The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-04-28

News Articles and items re-
quested.
ITLiE cAE AIs TIIEATRE.

Nearly all slty boy and lrls are a u 9.
the h habit ot gollng 81 me theatre.
When me olly q provided were
either szpeElsIS Y OF t g sung q
children the lumber q poys lld l1fi
Idn tendance was a p NOT Sc e ; iarg ss 20
saro'ise any spes sion 81 q
alarm Bat win ttie advent e q aye 4 e;
and te ii cen Fa lls rmanees
tbs number al q began 70 increase Nov
it1hat t1s moving .1 lcture show a its be'
come col e. universally esta pllshed, IT y R
parent pa l that shoR-going has become 9
liked habit 80 Widespread as 70 cause Us /
serious conseque Aces.
A few facts gained form the Boston
schools and social settlements may pe
given 70 prove the existence q this ti
thabit n one sett ement, surrounded,
chiefly by Jewish families, Two NM ls
dred and one children were question
ed. ninety-tarse boys and one hundred.
and eight girls, Only two OF the boys
and seven otthe girls said that they
never attended the theatre. seventy
Eeight boys a ~ eignt t girls gs admitted
going 70 some show 1 , as otter % once
9 week N i another settlement, among INC.
a different class o. people, one3enird
of the boys and girls 4 questioned 3S al
mitted that that y Z. went once week q
oftener 10 Sne e. q the la e seaooass
E2S5 boys between Ten ,.; ana toaFteea
years OF age admitted gong g. g Il tn le
theatre occasionally, , ana siAxty:nye as
often as twice week etel IN IN anotaer
school IA girls Or 19 per cent ,' q tae
whole number IN the school, stated
that they went to the theatre once q
week or oftener'
Summarized, these facts would
seem to indicate that IN Boston nearly neg I'
all the children go to the theatre more y
or less, and that not less than 10 per
cent OF them go as often as once q
week.
This situation demands attention
because Of the serious physical effects
upon many Of these children. the
most manifest effects are Guinness and.
llstlessness even slesp during
school hours and the oyerstraining o.
the nervous system which and ermines
the capacity for Lsubse aIlent p pnyslcal
endurance still more serious are the
effects on the moral and spiritual ma.
ture resulting from the constant VII;
nessingpof seenes and actions which
PaEouse either immoral On unworthy
ideals 'is2li so z, ~ 4 \; a
Wtth reference 70 the p lt csl et 4
fects It maybe Said that no child, Is y
benefited by frequent attendance at
any form oflpubltc entertalnme n9
matter what the character OF the en-.
tertainment may be. Children 1lt need
sleep, and an evening entertainment
always breaks into the normal pro.
gramme OF the night. The early toI
bed idea has not by any means peen
outgrown, The healthy child should
get all the stimulus It needs during
the daylight hours. Any child whose
home is destitute OF the quiet and
peace needed for rest at night IS a
victim Of serious injustice TO Its ply;
steal nature. This situation cannot
be bettered BY sending such q child
to the theatre The late hours q the
city show are altogether destructive
Of normal rest. Every school teacher
can bear witness to the de lpI7lF
caused by evening entertainments
The ocalists also have a word 70 say
about the effect Of the moving picture
show upon me eyes. The writer pas
no expert knowledge upon this matter,
but it would seem reasonable to sup,
pose that the artificial light and the
constant aicEBering. even IN the best q
the pictures must be wearing IN time
even upon strong eyes,