The Star. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1905. A MUNICIPAL THEATRE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8377, 25 July 1905, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1905. A MUNICIPAL THEATRE.

The Mayor's recent remarks regards ing the need for a new theatre in< Christchurch will be endorsed by tfoea* tre-goers and the general public alike* The present building is quite inadequate for the theatrical requirements o£ the city. It is too small "in front,'* -while its stage aocommodation is ill adapted 1 for mounting plays re-, quiring a comprehensive display? of scenery. It compares very badly indeed with the theatres in the other can* ' tres of the colony, and is inferior td those of -even smaller towns like W«nganui and Palmerston North. As al playhouse in the sanse tihat the word! is used in England, and even in Australia, it is simply an interesting reEot of bygone days. It has served its pup» pose, and a very excellent purpose, too. But it was out of date nearly twenty years ago, and no amount of patohing and tinkering will convert it into a »• alljy "up-to-date" place of entertain* ment. There is, in fact, only one thing to be done with the present building, and that is to replace it with another* Occasionally rumours are current that the owners contemplate taking iMa step. Up to the present, however, no* thing has been done. We hope tfc<| -proprietor will accept the Mayor's statement aa a warning that they musti not delay any longer. His Worship; intimates that he doe§ not iofcend td take action now, but he will be glsud td ha-ve an assurance from the proprietors that they intend to rebuild, or fhatt they are willing to sell the site of the present building to the Council. The hint is a timely one. If the owners of the theatre are wise they will take it, and forthwith begin to demolish ths present edifice. If they ignore it, then we hop© that the Mayor will move in the direction of establishing a municipal theatre. We notice that thel Mayor's statement has aroused tha capitalistic organs, who, as usual, are: exclaiming against what they*^|»T>lea». Ed to term interference with private enterprise. They conveniently ignore 13m fact that private enterprise has been allowed free play in Christohuroh foaf fifty years, and that as a result tha city possesses probably the worst theatre in New Zealand. They ignore, also, the equally plain fact that the proprie. tors of the present theatre have been warned over and over again that the: publio will not tolerate the building! much longer. If the proprietors neglepb this latest warning, i£ will be their own fault if they find themselves confronted* with overwhelming opposition in the shape of a modern municipal opera! house.