Aprit 19.
DORA. seems to be more intelligently administered in this war than it was during the last, and one of the most striking ex-Jamples of that fact is the announcement by Mr. Herbert Morrison, Home Secretary, towards the end of February, that a regulation was to be made enabling licensing authorities to authorize the opening of music-halls and. theatres on Sundays. The statement was greeted with cheers in the House of Commons. Local authorities had already been equipped with powers to adopt a simplified procedure authorizing the Sunday opening of cinemas in areas where large numbers of troops are stationed, and a further proposition was under consideration for the extension of the same facilities to industrial areas where the workers have Uttle opportunity of amusement during the week. Now the theatre and the musie-hall are to be entitled to the same privilege as the cinemas and on apparent injustice has been removed. This vill not mean that actors and actresses will have to work seven days a week, but that some other day than Sunday will be chosen for their day of rest—possibly Monday, or Tuesday which are notorious in the theatre world as bad booking days.
There is one unfortunate feature of the scheme and that is that the discretion as to whether these places of entertainment shall be opened in certain districts is left to the Jocal authorities, presumably magistrates sitting in petty session. Those who have watched the vagaries of the great unpaid when dealing. with licensing matters will agree that this may prove to be unfortunate, for a great deal depends upon the personal attitude of these authorities towards such questions: as Sun-[day entertainment, which in some cases may deny people sadly in need on Sundays of that recreation which they are unable to ob-{tain on other days of the week. The operation of what is commonly termed the "non-[conformist conscience" is in some districts even now rather more powerful amongst justices of the peace than the expressed needs lof the people, and there are still magistrates! who are perfectly convinced that they know] the needs of the people better than do the people themselves.
The view of the Government appears to be that the Licensing authorities, on the representation of the local authority in places where the presence of troops, or changed industrial conditions create a special need, may issue] such licences permitting the opening of places of entertainment on Sundays, and the only) fly in the ointment may prove to be the idiosyncrasies of the local magistrates. Undoubtedly those who have for generations past been slowly Aghting a rearguard action against the secularization of the Sabbath will doubtless be opposed to this wartime measure. There is, however, much to be said in its favour, not the least of which is the fact that large numbers of men and industrial workers are working harder now than ever before. 'Their leisure is in consequence very considerably restricted, and it is only fitting that they should, if they want it, have access to the lighter side of life as a relief from the high tension under which so many of them' work for six days a week.
One thing which may serve to prevent un~ easiness on the part of church authorities is the statement by Mr. Morrison that no doubt the local authorities would keep in mind the necessity of seeing that such amusement} times on Sundays did not clash with the) morning church services. That is of course quite in keeping with the proper observance of the day, while in the case of music-halls and theatres their times are generally such as, not to conflict even with evening services, unless of course they are permitted to stage matinees. On the whole the Government appears to have approached a difficult subject with an open, liberal frame of mind. Doubtless there will be some heartburnings, but the fact is that Great Britain is at war, and the lives of her people have to be adapted to the changed conditions which have thus been brought about. It is more than likely that, when the war is brought to an end, the old customs with regard to public entertainment will again be revived, and it will be as well for those who feel any anxiety over the matter to remember that possibility. They can also at least work towards seeing that that shall become an accomplished fact,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.