524 PROCEEDIXGS OP SECTION H. 



moment there is not a single London Theatre which structurally 

 can be considered perfect, which obeys the prescribed regulations, 

 and which maintains all its appliances and arrangements in 

 thorough working order and I'epair. In Sydney a gross structural 

 defect in the proscenium party-wall, which, with but one exception, 

 is unprovided with an iron fire-proof curtain — and in that solitary 

 case is practically valueless — which contains openings, some of 

 them without doors, leading to various parts of the house, and 

 which generally is of the ordinary stud and board, or canvas con- 

 struction. The experience derived from the study of theatre-con 

 flagration has been to shew that no matter how well organised, human 

 agency cannot implicitly be depended on. The London Alhambra 

 was lost by the fireman attending a supper given by the players 

 after the performance was over. At the Paris Opera Comique, on 

 the memorable night in question, the iron drop curtain was never 

 lower-ed, and though there were certainly water-pipes in the 

 building, not a drop of water was directed on the flames till half 

 an hour after the alarm. Such examples are numei'ous. For the 

 prevention of tire we must look round for some apparatus that is 

 independent of human assistance, that will always be ready, will 

 never sleep, and will invariably act when required — among the 

 nearest approaches to pref ection might be mentioned the inventions 

 patented by Carson and Sinclair. In addition, uninflammability 

 should be the order of the day for all decorative work, both in 

 front and behind the scenes. 



In connection with tire and panics, it may not be out of place 

 to note what was contemplated in the new Flemish Theatre at 

 Brussels, now I believe completed. Here there is a system of 

 external balconies or outer galleries corresponding to those in the 

 interior of the building with which they communicate by no fewer 

 than a hundred different doors, twenty-tive to each tier. These 

 balconies are further connected with each other by iron stairs of 

 good width and easy descent, and the lowest of tlie four is 

 capacious enough to give standing I'oom to the entire audience. 



A fire at a theatre, under certain circumstances, does not 

 necessarily mean such pecuniary loss to the management as might 

 be supposed, for it would appear to follow from the decision in 

 Taylor v. Caldwell, that if a manager engaged performers to play 

 at a particular theatre, and it was burnt down, the manager would 

 not be held liable to the performers for salaries. Again, in Scott 

 V. Howard, the decision was of similar import. 



Legislation is essential in order to ensure eftective arrangements 

 for the control and management of theatres. In a certain sense 

 it is true that theatres, public exhibitions, &c., in Sydney are 

 licensed, the method of procedure being as follows : — AVhen 

 applications are made they are usually referred in tlie first 

 instance to the police to see -if there is any police objection to 

 the applicant, or to the locality ; then, they are referred to the 



