Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-06-09

THE raucous photograph sang it's
invitation to come and waltz
again, and the electric lights
fared a welcome that drew like mag
nets the feet of the little lad coming
down the street
He hesitated in front of the gaudy
''theater' with all it's enticing pic
lures of actors and actresses doing
daring deeds, and looked at the nickel
in his hand.
He had intended to buy some ice
cream with that. Indeed, truth to tell,
it had been given him for that pur-
pose, but the possibility of seeing a
real show was better than ice cream
and he yielded and handed in his
precious five cents at the box office.
Some time later he came out,
cheeks flushed, eyes swapping and ran
hurriedly towards his home. Half way
there, however, he paused, sat down
on the curb and thought hard. Twice
he got up and started towards home,
and twice he stopped again, frOWning.
At last, however, digging his fists
into his eyes to induce tears, he start
ed to sob and ran homeWard, where he
told how a big boy had robbed him
of his nickel, and kept him in a cellar
for ages and ages
His mother was indignant and SYM
pathetic, his father anxious to lick
the other kid" another nickel was sup
piled and the small boy had started on
the high road of lies that leads to
crime.
He saw a boy in a moving picture
do it, so why shouldn't he?
The fellows in the moving pictures
fought and stabbed each other and
everybody applauded, so it couldn't be
wrong.
Everybody laughed and shouted
with delight when the boy in the NOV
ing pictures did funny tricks and stole
things, so why shouldn't he?
Why MOTTO be sure?
To say that a little lad should not
be Influenced by the plays he sees is
absurd. They are the biggest factor
in child life in the cities today
Moving picture shows are the sum
nit of his ideal in theatricals, and
naturally with his boyish mind in
famed with thrilling pictures of deeds
of daring he is going to emulate those
heroes"
Philadelphia clergymen are making
a strong effort to have the cheaper
shows ce1sured, especially those
where the little folk go, and their
movement is a step in the right direc-
ton, step that should include the
eliminating of suggestive pictures seen
by growing girls, as well as those that
it is alleged tempt small boys to
crime.
The managers of these theaters
have so great an opportunity that it
seems a pity they cannot realize the
responsibility that lies upon their
shoulders and the possibilities for
good in their theaters.
There is just as much clean fun as
fun that is evil in it's suggestions; just
as many amusing moving pictures to
audiences as there are lurid ones that
inflame youthful minds and lead to
petty crimes and start lads down the
path that ends in the police courts
l. Gee. | seen a Teller in a moving
picture show that picked an old lady S
pocket, just as neat. And the old
| lady-gee I had to laugh, she went
runnin' around mad as a wet hen,
blamin everybody but the kid that
did it."
/ heard that said by small boy
| who sells newspapers near my home
less than three days ago and the eager
answer was naturally:
"Say, how did he do it?"
But it's a woman's problem. a uues-
ton for women to solve, this censur-
ing of picture films.