East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-11-30
MoUe Made Against
Sunday Picture ShoW

LOnQOn.-OWing 10 the preIerentldl
treatment extended by the London
county council to picture show the
alters whereby they have been grant
ed permission to remain open on Sum
days, strong objection has been
raised by those who consider that
such permission should not be grant
ed, and that no places of amusement
should be allowed to remain open on
Sundays.
The institution known as the I'm
perial Sunday Alliance has written
long letter to the Archbishop of Can
terbury, urging his grace to give
them his support in taking such meas
ures as will result in the closing OF
the picture show theaters.
In the letter addressed to his grace
the secretary of the Imperial Sun
day Alliance points out that the map
ayers of the leading London theaters
and music halls now find themselves
compelled in their own business IN
teEests to consider the question of op-
ening their own theaters and halls
on Sundays, although they view sucn
a course with the greatest detestatloh.
1t is also pointed out in the letter
that "a meeing of actors and managers
is to. take place under the presidency
of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, When
It is understood that a protest VIII
be made against the pre1erenliai
treatment accorded to the picture
shows. and the actors will demann:
/. Either that no Sunday licenses
shall ins future be granted TO the PIC
ture show business or 2. that in COM
mon Justice the same permission for
SUNDAY opening shall also be extended
TO all other places of public enter
tainment.
The secretary points out also tnat
the alliance is being urged from many
sides to give expression to the de-
mands of the great majority OF the
people. It is further explained tnat
DR. Meyer has given the assurance
that the whole of the non-contormlsl
bodies will give their support TO any
effort the church may make aiohs
the lines demanded by the actors
The archbishop has replied to the
effect that he is glad to hear OF the
steps the leaders of the theatrical
profession have proposed to take anu
endorses the proposals made by the
Imperial Sunday Alliance. The ques-
tion ia not, he declares, merely or
even mainly religious question put
social question of the first maeni-
tude. His grace points out also thal
r. once permission is given for tne-
aters and music halls to be openeu
IN sundays "the result will speedily
be the obligation to do seven uass
work for six days pay"
In the meantime the view express
ed hv a well-known London music nan
manager, not himself in favor Oh
Sunday openings. in the course OF an
interview. is that in Germany theat-
ers and music halls remain open on
| Sunday as we'll as other forms OF am :
usenent. and he added that II Woulo
he impossible to pretend that GER
many was passing through a phase Oh
| national degenerat alton. He also asks
whether it is fair to argue that an
/ the people who would be attracted 10
| Sunday entertainments would De
church goers if these entertainments
did not exist.
speaking at debate of the o. P.
Club. Cecil Raleigh calculated tha'
some 100000 people paid for ad-
mission to picture theaters on sun
day. and he asked whether it could
be reasonably claimed that these g.
OOO. 900 people would have been III
church if the picture theatehs had no'
heen opened and he added that they
were probably far better occupied IL
watching picture show than IN at
tending other less respectable places