Sunday Cinemas The Entertainmen ts Committee of the London County
Council must have forgotten the Churches when it proposed that cinemas should open on Sundays at 3.30 instead of 6 p.m., in consideration of an extra L50;000 from the trade. It will not forget them again, now that it has had to withdraw its proposal in deference to their united and vigorous protests. It is unlikely that the House of Commons would ever have agreed to Sunday opening if there had been any suggestion that the present hours would be extended. In any case, the Committee's scheme had too much the appearance of a hard bargain for cash down. The trade has doubtless become. accus- tomed to pay 10 per cent. of its takings to charities for the privilege of opening on Sunday evenings. But such an arrangement can hardly be defended on principle, and it would have been a blunder to extend .it. Sunday opening should be permitted or forbidden on grounds of public policy. No bribe, in the name of charity, should be allowed to affect the decision of the local authority.
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