council of Christian Congregations came up for consideration. The resolution was as follows: — “ This council views With gravest concern the recent decision of the City Council to permit the Sunday screening of pictures. While in fullest sympathy with every legitimate effort to assist deserving causes, it emphatically protests against the sanction thus given, believing as it does that its granting is an affront to the Christian conscience of the community and a flagrant violation of the sanctity of the day traditionally set apart for Christian worship and service. _ It is also influenced by the consideration that the permission thus accorded involves needless Sunday labour, and thus infringes the rights of the worker to his weekly day of rest. The council trusts that the city fathers will resolutely refuse any further applications for Sunday pictures in the future.” A protest from the Women’s Christian Temperance Union against permits for Sunday concerts and pictures was also before the council, and the two communications were dealt with together. The Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox) asked what was the usual practice with a motion of this kind, and two or three councillors replied, “ Received.” Cr MTndoe said that it was said on the previous occasion that tbs theatre staffs had no objection to working on Sunday nights. He understood that was wrong, and it was just as well that the council should know that. “ They are expected to turn up,” Cr MTndoe added, “and it is put in such a way that they are practically told that they can stay at home if they like, but there are any amount of girls wanting jobs.” The Mayor: Received? Cr Begg: What does that mean? The Mayor: It means that we have noted the protest. Cr Shaddock; We will never hear of it again. Cr Begg said that that was what he wanted to note. Would that protest be considered when another application came before the council. The Mayor said that he took it that they would all have it in mind when future requests were before the council. This was really a protest against future applications. Cr Shacklock said that these applications were really the thin end. of a wedge which would be driven home.

Cr Borrie said that he thought the employees had to go back when they did not- want to. It was all very fine to say that the managements were not insistent, but they all knew that if the employees did not go back when asked to it was only human nature that their positions should be prejudiced. Why should they force Sunday labour on those-people who did not want it?

Cr Silverstone contended that the employees had their remedy and were not compelled by the theatre managers to work on Sundays. The trade unions were quite strong enough to safeguard the interests' of the workers. It was strange that so many .were found who were anxious to safeguard the interests of the workers in whom they had not taken much interest before.

Crs MTndoe, Campbell, and Begg immediately rose to their feet protesting, and the Mayor suggested that Cr Silverstone might gracefully withdraw his last remark. This Cr Silverstone consented to do, and added that the council might, at least, wait till a deputation was sent protesting against Sunday labour. Why be so concerned in safeguarding the interests of the workers in this respect? The City Council itself was employing workers on Sundays. The tramways were not essential, but they were being carried on. Cr MTndoe said that, in justice to the theatre concerned in last Sunday’s performance, he must say-that the work of the ushers was done by voluntary labour by Toe H. As it happened, he knew of one usher employed in a theatre who was objecting to Sunday work. The communications were received.