The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-06-07
USE OF CIGARETTES
ON STAGE STARTS
VIGOROUS PROTEST
HUMANE COMMISSION IN NASH
VILE SAYS ARRESTS WILL
FOLLOW ATTEMPT.
At PRESENTATION OF KIRMESS

Plain Statute Is Cited With Notice
That An Effort Will Be Made Il
Enforce II and Promoters Proclaim
Intention of Violating Law.
NASHVILLE, June 5.-Firm II
their determination to suppress the
open violation of the state law which
is planned in connection with the
"Kirmess," which will be presented
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the
vendome Theatre, by the use Of CT
garettes on the stage and the gift or
sale Of cigarettes in the audience, OF
under the auspices of the manage
ment, the Humane Commission will
have any one arrested and prosecuted
wro attempts to carry out this fea-
ture OF the big social event.
In view of the fact that the gift
and smoking of cigarettes on the
stage is considered very bad exam
Die for the hundred children who will
participate in the "Kirmess," the
commission has seen fit to take a
strong stand in the matter. Many OF
the young society girls who will take
part in the Carmen" scene, where
the use of cigarettes is one OF the fea-
lures planned, are under age, and the
commission is determined to elimi-
nate this bad moral
1t was argued by one of the officers
of the commission, who has seen the
opera Carmen" a number of times,
that while Carmen was a cigarette
girl and sold cigarettes, he had never
witnessed a production where the wo-
man playing the role smoked. Con-
timing, he declared, that the propos
ed introduction of cigarette smoking
at the Vendome Thursday was but an
cratic notion of few men in charge.
A number of the Nashville matrons
interested in the production are also
opposed to the use of cigarettes dur.
ing the performance and will use
their influence in assisting the COM
mission officers to carry their point.
Several members of the humane
commission are also members of the
advisory committee of the Nashville
Art Association, under whose aus
pieces the entertainment is to be Civ.
EN-, and at the request of the "Kir-
mess" management they secured
from the mayor the privilege Of CIV
ing a paradee under police protection,
and during the several performances.
They also interviewed Chief Rozetta,
who promised to give adequate fire
protection.
In spite of these courtesies, said
one of the officers of the humane
commission, Tuesday, the travelling
director and assistants, who have pre-
pared the amateurs in the various
cites for the presentation of the
"Kirmess" stubbornly persist in their
plans TO carry out the cigarette fea-
tuTe of the program. They do this
in the teeth of the law and in defiance
of the mothers, whose children are to |
take part in the performance, he said.
These men make it their business to |
travel over the country and they have
no regard for the law nor for the NOR
ais CT the people. They only care
for the money they are to take away
from the city," he said, "but we are
going to take care of the children"
During the past six months the use
of cigarettes by minors in this city
has shown marked decrease through
the efforts of the humane commits
sion. The majority of the dealers In |
cigarettes and tobaccos in Nashville
have co-operated with the commits
sion in preventing the use of cigar
ettes by minors. Since its organiza-
ton the commission has been vry &C.
tive and its efforts have proven to be
very successful In the moral, mental
anG physical protection of the chill
dTep Of the city. fr
The Law.
Be II enacted by the general assem-
bly, of the state Of Tennessee, that it
shall be a misdemeanor for any per-
son, firm or corporation to sell, offer
to sell or bring into the state for the
purpose of selling giving away, or
otherwise disposing Of, any cigar
ettes, cigarette paper or substitute
for the same: and a violation of any
of the provisions of this act shall be
a misdemeanor, punishable by fine
of not less than fifty dollars. Acts
1901, chapter Sc. /
Manager Linwood.
Cigarettes are to be smoked on
the stage by the ladies and gentle
men in the production of "Kirmess,"