Sunday Concerts.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 12818, 28 March 1905, Page 6

Sunday Concerts.

oJIULJjD TJtl'Ei' BE PIiBiMITTED i 1 DISCUSS-ED BY BOROU'OH COUNCIL tSxmday concerts formed a topic iW consideration at Monday iiig]it',s mecLing of the New Plymouth Jioi'oiigW Council. The Cooper BiograpU Company applied for a permit to give v sacred concert (biograph pictiucs and sacred soiigs) in New Plymouth on ] April 9th, and the proprietor ox picas- ' ed his willingness to donate half the proceeds to the Mospital Sunds. The Mayor rejoiarked that the company's representative had approached him, but lie had advised writing to ihe Council- pn the in;atter. The proprietot was capturing- half tihe proceeds and donating tho other half to Ihe hospital. Cr. Collis contended that to grant the request was contrary to the bor- ! I oug-h by-laws, wherein concerts of a I sacred character and for charitablo purposes only were sanctioned on Sundays. ) The Town Clerk said siicb. prohibition \\)as put on Sunday concerts only by resolution of the Council. Cr. Ahier moved that the application be granted. . Cr. Fraser seconded. Cr. Collis objected to travelling showmen working- seven days in the J week. Tradesmen may as well keep j open; Cr. Eraser's fir;m, for instance. \ Cr. Fraser : We don't pay half our : revenue to the hospital. ! Cr. Ahier : "What difterence is therel between a church, and sacred concert . in respect to Sundays? j Cr. Collis : The sh,ow proprietor is I making half Hie proceeds for himself . j Cr. Ahier : Are not the churches making money? ; Cr. Fraser : Is the word "sacred" ] defined? A man's duty to his family is sacred. . " ; The Town Clerk replied that no do- ' finition of "sacred" was given in the resolution. | Cr. Fraser then argued that the 1 ; concert had its charitable end hi the j proprietor offering half the proceeds ' to the hospital, while a mail's duty in j supporting his own family was one of the most sacred. Therefore no difficulty should be experienced in consenting to the request* . Cr. Browne approved the motion. Cr. [Wilson objected. He pointed out that some time ago the matter of pertmittimg- Sunday concerts developed into a public scandal and led to Councils throughout te colony taking mea- j sured to .put dowln the growing evil. | The local Council took part in tho j move for the suppression of Sunday concerts. In regard to the applica-. tion before the Council, they had no guarantee that the items submitted as part of the programjme would not be substituted by others. The Council would have no power to interfere. The j company was a travelling one, the country districts were worked during the week, and on Sxinday, when there would not be large patronage in the country, the company Made a raid on New Plymouth and offered for tho privilege to contribute half the proceeds to the hospital funds. He hoped lie was not a bigot but objected to sanctioning anything employing labour on Sunday, or tending in that direction. Atny application like the present for permission to continue a mian's ordinary avocation on Sunday would be opposed by him. Cr. Clfff failed Ui see tho force of Hiq ! objections to the application, even j though the proprietor took half of the ! proceeds. .V minister was paid ior his services ozi Sunday and so was the church organist, and why coulcj not the applicant carry out his avoca 1 tion on Sundays as \v6ll as. mmislers and organists? Cr. Collis maintained that the previous resolution would require to bo rescinded and notice of motion giwn to make the motion formal and binding.* He agreed with the remarks of Cr. Wilson. At these sacred concerts comic songs and such like were given^ sacred itegns generally being forgotten. The conipany worked six days in the week, and they should not work nor make others work on the seventh day. (He had no objection to Sunday concerts or music of any sort on Sunday, but h« was not in favour of companies coming hero under lh.« cloak of charity to work on Sunday. Thc{May;or said tho concert was for a charitable purpose, and he therefore ! ruled that tho root km was in order. He had not previously heard tliu complaint that coim'ic songs were sung; he had never attended such, entertainments. Cr. Collis : Neither have I. ,Cr. Ahier : Then hew do you know? Continuing, *tho Mayor reitorated that lie Had never before heard the complaint about o<piic songs; it had never been placed before the Council. Cr. Wood pointed out that the resolution referred to had been supported by every member of the Council, and it was owing to a scandal whicli arose that the resolution was passed. Ho would always oppose Sunday concerts miloss they wore conducted in accord* ance with the letter of the resolution. On the miotion, approving the rc.'tlucst, being put to the Council, it was supported by Crs. Aliicr, Browno, Fra>;er, and CliifT, and opposed by Crs. Wilson. Collis. Wood, and Medley. The Mayor gave his vote in favour of the motion, which was therefore declared carried. Cr. Collis : That is contrary to all precedent; the rhairmian's caslingf voto :^ generally p-ivon in favour of a con!nuance of the existSng stnto • hings. -■■" i."-. j^.rj-1-j - . i

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