The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-04-11
WHY IS AN OPERA HOUSE?


sand dollars in an opera house. It
was stated then, and stated truly,
that the excuse for the investment
and consequent outlay Of money,
was the fact that there was no suit
able hall in the city for the accom-.
mediation Of visitors to the city when
public meetings Of any kind were to
be held. The people Of tho city
have not regretted the expenditure
and have been proud Of the building
which the city erected.
But it appears that the present
city council, or = preceding one, has
entirely misconceived the purposes
of this building. Instead Of keeping
the building for the. purposes for
which it was erected the council has
seen fit to lease the building to out
siders for a mere pittance, with the
consequent result that the people of
the city no longer have any property
rights in their own building.
We have no quarrel with the pre-
sent lessees of the opera house.
They are gentlemen and business
men Of good standing, and no doubt
they are meeting the obligations of
their contract with the city. But
the opera house was not built for
and was never intended as moving
picture stand, and it should not be
used as such. There are other places
in the city which may be rented for
this purpose, and suitable buildings
for moving picture theatres may be
erected as is done in other towns.
But we built the opera house for
our own uses and for the accommo-
dation Of the guests of the city
when it was needed for that purpose.
And we never had more occasion to
use our own building than last week
when the school children of the
county were here for the annual
Field Day contests. Many people
from the country, in addition to :he
school children, came here to attend
the exercises. They were interested
in their own children, and in their
neighbors children, and in the work
of the schools. It seems to US that
if there was ever a time when the
city might have used this building
for the profit and pleasure Of the
people who paid for it, then was the
time. It will perhaps be surprising
to the people of the city to know
that although the building was not
in use on Friday afternoon the pre-.
sent lessees Of the building demand.
ed an extravagant sum for the use
of the city's Building by the people
of the city.
We presume that the lessees Of
the building stood on their legal
rights, and that they have contract
which entities them to make a charge
of this kind. But what do the .peo.
pie Of Abbeville think Of their rep
resentatives in the city council fol
making q contract of this kind!
And what have the people Of the
county the right to think Of the .peo
pie Of the city when they come here
on an occasion like the one in ques
ton and when they find no more
accommodation and concern on thu
part Of the people of the city thar
was shown on this occasion?
We do not counsel the breaking o.
any contract deliberately made, nj
matter how CALLING its provisions
but we contend on the part of ,th'
people who pay the. taxes in thi
city that the present lease of th'
opera house is an indefensible. I
shows a failure of proper manage
ment, and want of appreciation O.
the purposes for which we erected
the building. The opera hous
should not be leased to private par
ties at all. We have had PRACTICAL.
no shows in the opera house in sew
eral years. The sole use of tn
building is for moving pictures. TIL
city would profit great deal NOR
to turn the building over to a com
mittee of public spirited citizens o
the town who would be willing t.
use it for the benefit of the childrel
of the city. The shows which MI
Pratt has been giving in the cour
house might be given in the oper
house. They are not intended t.
make money. Enough could b
charged to pay the expenses. of op
Grating the building. The people o
the city would learn: something from
pictures of this kind. The oper