The latest arts venture to come to a point at
which it will, apparently, be impossible to continue without the aid of government grant is the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. It is revealed to be thousands of pounds in debt, to have "no hope of making a profit" and would, if any ordinary commercial enterprise, simply go out of business. The company secretary avers that he "cannot see the British people allowing this to happen." The British people will have, in fact, no choice one way or the other in the matter but will simply be set to foot the bill if the Government and the Arts Council should so decide. There are areas in which subsidisation of the arts is desirable, and we wish no ill to the D'Oyly Carte, but it seems worth pointing out that the company's troubles — and those of most other theatrical and operatic companies seeking state support — are due to their singular failure to adjust their prices to their costs. The price of theatre seats has risen barely five times in 100 years; to bring them to the general level of a century's inflation would hardly be possible, at this late stage and in one leap. We are nonetheless disposed to wonder whether the discrepancy would have been so striking if the state purse had not been so freely open to the artistic community of recent years.
Lobby Lyrics 4
'Augustus Bird, MP for Wye, ; ; Could never catch the Speaker's eye. He came, each morning, sure as fate, No matter what the day's debate, With copious notes, designed to woo The other members to his view. Each evening, he returned to bed, , His name uncalled, his speech unread. And this went on for years, until The House was dealing with a Bill, So dull that nearly all but he Had left the chamber for their tea. Augustus rose and when he heard The Speaker murmur, "Mr Bird," So overwhelming was his pride, He thereupon collapsed and died. The Speaker, weeping for the dead, Called Mr Oswald Snitch instead.
Ogilvy Lane
Previous page
