CHRONICLE. 



349 



be satisfied without the distnissa] 

 of Brandon, who had displayed a 

 zeal and activity (and it must 

 be owned, not without maligni- 

 ty) in the cause of his employers, 

 which was not to be forgiven. — 

 This demand was also complied 

 with, but a supplicatory letter from 

 Brandon procured his reinstatement 

 in office, and the customary routine 

 is restored. 



We cannot dismiss this subject 

 without a few observations. No- 

 thing, as it appears to us, can be 

 more unfounded, than the vulgar 

 and senseless clamour against the 

 trifling advance in the prices of 

 admission to the theatre. The first 

 feeling would naturally be, its be- 

 ing an innovation — contrary to 

 custom ; and whatever is contrary 

 to custom, is likely to encounter 

 popular resistance. But the ques- 

 tion is, whether the advance be 

 reasonable? It should be observ- 

 ed, that the prices have remained 

 unvaried during nearly twenty 

 years, within which period, it must 

 be allowed, that expences of al- 

 most all descriptions have been 

 more than doubled ; and the sala- 

 ries, in particular, of all perform- 

 ers, have been raised four-fold. — 

 Mr. Kemble stated (and doubtless 

 with perfect truth) " that the price 

 of the pit, in the reign of queen 

 Anne, was three shillings ; the gal- 

 leries, a hundred years ago, the 

 same as thev are at present. One 

 hundred andi fifty thousand pounds 

 (says he) have been already ex- 

 pended to make this the first thea- 

 tre in Europe. Tiie proprietors 

 have still to furnish a wardrobe, 

 scenery, and other most expensive 

 decorations, necessary to the get- 

 ling up (as we phrase it) of our 

 dramatic representations, all of 



which have increased double, tre- 

 ble, quadruple, and more within 

 the last five years." These cir- 

 cumstances afford a strong pre- 

 sumption in favour of the propri- 

 etors ; and if we credited the report 

 of the committee, this presumption 

 would be converted into a firm 

 conviction. But, it must be ac- 

 knowledged to be scarcely con- 

 ceivable, that the committee, how- 

 ever dexterous in business, could 

 have obtained, in two or three days 

 a competent knowledge of the ac- 

 counts of many years. 



But admitting that the proprie- 

 tors made eleven or twelve per cent 

 on their capital — that is, six or se- 

 ven per cent in addition to the le- 

 gal interest; — what just ground of 

 complaint would be furnished the 

 public even by this rate of profit ? 

 The average profits on capital are 

 from 12 to 15 per cent, and the 

 proprietors can be considered only 

 as a company of traders, who have 

 embarked a quantity of capital in a 

 given concern. They have, there- 

 fore, a right to expect a reasonable 

 profit, that is, a profit which is al- 

 lowed to be the average profit on 

 capital. But who are to be the 

 judges of this reasonable gain ? 

 Undoubtedly the proprietors them- 

 selves, as in all other instances of 

 the investment of capital. They 

 alone can be the best judges at 

 what rate they can afford to ac- 

 commodate the public. If the pub- 

 lic suspected imposition, and their 

 suspicions were not shown to be 

 groundless, they might conspire to 

 stay away from the theatre, and 

 the evil would speedily cure itself. 

 The idea of extortion is absurd, as 

 plays, though delightful and hu- 

 manizing amusements, are not ne- 

 cessaries of life. The least defen- 

 sible 



