“The Disobliging Public” from the 1887 “Fun”

The Disobliging Public

James Frank Sullivan (1853-1936)

Fun (2 November 1887): 186

“[At the licensing meeting of the Middlesex magistrates, Mr. Dixon-Hartland suggested that the magistrates should neither grant nor renew licenses to music halls until they were satisfied of their structural soundness and the sufficiency of their exits. The chairman suggested that this motion was impracticable, as it would render the renewal of licenses impossible for at least a year; and the motion was withdrawn.]” — continued below.

A Most Effectual Scheme

Public health and safety (sitemap)

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There had been some little attempt to save the public from being burned alive. Miss Common Humaneness had made her little appeal to the Music Hall manager, and been bowed out.

The the Manager had consulted his usual adviser — Mr. Self-Interest, an unpleasant, dirty, sordid practitioner — and had decided to leave the Fire-Trap Music Hall fire-trappy, and save his pocket.

So the Middlesex magistrates had to take it up — on behalf of the Manager’s pocket, of course. “Look here, Mr. Public,” said they, “as we consider the Manager’s gains of more consequence than your life, we do trust you will frequent his establishment for a year at the risk of being roasted, in order to save him from loss.” And what do you think that degraded Public said? It actually said, “I’ll see you and the Manager hanged first!”

Last modified 1 February 2016