New-York tribune., 1908-12-24
WAGE WAR ON SHOWS
MAYOR HEARS EVIDENCE.
CIerggmen Testify to EUl Effects
Of Some Moring Picture Places.

Before Mayor Mcclellan. as arbitrator clereyn1e"
and law and order people waged a hot batte yes
terday afternoon. ct the City Hall with the Dig an"
littse moving picture interests Mayor McC4eilah
called the hearing after visiting thirty moving
picture ehows and Inspecting both the pictures ana
the physical surroundings Of the playhouses.
what he discovered il IS said Will cause him 10
revoke the licenses of fifteen or twenty OF the
shows for o1e OF two reasons-either that the law
has been violated not providing necessary exits
CT that tie proprietors have run TO extremes III
exploiting indecent and suggestive piceures-
Bishop Courtney, the Rev Luke EVers' repre-
senring Archbishop Farley. and many clergyinen
and persons interested in Sabbath observance ana
rhe alfare OF the young testified, generally saying
that the shows were highly INJURIOUS 10 boys ana
sirls and that the licenses Of ali the places loi
SUNDAY pe-forua noes should be revoked
Frank Moss president Of the Society for the Pre-
>-entfo1 Of Crime had charge Of the arguments
agsinst the shows. while the picture men were
represented by Custavls A Rogers
Mr. Rogers charged th2t the clergymen were
practically trying indct Thomas A Edison who
lie said, one would care TO charge with immoral
tendencies. as Mr. Edison originated the him proc
ess for the moving pictures and made many OF 'ie
inns Al another point he said with great feTvor-
The President Of the United States. Theodore
Roosevelt. and the Fresident-eiect, William II
Taft, posed for moving pictures. with the Know
edge that those pictures would be commercially
used"
J. Stuart Blackton, vice-president Of the vita
sraph Conpany Of America, said that the film men
week and agreed il2t lIleS "'-iu 4'oN
make or import any suggestive picture INNS
Afavor Mcclellan in his personal investigation
discovered utter disregard Of the law or oe-
sency 10y some Of the show proprietors Win REL
erence providing exits according TO me r~egula ~
tons IN one instance exit led to swimming
pool IN another place one led 10 an air shaIt
with & drop OF forty feet. in another the ext
led 70 stairway With twenty-five steps leading 10
2 roof. In cne place tire window was too narIo"
Cor any squeeze through All liese paNe9'
N is SAID VII their licenses
The Mayor called first the Rev Dr. = N r oS-
ter chairman OF the iuterdenominatonal commit
tee Of clergy. who declared that the shows were d
general menace. is man at liberty 70 MAKE
money from the morals Of the people2 deTnahoed
DT Foster rs he 10 profit from corruption OF
the minds OF children? The man who prohis from
carh is doomed to double damnatlon sLoa,
indecent pictures is violation Of the statutes OF
the state an their removal from the city Is jus-
fed"
canon William sheafe Chase. Of Brooklyn. took
Jp the question from its legal aspect am Iot
opposed TO moving picture shows or theaues'
arn only opposed 10 bad moving picture shows ana
bad theatres he said. Your duty. Nj Mayor IS
defined in the law. which clearly forbds these
shows
David Dudley Field Malone urged the closing Of
the shows lie denounced the facilities for exit
He was followed by r FeIlowes jenkins, Of the
Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty 10 Chl4oTeh'
who said: The darkened rooms, combined Win
the influence Of pictures projected on the screens
Eeneracy-'
For the PEOPLES Institute Charles Sprague Smith
said that there should not be any abrupt measures
hut that there should be steps taken that would
lead ultimately proper regulation OF the SHOWS
We should at the present time try 10 limit ana
control those things which are much more rot'en
than the moving pictures" said Nj Smith and
q prolonged outburst Of applause was heard 1he
b5avor rapped for order. and said: IF there Is
any such demonstration repeated l viii have the
chamber cleared
M Moss called a number Of witnesses to bear
e,- the statements that the moral influence was
had Among them were Abraham hosenoeTs'
Charles W Arms Of the Harlem Law and Order
League and J r. Dixon
Bishop Greer was unable 10 be present, but ne
sent q letter. in which he said:
The CITY Of New York spending millions OF
collars every year in protecting and caring for us
children by taking them from degrading environ
rnents or removing them from improper gCaruldh-
shin and placing them in homes and pTotectoT!es
where th=v can be carefully trained and taught
i IS also spending millions OF dollars every year
upon public schools in recognition OF Ile IecI
that one Of the most important WoTks IN WflCh a
city can engage the safeguarding OF Its chdTeil
But aif this expenditure viii De 10 Htte or no puI
pose ii agencies arr sanctioned which tend 10 con-
talnina1e and corrupt the youth
Francis Y. s oliver. jr-. chief Of the Bureau Of