The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-19
PILED 1T ON ROSS
State superintendent InheritS
Many Positions
From Last Legislature, All
Without Money or Price.

| Moving pictures in Kansas are to
be under the ban of censor after
April 1, but there is apparently no
| appropriation provided for handling
the work until July 1. In those three
months State superintendent Ross
must himself approve or reject the
100 new films sent each week to this
state and draw no extra pay for his
work.
Work of the Democratic legisla-
ture failed to arouse enthusiasm on
the part of Superintendent Ross and
the unloading of the picture censor
several things that has made him
sad. In the first place the legisla-
ture took $1,000 year off the super
intendents contingent fund and put it
over in the picture film department.
The legislature also placed on his Of
5000 or 5000 reels of picture films
each year and provided no extra pay.
Further than that the legislature
made extra work for Mr.. Ross in the
school extension work. Then it passed
the law providing for the state pub
LEGATION of school text books and made
Ross a member Of the commission
without pay. That made the super
intendents opinion of a Democratic
legislature fall another ten points.
Now the state superintendent of
public instruction is facing the task
of censoring the movies. He admits
that it isn't a job of which he is the
least bit proud. The law provides
that he may approve or reject films on
inspection or from printed descriptions
furnished him by the moving picture
manufacturers. For each reel inspect
ed the state will collect a fee of So
to go into the general revenue fund.
The law also provides that the moving
picture censor to be appointed by the
superintendent shall draw So day for
services. But nothing in the general
appropriation bills sets aside any
money for the payment of the censor.
Attorney General Dawson and Gov
ernor Hodges are both looking for a
method of reaching the state treasury
and providing for the payment of ex-
ira help required to handle this work
The attorney general stated today
that the only apparent relief was
through a suit to compel the state
auditor to honor vouchers, but he
admits that such a suit is almost hope
less. After July /, there is $1,000 a
year set aside for the movie censor
ship But as the appropriation bill
for that purpose also provides that
a portion of the money may be used
for general expenses of the state su-
perintendent's office, Mr.. Ross feels
that there won't be q large amount
left for the censorship after the Of
flee expenses are taken care of.
Il will inspect such pictures as I
will give the work such time as 1 can
from my regular office work The
others will just have to wait, that is
ALL
Picture show operators in all parts
of the state are writing to the super
inrendent anxiously inquiring as to
the operation of the new law.
They apparently face a probable de-
lay in the inspection, especially since
there is no fund available for the
censorship work. Someone must bear
the expense of this delay. Whether
the manufacturer or the operator will
stand this loss, is matter which must
be settled.
Many of the pictures sent to the
larger towns are expensive and carry
but 4S-hour release. If the state su-
perintendent's office declines to accept
these pictures on printed reviews and is
unable to find time to make immediate
inspection, there is a possibility of a
prolonged delay and a loss of time and
money to someone.
In view of this fact, there is new
cause for alarm among the men who
own picture show houses. They fear
that the new censorship law may re-
suit in the manufacturers refusing to
send their higher class productions to
Kansas and that the higher class reels
which reach Topeka in week or ten
days after they are developed may be |
entirely withheld.
Possibly Governor Hodges may agree |
to finance the movie censorship from
his own limited contingent fund, but |
that is hardly probable. The censor
ship work, on a basis of 100 reels a |
week. means $4,000 a year to the state |
and the administration doesn't want to |
lose the money. On the other hand SUI
perintendent Ross has baked and fails |
to see how the work can be handled .
~ vr-ifb