REVELRY BY NIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1924, Page 5

REVELRY BY NIGHT.

SYDNEY ARTISTS’ BALL. WILD SCENES IN BASEMENT. “DRUNKEN DEBAUCHERY.” By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Sept. 2, 10.55 p.m. Sydney, Sept. 2. For the second year in succession the Sydney artists’ ball provided the press and the public with a subject of criticism and controversy. The ball was held in the Town Hall. At the main function upstairs everything was orderly and pleasant, but the basement was devoted to refreshments. What is described as a hooligan element took charge and, according to press reports, turned the function into a drunken debauchery.

The police were called in by the artists’ executive in the early hours of the morning, and with difficulty cleared the basement of hundreds of revellers. There were severe! free fights in which a number of persons were more or less injured. Whiskey and beer bottles were recklessly flung around by drunken “rowdies” of both sexes.

According to published reports many unauthorised persons gained admittance by securing ladders and climbing through the windows, while unlimited quantities of liquor were smuggled in. Four arrests were made for drunkenness and two for being present with intent to steal.

SENSATIONAL REPORT. The controversy is now running high, the artists’ executive disclaiming responsibility for the understairs proceedings,*- which they charge against the Town Hall authorities and the police for not providing a sufficient force ot attendants. The police have prepared a report, which is of such a sensational character that its publication has been made a matter of Cabinet consideration. It is understood that the police report covers cases of alleged gross misbehaviour, and that the whole trouble was not caused by those who secured unauthorised admission. After Cabinet consideration this afternoon the Chief Secretary said that if things at the ball were as bad as the report made out, the credit of Sydney would be at stake, and there must be a clean!ng-up. The question as to whether the police report will be published remains in the hands of the Chief Secretary, who Is consulting the Crown Law Department as to whether there are grounds for prosecution in connection with the supply of liquor. The two arrests on charges of intent to steal were discharged, the magistrate considering that they were entitled to the benefit of the doubt. Press reports state that numbers of women and men had to be carried out of the basement helplessly drunk. The Sydney Assembly, on a motion for the adjournment, discussed the artists’ ball Members strongly condemned the alleged disgraceful proceedings and demanded fullest enquiry, especially regarding the supply of liquor.