MY DAY TO GROWL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 72, Issue 6239, 7 June 1946, Page 5

MY DAY TO GROWL

ABOUT THIS AND THAT LIFE’S VICISSITUDES AND ITS PLEASANTRIES (By A. Growler) Early this week a little bird flew from one of the few remaining trees left standing in the borough and whispered to me that the Empire Theatre is shortly to undergo extensive alterations and improvements. Now, that is all to the good, and I congratulate the owners and management on their faith in the town and district and their desire to provide m the greatest possible comfort x and convenience for their patrons. The same little bird, however, told me that once the alterations are completed the Empire Theatre will no longer be available for concerts, orchestral performances, and the use of visiting theatrical shows. That is indeed bad news. The people of the town are indebted to the Empire Theatre proprietary over the years for the frequent use of that pleasure-house by companies and concert parties, and it is in no way to be blamed for taking the proposed step. It is not the duty of a picture theatre control to provide a home for those seeking to entertain us with fare other than moving pictures. That is the bounden duty of the Borough Council, and the sooner the position is faced the better. Te Awamutu is not so poor that it cannot afford a suitable town hall that would cater for all classes of entertainment other than pictures and dancing. The present Town Hall, bare, cold, and utterly inconvenient, is unthinkable as a place where concert parties, visiting companies, and our own local Municipal Orchestra can stage entertainments. It is hopeless to expect people to sit in uncomfortable seats in an atmosphere that is far from warm, no matter how pleasing and attractive a performance may be. As I said, Te Awamutu is not poor—in fact, one of its greatest drawbacks is that it has so much money that it has become smug and complacent to an irritating degree—that it cannot afford to raise a municipal loan to provide for an adequate place of entertainment. The revenue from a suitable town hall would, I venture to say, be sufficient to warrant the first expense. 'Failing a new hall, extensive improvements to the existing Town Hall could be made, such as comfortable tip-up seats, heating apparatus, and a general clean-up and renovations that would make the building attractive to users and patrons alike.

It is noted that recently Rotorua ran a competitions week, when amateurs indulged in music (vocal and instrumental), dancing, elocution, etc., to the great delight of the citizens of that centre of the thermal region. Hamilton is to stage a similar week later in the year. Such competitions not only give pleasure to those who attend them, but they are a source of encouragement to young exponents of the varied arts. When Te Awamutu was much younger and not nearly so wealthy there were several cultural societies in active existence, and they gave practical encouragement to performers. Several Gilbert and Sullivan operas were successfully staged, I believe. There were also other musical societies, and, as the press reports of that time record, a good time was enjoyed by all. If then, why not now ? The town and district are not devoid of talent, and, given a suitable place in which to msike public appearances, I feel sure that there are sufficient people of musical ability and zeal to re-capture some of the ancient glory that was Te Awamutu’s.

How many readers realise that a trip to Hamilton in one of Mr Lewis Hodgson’s comfortable buses—(let us hope that the free advertisement escapes the eagle eye of the editor 1) — can be a pleasant adventure, an edution, and an entertainment ? I frequently use that mode of transport to reach the kid city of the Dominion, and am never tired of the beautiful panorama unfolded as delightful farm lands sheltered with plantations and hedges are swiftly passed. Here and there the landscape is dotted with

small lakes reminiscent of Erin. The p scene is one of ’ charm. In the bus one’s fellow travellers are as likely as not to provide entertainnlent and education. Recently, while on my way to Hamilton, I sat behind two gentlemen; they were kindred spirits, for they were agreed that all the world was wrong. They were “ agin the Government.” One of them said that “ Broady” told him that Mr Walter Nash (a dyed-in-the-wool political villain !) had given a cocktail party in London recently that had cost £30,000 I The members of the Government were not workers—they had never worked —except Bob Semple, who had done a little in earlier days. The informative one said that the New Zealand High Commissioner—(he called him an ambassador)—cost the country £50,000 K a year, and he never paid a penny-piece of it. The trips abroad of the Government came in for a slating. Leaving the Government, the two critics turned their attention to the young fry of the country; they didn’t know what the children of today were coming>to; they (the children) wouldn’t walk a yard, must have buses to carry them to school, and were wanting hot lunches at school. Then the young farmers came in for a share of criticism, for they were not the men that their fathers were; in fact, they lived on what “ the old man ’ had toiled and slaved for. However, w’hen w’e reached the Waikato Hospital the two fault-finders at last saw something that earned their un-

stinted praise. They agreed that the j » urses were a splendid body of ‘Aomen who deserved higher wages. I nearly leaned over to pat them on the back—but thought better of it ! Behind me were two ladies, one of whom became lyrical in her praise of Hubby No. Two. “ Jim is much younger than I am, but, oh I he is corker ! ” burbled the lady. Her seat mate was a member of “ My Operation Biigade,” and we heard some of the inmost details of one of the most serious operations that “my doctor ” ever performed.. “ It’s a wonder I’m alive to-day,” said the lady in a tone of great self-satisfac-

tion. There were other odd scraps of information that floated past one’s ears, and altogether I was rather sorry (or was I ?) when Hamilton was reached. Thank you, Mr Driver ’