Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-18
UNCLE SAM ON FILMS.
Government Going Into Moving Piet-
ure Show Business.


ure Show Business.
Uncle Sam himself is going into the
moving picture show business.
With the authority of President Taft
a contract has been entered into by the
government officer and a Chicago firm
for the purpose of reproducing in NOV
ing pictures all of the various activi-
ties of the nation. The pictures will
be shown in hundreds of moving pict-
ure houses.
Marines at work on battleships, gun
ners firing at the hulk of an old battle
ship, cavalry drills, mine and rescue
work, plant and animal industry, road
building, and every single activity OF
the government will be shown on the
films.
The problem of educating the public
to the work being done by its own
government was carefully considered
by the president and members OF his
cabinet before the contract was en-
tered into. Each cabinet officer was
then authorized to make his own ar
rangement with the film concern, hav-
ing the right to arrange for such pict-
ures as he wished to have taken and
reject those he does not care for.
In the United States office Of public
roads, for instance, the director, Logan
Walter Page, arranged to have pict-
ures taken showing the effects Of good
and bad roads. In the case Of the lat
ter, the films will show the farmer try
ing to carry loads Of produce over a
bad road; how be became sick; how
the doctor is unable to reach him, and
how, because of the mud ruts, the un-
dertaker finds it exceedingly difficult
to get him to his grave. Another film
will show another farmer carrying his
produce-twice as much-over a model
road constructed under like supervis-
ion Of the government and the general
Improvement Of the surrounding coun-
try.
The department Of agriculture will
be able to show, in entertaining as
we'll as instructive style, the effects OF
pure food and impure food the secre-
tary Of war will be able to show the
advantages of army life, and the Sec
retary of the navy the advantages of
life on the bounding waves, while the
interior department will be showing
how forest fires are fought and en-
tombed miners are rescued.
The government will be killing two
birds with one stone, improving the
tone of the moving pictures and elimi-
mating those that have a bad effect,
while educating the public to the work
being done by it's government.
The time is not far distant, appar-
emily, when the first nighter at the
movies" instead of jubilating over
the way the tramp captured the In
dams, will be remarking, learnedly:
Il never knew why the sailors wore
their trousers wide at the bottom, but
I saw by the films last night that it is
to enable them to roll up the ends when
they want to swab the deck"
And his girl will remark. "Oh, and
they are showing how the government
teaches cooking. I learned how to
bake stuffed tomatoes at the movies
last night"
When the moving picture (educa-
tionaD campaign is announced, it will
sound interesting and intellectual. II
would be far more interesting, how
ever, to have seen the high officer who
sat at a moving picture show one night
and suddenly exclaimed to himself:
BY George, the government ought to
use this craze for educational pur-
ses."-Philadelphia Inquirer.