The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1911-04-27

Anywhere, everywhere you find them. In the
United States you will have to hunt town of
less than 1000 inhabitants If you wish to escape
the moving pictures.
Five millions of Americans daily visit these
shows
The exhibitors pay $18,o0o,00o year for their
films. The public pays $57,500000 year to see
them.
Mr.. Edison has an average weekly royalty
therefrom of $4,000.
So it is pretty big business, pretty thor
oughly organized, quite universal in its reach,
soapbubby in it's universality
The child Of the poor, with clay pipe and the
suds from the weekly wash, can have just as
good time any rich young fellow with i'm
ported meerschaum and the best CASTLE.
So 1t Is with the moving-picture shows. 1t
quires little capital to run them. long room,
easily darkened nne-feet square patch of white
cloth, some benches for the spectators, an oper
ator at ten dollars a week. and rented film, now
takes the place of a company of actors, stage
scenery, properties, lights and properly
equipped building. And the poor boy gets as
much value for his nickel as the rich boy get
for any number of dollars.
Yet, they run into dangers that no soap-bubbles
allure. Fire is of these the most patent
OF the moral dangers we will speak later 1t
is through the moral soap-bubble that can see
more clearly the moving pictures gossamer
tinsel.
Fire. however, is the first and most vital dan
ger. The Charity-Bazaar fire in Paris, in which
many women were tramped to death by cow
ardly men. was caused by the fall of a spark
upon some ceuloid moving picture films which
had been dropped into basket In Canton 600
men, Cinnamon, were burned to death in fire
In moving-pcture show house. In Quito, Ecua-
dor, fifty men and women lost their lives in
similar calamity.
It speaks we'll for the widespread and con-
slant vigilance of the fire departments of the
United States that great catastrophe has yet
come to the moving-picture houses Of this
country.
Lives have not been lost in the moving picture
shows. Lives have been lost through the moving
picture shows
Where once the dime and nickel novels sug-
gested ways of crime to unbalanced youth the
moving picture has come to make more ready
and more potent appeal The printed word is
never so ardent with mpressionabe mind as
the acted word.
Several ways have been thought of to lessen
these obvious evils. Charles Sprague Smith, late
chief of the Peoples Institute in New York.
thought he had solved the problem when he in
duced the manufacturers of the moving pictures
to agree to national board Of censorship.
The manufacturers, good trade diplomats,
readily assented, and then to 1t that the
board of censorship should be advisory and not
antagonistic. The result is that many pictures
that create havoc among youthful minds when
shown on the public screens "get by" the ma
tional board of censorship.
No. This bubble that Edison has loosed upon
us will play itself out just far the instincts
of the whole people of this country will permit;
no farther, sooner.
One night I went to prize fight. Only men
were present. The casual observer might have
said they were all tough After the fight
a canvas was erected in the ring and an
nouncer said can exclusive film will be
shown to the members Of this club"
The picture proved to be of French manufac-
ture and portrayed vile situation in a dive.
Instantly Kisses and a storm of execration burst
from the audience The running of the film was
stopped and the picture removed before 1t was
all shown. Grim silence greeted the removal of
the canvas.
The crowd that glorjed in the action Of tho