The San Francisco call., 1897-03-16
THAT THEATER
HAT IS DOOMED
Supervisor Rottanzi Fathers
a Measure to Sup
press It.
Even Opera Bonnets Are Not
Exempt From the Opera.
tions Of the Order.
The Board Protests Against the
Department of Highway Bills
in the legislature.

Mourn, ye ladies who love to exhibit
your monstrous masterpieces OF the mil
liners art at the play. The die is cast,
the sentence passed. The theater hat is
doomed.
The stern gaze of Supervisor Rottanzi
was obstructed at the opera the other
night and his official wrath was reused.
Crane his neck as he might he could catch
but fleeing g!ancss st az Africaine" and be-
fore the curtain went down for the last
time he had determined on drastic meas
ures; he would abolish the towering head
gear so dear to the feminine heart.
Bright and early the next morning he
h led himself to man OF law, learned in
Blackstone. Cooley and other authorities
on the rights of man.
"Write me forthwith" he thundered,
"a lava law that will cr.r-r-ush the
theater hat by the very weight of its
learning and verbiage.
MAKE it broad. make it long. make it
far.reaching. and above all make the PEN
atty of violation heavy"
Then sat him down the man of brains
and evolved. Deep into books that reeked
of legal lore he delved, and for hours he
worked and Iabored.
The result came out at the Board of
Supervisors yesterday when the Super
visor from the Seventh Ward introduced
the following order:
Section l. No person shall wear any hat OF
bonnet or other head covering within any
Licensed theater in this City and County dur
Ing the time of performance in said theater or
during the rendition of any programme on the
stage or platform OF said theater; but every
such hat, bonnet or other head-covering shall
be removed from the head by the person wear
ing the same during the time of performance
In said theater or during the rendition of the
programme on the stage or platform OF said
theater; provided. however, that the above in
hlbition shall not be held to INCLUDE skullcaps,
lace coverings or other small or closely fitting
head dress or covering which does not inter
fere with or obstruct the view OF the stage or
platform OF such theater OF persons in the rear
OF snch wearerS while in such theater.
Sec. 2. No person, firm or corporation hav-
ing the lease. management or control of any
licensed theater shall permit any person dur
Ing the time of performance in such theater or
during the rendition OF any programme on the
stage or Platform of said theater 10 wear any
hat, bonnet or GOVERNS for the head contrary
to the provisions of section l of this order
Sec. 3. Any person who shall violate the
provisions OF section ct this order shall be
adjudged guilty of misdemeanor, and upon
conviction shall be punishable bv fine of
not less than So nor more than $50, or i'm
prisonment in the County Jail for not more
than one day, or by both such fine and i'm
prsonment.
Sec. 4. Any person who shall violate the
provisions of section of this order shall be
guilty of misdemeanor, and upon onvic-
ton shall be punishable bv fine OF not less
than $40 nor more than $25, or Imprisonment
in the County Jail for not less than two days
nor more than ten days, or by both such fine
and imprisonment
Sec. 5. Any person who violates the proyi-
sions of section of this order shall not be ar
rested by any police or peace officer during
the progress OF the performance or rendition
OF any programme upon the stage or platform
OF such thester, but such person shall be ar
rested at the conclusion of the performance or
rendition of the programme, provided, how
ever. that such person may be removed and
elected from the thea:er by the proprietor or
manager OF such theater.
Sec 6. This order shall take effect immedi-
ately upon passage.
Most of the Supervisors are married
men and some have grown-up daughters,
and they hesitated about voting on the
order.
Finally Supervisor Britt proposed that
it be referred to the Judiciary Com mittee,
and this course was taken despite the pro-
test of Supervisor Rottanzi.
Supervisor Britt introduced the follow
ing resolution:
WHEREAS, Assembly bills 1872 9o3, 9o4 and
9O5, creating State DEPARTMENT. OF Highways,
provide for State tax, about e-third OF
which is paid by the City and County of San
Francisco, and at the same time expressly ex-
clude Sen Francisco from the benef Is OF the
act; and whereas, the streets and roads of the
City and County of San Francisco do and will
require all of the money that can reasonably
be raised by taxation; therefore, be it
Resolved That.the San Francisco delegation
at the Legislature be requested to oppose the
adoption OF the bills unless the City and
County OF San Francisco receive direct bene-
fits proportional to the amount of her con tri-
button to the fund.
The measure was adopted unanimously,
its author remarking that the department
sought to be created might better be called
the Department of Highway Rob berry.
The board adopted resolution offered
by Supervisor Devany pledging the board
to open boulevard 100 feet de through
the Almshouse Tract so as to com plete the
boulevard for which Adolph Sutro and the
Spring Valley Railroad Company have
given land. The resolution also pledges
the board to authorize the Driving Associ-
alton to enter upon and open the thorough