The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-01
REQUEST CITY HALL BE. KEPT CLEANER WOman's Civic League Held Meeting Yesterday CRITICIS ES s II o w Severe Attack Made on Production of Blue Mouse at Bijou Theatre.
 Report on Cleaner
 Street Cars
CRITICISES SHO w

The Women's Civic league of BIT mingham will formally request the city commission today to appoint super vising janitor and uniformed star oi assistants to keep the municipal build ing in a condition of cleanliness. rms will be done by a communication to be addressed to thes governing board Of this city and was one of the import ant matters decided upon by the league at it's regular meeting held yesterday afternoon in the city hall.
 The Civic league will offer to supply the captain of the cleaning corps with a complete outfit of scrubbing brushes and other instruments for the campaign against dirt. The members gathered yesterday were in hearty accord with this plan.
 Enthusiastic reports of the sanitary equipments and kitchen facilities Of the Birmingham bakeries already in speeted were submitted by Mrs. J. O. Hannum, chairman of the bakery in spection committee, when Mrs. C. r. Orr, the president, opened the proceed ings to committee accounts. The bread making establishments of this city vis- ited by these ladies are said to be in perfect condition from every stand point and delight to the housewife in point of convenience and cleanli- ness.
 Cleaner Street Cars Mrs. Orr next called for the progress made by the committee appointed to confer with the Birmingham Railway Light and Power company relative to cleaner street cars and Mrs. ]. V. liar To. of that company had agreed to look into the matter of special officers with police power to patrol the cars. MT. Harris stated that the conductors, who have no police power. have brought on damage suits in several instances when trying to enforce the anti-spit- ting or smoking regulations and that after taking the question up with the civic authorities he would receive the league committee in 10 days, at which time he would be ready with reply to it's request.
 Mrs. J. B. Reid, chairman of the eX- tension committed, announced that a branch of the Civic league had been formed at East Lake since the last meeting and that the Ensley branch would be organized as soon as Com missioner Weatherly could go there, as the promoters of that organization in sisted upon his presence in the launch ing of that body.
 Mrs. Zac Smith was named by the president as the correspondent and of ficial representative or the league for the national board of censorship of moving picture films in New York. A list of all films approved by the na- } tionaf board will be forwarded to Mrs. Smith each week and it will be her office to senc the New York head quarters weekly report of photo play house status and pictures of this city. f4r. 4I.t<. K rf., Ff,Ix the league toward cooperation be- tween Birmingham, New York, New Or leans, Memphis and Atlanta in se- curing proper picture films for these cities.
 Censor of Theatres
 The Civic league has been definitely informed by Judge A. 0. Lane of the city commission that it is to exercise its police powers as censor of the local theatres. This decisive proof of it's capacity was conveyed in a reply writ ten by Judge Lane to a letter sent to him by Mrs. Zac Smith, chairman of the committee on moving pictures and theatres, a subcommittee of the com mittee on public morals.
 Mrs. Smith mailed the following com munication on Friday, February 23: "To the City Commission of Birming- ham:
 "Gentlemen-The committee on pie turo shows and theatricals of the Wom- ans Civic league writes to your hon. orab1e body to express our sincere dis approved of such an attraction as that which has been seen at the Bijou this week. We regret the seeming lack of censoring and supervision of theatres, especially of cheap amusements of our city as to permit such a play to con- tinue throughout the week without n protest or an expression of disapproval from the police authorities.
 The original production of The Blue Mouse has been cheapened and the rendition lowered in tone and char acter until as produced this week at the Bijou it can only be characterized as vulgar and coarsely suggestive in the extreme. There is not the faintest moral lesson nor climax reached thus excluding this well known excuse for indecency while the laugh provoking and amusing situations of the plav only tondered the offense the greater The morality of thought and action is so suave and unconstrained as to make a suggestions the more dangerous and subtle
 Young Girls Present
 "We regretted especially to see such a large number of young girls present which makes us realize more fully that the cheap amusements of this city should be guarded with all possible supervising care and forethought and that they should be increasingly pur- flied and improved that the standard of thought in our community may be raised
 We are informed that the announced attraction for next week is no better than the present one and we respect fully request your honorable body to take action in the matter and com muncate with the manager of the Bijou theatre as you so see fit. With sincere regards, l remain, yours re- spectfully, MRS FAC SMITH"
 Judge Lane replied that he under stood that the Civic league had under taken the supervision of the theatres and that he had duly given them po- lice power to do so. He also stated that he did not have a sufficient num- Der of officers to delegate special censorship of police but long as the league had not taken any action in the matter he had notified the Rijou theatre that this weeks production, 'The Girl in the Taxi" would not be allowed to be shown here if not con forming to all requisites of decency
 The reports rendered the civic league by it's theatrical censors were to the effect that Judge Lanes notification had been honored and the production in question offered nothing against which complaint could be lodged.
 With the notice that the next meet ing would be held on March 14 tha Civic league adjourned