New-York tribune., 1900-05-06

Sponsible and malicious dramatists The mo-
tive of the act distinctly political 1t was
not designed d safeguard against the in
decency, immortality and licentiousness of the
stage
The functions of the Examiner of Plays have
not been altered by the Licensing act of 1913
which operates to bring into existence many
theatres the Lord Chamberlain is willing to
legalize. He is the censor of the stage but his
powers mainly discretionary and regu-
lated by precedent and custom rather than by
the letter of the Licensing acts. He is nominally
a member of the Queens Household, and prac-
tcally a subordinate of the Lord Chamberlain's S
office, and the successor of the Master of Revels
He receives a salary of about S1,6O0 under the
civil list, but his perquisites amount to much
more'than the stipend. He is allowed to charge
a guinea or two for every play read by him; and
so prolific is the production of dramatic litera-
ture that there are hardly hours enough in the
day, nor days enough in the year to enable him
to keep abreast with his work No play can be
produced in the United Kingdom until he has
read and licensed it; and for every drama that
is staged there hundreds, possibly thou
sands, which are officially read and sanctioned
When the office of Examiner of Plays was
vacant dozen more years ago there was
fierce competition over it, and swarm Of rival
candidates enlisted the support of social and lit
erary patrons. The prize fell to Mr.. George
Alexander ReGford a most amiable and accom-
plished gentleman who in the course of a brief
official term has acquired the unique distinction
of being the best read student of current dra
matte literature. He takes a conservative view
of his functions and exercises his vast dis
cretionary power with sound judgment and good
sense. He acts upon the principle that his office
is designed mainly a safeguard against stage
attacks upon the Crown and religion. and only
incidentally for the protection Of public morals.
Any play which satirizes ridicules members
of the royal family. ministers of the Crown or
the rulers Of foreign States is condemned out
right. All religions also protected with ieal-
with Mahomet as the chief character it was
cIuded by the censor on the ground that the
Queen, the ruler of millions of Mahometan
subjects, could not allow the founder of a
ligion to be impersonated on the stage. Passion
and mystery plays with Scrptural characters
and incidents are ruled out on similar grounds.
SAFEGUARDS FOR PUBLIC DECENCY.
That there are some safeguards for public
decency in the censorship cannot be denied, but
the protection offered for morality is Incidental.
The Examiner of Plays is at liberty to return
dramas with marginal notes suggesting altera-
tions and eXcisions. and he does this more fire.
quently than is generally known. In this way
he exercises restraint upon playwrights and
theatrical managers and excludes from the
stage glarng breaches of proprety He some
times rejects a play solely moral grounds,
but this is dangerous practice, for it enables
the author to publish and advertise it as u work
which has been officially pronounced immoral.
Nothing would be easier than for Mr.. RedfOrd
to discredit his functions by listening to the
OutcrieS # social refOruerS and cODduCting he
censorship the lines of the recent prurient
crusade against music halls. He is too wise and
sensible censor to do this, for he knows the
traditions of the Lord Chamberlain's office from
the time of the Restoration and the precise
conditions under which the Licensing act of 1887
rather than a safeguard against coarseness
and immortality.
There has been feeble attempt on the part Of
agitatOrs to induce the Lord Chamberlain's
office to interpOse restraints upon the production
of "Zaza' at the Garrick Theatre and it has
helped to advertise the play. The Examiner of
Plays licensed it after reading it, as he was
bound to do after sanctioning The Degener-
ates,' The Gay Lord Quex" and Nurse"
series of Ibsenie dramas, and hundreds of other
plays which are open to criticism points of
delicacy and morality. He present on the
opening night and probably noticed that sew
eral points had been broadened by the bypIay.
largement of the text was equally conspicuous