THEATRES MORE POPULAR

Southland Times, Issue 24599, 22 November 1941, Page 6

THEATRES MORE POPULAR

Larger Attendances During Year

New Zealanders went to the pictures more often during the past year than they did in the previous 12 months. During last financial year 31,491,811 persons paid for admission to picture theatres, an increase of 320,681 over the number for the year before. The Government Statistician gives these figures. In Southland, states the latest issue of the Abstract of Statistics, there are 42 theatres and paid admissions during the year totalled 997,508. Admission receipts amounted to £62,355 and total theatre revenue to £65,697. Theatre expenditure, including amusements tax, amounted to £59,009. Other facts given about the Southland theatres are that there were 110 persons engaged in them, that the seating accommodation of the 42 houses was 12,813 and that the average admission charge was 1/3. DOMINION FIGURES

Persons engaged in the theatres in New Zealand in 1940-41 numbered 2979, and their salaries for the year’ amounted to £370,762, of which sum £120,822 was paid to females. Total seating capacity is 271,535, of which 148,760 are 1/6 a seat (excluding tax). Income for 1940-41, with that for 1939-40 shown in parentheses, was admissions, including tax, £2,107,443 (£2,009,662); advertising on screen, £30,392 (£31,170); other receipts, £60,568 (£60,167); total, £2,198,403 (£2,100,999). Per head of population the average number of attendances during the year was 19. Auckland is well in the lead in the number of picture theatres to the square mile. In that provincial district there are 232 theatres, in Wellington 85, Canterbury 51, Otago 47, Southland 42, Hawke’s Bay 35, and Taranaki 34. Admission receipts in Auckland amounted to £777,104, Wellington £531,665, Canterbury £292,000, and Otago and Southland £217,325.