The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-25
PrOprietOrs Call on Lane for
Conference
HOLD UP PETITION
Lane Tells Them He Sees No Harm
in Sunday Opening, But Sug-
gests Holding Matter in
Allegiance

| To put the question of Sunday opening
of moving pictures up to tho peopIe
through means of referendum was the
decision of the newly organized Nov
| ing Picture Exhibitors league of Bir-
mingham yesterday afternoon after visit
ing Commissioner A. o. Lane and getting
his advice on the matter.
| President f. n. Colley of the Moving
| Picture Exhibitors league and with all
| the charter members of the organization
present waited on Judge Lane yesterday
afternoon at o'clock and presented 10
him petition for Sunday opening. Judge
Lane read the petition and declared that
he was entirely in favor of the moving
picture theatres opening on Sunday as he
| saw no harm in them and thought that
\ all were operating on a high moral plane.
However, he stated that he had already
announced in the morning that he would
take no further action on tho matter of
opening the theatres on Sunday and adj
vised the moving picture men TO hold
their petition in abeyance for a while.
| Mr.. Colley thereupon inquired of the
commissioner IL it were possible to hold a
referendum and find out the peoples
wishes on the question.
Judge Lane answered that this phase
would be considered and that he thought
| that referendum on Sunday opening or
moving pictures would carry by about
| to l in Birmingham. The statement of
Judge Lane to the moving picture men
| yesterday follows:
HGaptiap,au will ba fra nlx with Won
on the matter. have already announced
that the matter of Sunday opening of
| picture shows is a closed incident with
me and therefore l will take no further
action and would advise you to hold your
petition in allegiance for while.
| II am entirely in favor of moving pic
lures on Sunday and cannot see any
more harm in them than selling oranges
on Sunday is harmful. l have had the
reports of plain clothes men who have
visited your theatres at various times
and without exception their reports show
that you are conducting your theatres in
a quiet, orderly manner, and that the pic
| lures shown are of a moral and uplifting
character. Personally have never seen
picture in Birmingham that was in the
1
educative and Sunday opening would be
very popular with the great masses of
workers of Birmingham 1t would also
be very good thing for the travelling men
that have to stop in Birmingham over
| Sunday. 1t would bring the travelling man
10 Birmingham. | feel that If the ques-
tion is brought to a referendum it will
carry by a decisive majority. The peo-
pie want moving pictures on Sunday or
/ am greatly mistaken. In all other cities
where moving pictures on Sunday have
been tried they have given general satis-
faction and | have no reason to believe
that if tried in Birmingham dissatisfac-
ton would result
! Following the meeting with Judge Lane
| the Moving Picture Exhibitors league.
through President Colley, Immediately is
sued this statement: I'VE have decided
to withhold presenting a petition on Sum
day opening for moving pictures for some
time on the advice of Judge Lane. Also
acting on his advice we will at once
take steps to hold referendum on the
question of Sunday opening. We do not
want to open our theatres on Sunday un-
| less it is the expressed wish of tho peo-
pie of Birmingham"
| 1t is quite possible that the moving pic
ture men will conduct a mass meeting
| themselves next Sunday in order to con-
vince the public that they are not GRIM
inals; that moving pictures on Sunday
cannot be likened to bull-fights, the cock
pit, open saloons and dog fights, accord
ing to r. S. Alternately, secretary and
treasurer of the Moving Picture Exhibi-
| tors league.
| The Moving Picture Exhibitors league
| of Birmingham was organized yesterday
afternoon in the office of ii. NJ Newsome
and officers We're Immediately elected
The officers follow: E. II. Colley, pro-
prietor of the Vaudette, president Ii. NJ
Newsome, proprietor of the Bonita,
Amuse-U, Princess and the New theatre,
vice president; T. S. Abernathy. proprie-
| tor of the Odeon theatres, secretary treas
urer: charter members. p. r. Sefalu, pro-
prietor Alllazar; W. J. Roegner, proprie-
| tor Queen; A. A. WALL proprietor Vic
toria; f. L. Lenhart, proprietor Best. The
object of the organization wis declared
to be "For mutual protection and uplift
of moving picture exhibition in city of
Birmingham"