The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-04-20
MOVING PICTURE
SHOWMEN WILL
FIGHT NEW LAW
Managers Throughout State Are
Organizing for Test
Case.
CHILDREN ARE BARRED
FROM THEATRES AND HALLS
Local PlayhOuses Will Enforce
New RegulatiOn-Some
Favor 1t.

The majority of the theatre and NOV
ing picture show managers of New Jer-
sey are organizing with a view of fight
ing the new law prohibiting children
under sixteen years of age from at
tending theatres or concert halls unless
accompanied by parents or guardians,
n in the near future when the ANAL
gamation is perfected a test case will
be made, possibly in this city, it
will be fought to a finish.
Charles Mccall, director of the de-
partment of compulsory education of
the Board of Education, this afternoon
has men stationed at all the theatres at
matinees to catch %truallts, but at night
it's up pto the police.
In the mean time the managers of all
the local playhouses have taken steps
to have the law enforced until such
times as the managers association is
ready for the test. The organization
has been going OF for some time, and
the utmost secrecy has been maintained,
the men interested not wanting the
matter to become public until such time
as they are ready to make a stand.
1t is said that there are officers elected
to this new organization, which is prac-
tically an offshoot of the managers as
ISOLATION, and hat there are thousands
of dollars already pledged and coun-
sci obtained in each city.
some Favor New Law.
At Waldmann's Theatre Manager
Ottolengui declared that he was heart
lily in favor of the law, and would not
go into any combine to fight it.
at 4LffIx ~ fG n oan1 laN - hn cold
but it will be pretty hard 10 enforce
it in some houses, because it will be
almost impossible to tell when a boy
is big for his g whether he is IL
or IT,"
Manager Allies, of Blaney's Theatre,
declared hat the law was altogether
too drastic. II that it would be en-
forced. He has signs at all the en-
frances calling attention to the law.
81 think that it is up to the police to
help us enforce this lax" he said, land
I will call on the chief of police to ask
him to detail a man for upstairs and
down, to aid my men,
Manager Robbins. of the Newark
Theatre, sald that the law as to plan
and scope was good and would be en-
forced in his mouse, but pointed out that
it would be hard on the youngsters
when such shows as the TOP % the
World" which is coming next week, is
produced. it being essentially a chill
dren's play.
1t is expected that the law will, if il
remains in its present form, put hun
dreds of moving picture shows out OF
business ali over the State, and the men
in this line are the principal ones to
kick.
Assemblyman Rudolph Braun, who
is counsel for the Moving Picture
Mems Association. some time ago said
that the organization vas in favor of
the bill, but it is said that the ma
jority, when they saw h effect of the
law, decided no to stand by the de-
cision OF the parent body.
The law provides that children under
16 years of age should not enter a con-
cert hall unless accompanied by parent
or guardian, but in h theatres the
scope of the restrictions are widened,
and it reads parents, guardians or
adult friends who have the consent of
the parents"
1t is on this point that trouble is ex-
pected. as in New York, where the law
has been in force for years, it was
found that children would accost
grown-ups in the street and give them
money for their ticket, entering with
them.