New-York tribune., 1911-11-16
PICTURE SHOWS MENACE
Great Moral Danger to Children
in Large Cities, Report Shows.
700 RESORTS IN NEW YORK
Court Records Tell Terrible Tale
of Ruined Maidenhood and
Blighted Lives.


Auburn y. Y, Nov. IA sharp alta *
on moving picture shows in their influence
on children was feature of to-nght's
session of the New York State Convention
of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Children and Animals, being held here.
The subject came up in a report Of the
committee on moving pictures. which. in
stancing a recent study or the subject in
New York city. said:
'The report Of tho District Attorney FOR
cases brought at the instance of the So
ciety for the Prevention OF Cruelty TO
Children in the boroughs of Manhattan and
The Bronx for the last eleven months
shows the following crimes traced directly
or indirectly to moving picture sources:
Unmentionable crimes. 3: aggravated as
saults, S2 attempted assaults, 6; abduc-
tions, 3; indecent assaults, s. impairng the
morals, la total of 81 cases on which
there were 40 convictions and 81 offenders
| committed to states prison
The committees report follows in part
Your committee finds that the subject
] Is productive of greater moral danger TO
children in cities and large centres OF
| population than in the smaller communi-
| ties, and it is therefore with the eVils
existing i'm the former that this report
will principally deal.
New York City alone has seven hundred
! moving picture resorts, belonging to two
classes. namely, Cd those Licensed by the
Police Department. where the entertain
ment consists of motion pictures, coupled
with vaudeville acts. and for which "A
! license fee of 500 a year is charged; ana
(2) those licensed by the Mayor as com
mon shows where the entertainment con-
sists Of motion pictures, songs and recita-
tons. not rendered on a stage. For this
latter character of license a fee of S25 a
year Is charged. Both forms of license
greater New York charter.
sheSe moving picture houses have ac-
commodations for daily audiences of two
hundred and fifty thousand people, and it
Is estimated that the cnematograph has
created fifteen million new theatre goers In
, the United States during the last few
years.
In the greater city Of New York there
are 1,075,000 children registered in the pub
lie and parochial schools. The majority OF
these children are on the streets after
O'Clock every day. In the absence of sufii-
cient public Fairgrounds, the city child
must find its own amusement Innocent
street games keep children out OF moral
danger, and the natural tendency is to pur-
sue clean pastimes Witness the great sue
cess of the public school athletic associa-
tions. This host Of city boys and girls
are, however, surrounded with moving
picture shows in every tenement section,
and it is i'm these sections that the evils
are continually developing.
1t is not rare sight to see boys and
girls engaged in mimic "hold-ups' on the
street, following all of the details of the
picture shows, and the president of this
convention, in his capacity of justice OF me
Children's Court. has had to deal with chill
dren charged with offences inspired by the
pictures Amateur burglars have robbed
houses exactly as portrayed by the plct.
ures. No one can reckon the amount ,oci OF
representations of bloodshed and crime.
But bad as all this is, it is by no means
the worst phase of the moving picture
evil A list of criminal prosecutions con-
Quoted by the District Attorney of New
York County at the instance Of the Socl-
ETY. for the Prevention Of Cruelty to Chii-
dren. all Of which arose, directly or maj.
rectly from the Illegal admission or
young children to these resorts. and the
associations thus formed tells a terrible
tale of ruined maidenhood and blighted
lives. 1t is small comfort that in conse-
quence of these prosecutions thirty-two
men were sent to state prison and re-
formatories for long terms during the pc
riOd indicated.
BY an amendment to Section 4Sf of the
Penal Code (enacted in 1909 largely
through the influence of this conVentionJ,
II was made a misdemeanor, punlShdDle
by imprisonment not exceeding one year.
or a fine not exceeding $500, or both, to
admit to "A kaleidoscope or moving picture
performance any child under the age or
sixteen years unless accompanied by It's
parents or guardian. The stern ana Wig
OrOuS enforcement Of this statue ana the
inniction Of substantial prison sentences
upon the proprietors and employees VINO
are convicted Of violating IL WILL in the
judgment OF your committee. do more than
anything else to put an end TO TINS phase
of the evil.
The large moving picture establish
ments in good neiGhborhoods are often so
generously patronized by reputable adults
that the laws against the admission OF
unaccompanied children are fairly well en-
forced and some of these places are well
managed and offer comparatively shght
opportunities for wrongdoing: 1t is In the
smaller places. which depend almost en-
tirely on juvenile patronage, that the wee
and the crime with which we are trying
to cope have their birth. All those 70 which
unacCompanied children are admitted in
violation of the penal law are improper
resorts. There is no way of regulating
the latter class except by prosecuting
their proprietors or their employees ana
bringing about their adequate punishment
through the criminal courts.
The convention adopted the following
resolutions:
TO consider more stringent laws gov
erning children employed on the stage.
To oppose a proposed change in the
penal law amending the requirements that
children under sixteen may not enter NOV
ing picture, shows without parent or
guardian.
To secure law making twelve years
the minimum age of children engaged in
street trades. making s p IN. the limit
for night work. and applying the present
newsboys law to cities OF the third class.
To call the attention of Governor DIX
TO the need of immediate additions to
many state institutions for the accommo-
dation of juvenile delinquents and def
Cient children
To name a special committee to confer
with the Governor and the state Fedora
ton of Labor to obtain a law by which
male prisoners be employed, so that after
the expense Of maintenance is deducted
the balance lie devoted to the support OF
their minor children.