The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-03-16
OUR TIREsoME PROGRAMS.
BY Joe e. Hereford.

1t may be safely said that practic-
ally all programs prepared by our peo-
pie for public entertainment are twice
as long as they ought to be. Our
program makers apparently proceed
upon the theory that the day Of the
intended event is to be the last be.
fore Judgment and there will be no
subsequent opportunity to display the
great array of brilliant talent.
1t is seldom that one has the pleas
ure of listening to bright, well bal
anced programs of decent length.
If the program is really planned to
be shorter than ordinary the master
of ceremonies usually thwarts this
plan either by taking up an equal
amount of time through his own bril-
liant effusions or by noting the pres
ence" of some shining light in the
audience and inviting him forward ito
say a few words'-anything to break
the otherwise enjoyment of the occa-
sion and prolong the period of endur-
ance.
1t is getting to be quite a custom
nowadays to have each person on
the program to be ready with an en-
core of a length equal to the number
set down on the card and to render
this encore upon the slightest provo
cation. There is no longer any differ
ence between applause and an en-
core, that is,our prog ram makers
think there isn't. This makes a pro-
gram of twelve numbers-which is
much too long already-consist of an
endurance test of twenty-four num-
bers, which is a direful infliction.
After the war we shall have a law
regulating masters of ceremonies. No
program is ever complete without the
absolute necessity of someone inject
ing himself for the purpose of making
some important announcements. AL
though the announcer promises at the
beginning that he will only occupy a
minute, he is only joking, and pro-
SSCuo Ou6h inc IIdAC VI AluCn I'll
cumlocution and verbal perambula,
ton to take up twenty minutes, much
to the impatient ~uneasiness of those
who ought to have been home an hour
ago. The is a great evil
and ought to remember the advertis
ing columns of the Sun more than he
does. If he insists upon existing, he
ought to be made to take out auc
tioneer's license.
The average church service is opel
to the same criticism. 1t begins but
does not end. 1t just breaks up. II
a visiting preacher occupies the pull,
pit and renders the sermon it is usu.
ally too long in the first place and is
entirely spoiled by an "after-talk'
which he usually asks to be permitted
to make and for which he ought to
be heavily fined.
Here the unlicensed announcer
again makes his appearance and fin
ishes the wearing-out process upon
the congregation. Perhaps some pro.
moter is present in the congregation
uneaslly awaiting his turn to occupy
a minute" and by the time he gets
through, a great part of the congre
| cation has slipped out not to return
for a long time. That is why sc
many people lose interest in church
going, and they are reall ynot to be
blamed. They depart from the meet
ing without any spiritual benefit anC
without any higher respect for relig
ious service.
The undeniable fact that these evill
are never seen except at gatherings
of colored people indicates that the!
are purely racial and that we are jus
that far behind the times. 1t alsC
shows that we are deficient in the
psychological laws of intellectual ant
spiritual pleasure and that eterna
fitness is out of our line of thinking.