Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-20
PASTORS BAND To
FIGHT SUNDAY
FILM SHOWS
Ministers Association Names
Committee to Take Up Mat
ter With Movie Men.

The Evangelical Ministers association
at meeting to-day in the Y. NJ c. A.
went on record as being against the
opening Of the moving picture houses
on Sunday and appointed a committee
to take up the matter with the moving
picture men themselves in an effort to
put a stop to the Sunday performances.
This committee will confer to-mor-
row with the representatives of the
moving picture house owners to ascer-
tain if they propose to continue to open
their places on Sunday. If they receive
an affirmative answer. the fight to
close the theaters will be taken up at
once by the ministers with vigor.
The committee will report back to
the association at meeting to be held
next Monday at noon, and will make
recommendations az to what steps to
take. This committee is composed OF
representatives of the various denom-
nations and is as follows:
DR.. John E. White. chairman; DR..
Charles w. Daniel DR.. Dunbar Ogden
DIR. T. c. Hanscom, DR.. G. O. Jones
Or /. O. Bricker. DR. W c. Shaeifer
and DR. John D. Wayne.
Confer With Attorney.
Or. White announced that he would
confer AT once with Attorney Sims,
counsel for the moving picture men,
and asl, that the meeting OF the minis
tors and the theater men he arranged
for tomorrow.
DR.. White said:
I'VE hope and believe that the thea
ter owners will realize their mistake
and voluntarily close the theaters after
the matter has been put before them by
tho ministers. However. should they
insist on opening the theaters on Sun
dav we will take whatever steps are
necessary to close these places and save
the Southern Sabbath from desecra-
tion It will be a fight 20 the finish
Dr.. White, while not prepared to out
line the details of the fight, said that
the matter will be brought to the at
tention Of the church people Of the city
and that they will be asked to cease
any patronage whatever of moving pie
tire theaters in the event that the own
ers persist in opening the houses on
Sunday He declared that the SUNDAY
movies was nothing more than sub
terfuge and that the real motive behind
# al is an effort to make out of At
Ian+a a New Orleans" He also de-
c1ared that the forces Of vice in Atlanta
are behind this movement. not openly.
but are encouraging it, i'm the nope OF
making restitution for thousands of
dollars lost since the war on vice was
started.
Amendment Warted
The board of directors for the As
sociated Charities has appointed a
committee. composed of Major +. j..
Guirn w NJ. McElreath and }. NJ. b.
Hoxey TO ask city council to amend
the proposed ordinance against the
SUNDAY moving picture opening so as
10 allow a continuance of the moving
nic+ures being shown each Sabbath at
the Wesley Memorial chapel
Secretary Logan to-day declared that
the moving pictures being displayed at
the church were purely along uplift
lines and should not be banned as i'm
nroner or injurious to the morals of
the community" as they did not come
under the head of either amusement or
recreation.
The CONGREGATION Beth Israel today
annaaled to the Motion Picture Mems
League of Atlanta for a portion Of the
funds taken in at the doors Of the NOV
ing picture houses should these places
onerate next Sunday-such assistance
to be applied to the purchase Of new
pipe organ for the church.
I'VE are heartily in favor of Sunday
movies" is the appeal Of the congrega-
ton land believe that they will be of
great benefit to the masses, If the same
cbaracter of pictures are shown as
were presented asst sunday.