New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-11
PARIS THEATRE REFORMS.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH GUARDED
THE POOR TAX TO FALL ON THE
PUBIIC-PRESENT PRICES
OF TICKETS.
Paris, February -.


Project of Police has just put into force the new
municipal regulations to insure the safety and
health of the public at the theatres. The prln-
cpal Innovations consist of precautions against
fire Instantaneous telephone communication is
established between the theatres or concert
halls and the Fire Department. The detachnents
Of fremen on duty during the performances at
each place Of public amusement Will be assisted
by gangs Of machnsts familiar with the mech
anism Of the theatre. The passageways must
I've kept clear during the performance. and meas
ures are enforced 10 insure immediate and eff
factive separation OF the stage from the audi
forum by means IF the metallic curtain.
one article in the new regulations provides
that no one under any preteXt whatever shall
be allowed to interrupt the performance, or to
prevent what is presented on the stage from
being seen by persons seated in the places al
lotted to them" This clause has given rise to
considerable dis ussion, for it is construed as
authorizing the police to require that women
wearing very tall hats with feathers or bows, so
as to prevent spectators sitting behind them from
obtaining a clear view Of the stage, to remove
shem soon as the curtain rises Upon inquiry at
the Prefecture of Police it was learned that this
Interpretation # the municipal ordinance is cor
rect. and that in future any seated in a Paris
theatre who finds that the view of the stage is
INSTRUCTED by tail hats feathers OF those
seated in front Of him may, after the Verifica
ton of the fact by an employee of the theatre, re-
quest the wearer Of the Objectionable hat to take
it off. If the person refuses to comply with the
demand the services of the police may be in
voked forcbly to remove the obstruction" ON
the whole the Paris theatregoing public regards
this regulation satisfactory solution of the
women's theatrical hat question, which has
caused such animated discussions in almost
every city in the world
Another interesting feature of VI. Ltpines
ordinances, and which will be particularly
appreciated by American women, is that in
future the floors and seats of the theatres and
music halls must be thoroughly cleaned after
each performance This regulation is required
by the Paris Board of Health, which found that
the unceanliness Of the theatres engendered
profusion of microbes and the cause Of an
alarming spread Of tuberculous disease. The
medical service of the theatres has also under
gone radical Improvement. The physicians in
attendance during the performance must not be
health officers but doctors of medicine,
whose competency must be certified by the Pre-
lecture Of Police NJ. Lepine has organized
special service of inspection of theatres and
places of public amusement. and the new regu-
iations now thoroughly carried
The cost of these reforms, however. falls upon
the theatres themselves and at meeting of
the managers of all the Paris theatres, concert
halls and places of public entertainment it
decided that and after March / the
managers should have two ticket boxes. at one
of these tickets should be sold as at present,
and at the other the 10 per cent for the
benefit of the poor should be collected. The
managers find that they can no longer afford to
pay the tax Of 10 per cent the gross receipts
which the Government requires to be set aside
for the poor, and in order protect themselves
they have simply increased the price of theatre
tickets 10 per cent. The average price of
orchestra stall in a theatre of the boulevards
is from to II francs. After March l
the purchaser must first buy his ticket at one
booking office and, supposing the price paid is
seven francs, ne must pay 10 centimes at the
charity box for the Paris poor. For 10 franc
places-such, for instance the orchestra stalls
the Vaudeville Gyrnnase and Varieties-1
franc additional must be paid by the purchaser
for the poor tax.
This measure of the theatrical managers is
taken a protest against what they consider
to be the unfair burden of the poor tax, which
has since the year 1911 remained at present,
namely, 10 per cent the gross receipts. The
managers have appealed in vain to have the tax
reduced to 10 per cent the net receipts The
question has thus been put in a practical shape
before the Partisan public, and seems likely to
assume political and even religious dimensions.
The influence of the Catholic clergy is exerted
strongly in favor Of maintaining the present tax
the reason being that in the sixteenth century