The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-23
MASS MEETING AT
ORPHEUM TODAY
Protest Against the Sunday
Moving Pictures
TO FORM ASSOCIATION
III. NJ. Newsome Announces That Pro-
prietors of Moving Picture Thea
tres viii Organize and Pre-
sent Petition to Judge Lane

The snecial committee of the Pastors
union was busy yesterday preparing for
the mass meeting this afternoon in the
Orpheum theatre at O'clock The COM
rnittee has already the promise of a num-
her of speakers who will talk against the
Sunday opening of the moving picture
theatres. A large attendance from the
Baraca unions and Epworth leagues oil
the city is expected. Other church asso-
Citations have also sent word that they
will send large delegations.
Yesterday when oueried Rev. A. j. DICK
inson would not state whether or not ne
would present petition at the meeting
for the recall of Judge Lane. The COM
h,ttee in charge of the mass meeting,
hovever. stated positively yesterday that
they countenance no recall petition at the
mass meeting as the meeting is purely
held as a. protest against the moving pic
ture shows.
The proprietors of the various moving
picture theatres of Birmingham VIII Or
aanize into a portective association 10
take stems towards educating the public
that the picture show is not as black as
~ has been painted during the past week.
According to II. NJ. Newsome, the
largest operator of moving picture thea
tres in Birmingham, steps to form this
association will be taken Monday morn
ing and at that time also Mr.. Newsome
in conjunction with the other owners OF
moving picture theatres in the city VIII
present a petition before Judge Lane for
a hermit to have their theatres open on
Sundays.
Mr.. Newsome said last night that he
nronosed to get into no controversy over
the Sunday opening matter He saio'
".Iuoge Lanes statement in last Sundays s
Age-Herald favoring the opening Of the
picture theatres came as complete sur
prise to me, and also am told to the
other owners of picture houses In the city
Not being organized not one individual
proprietor felt like taking steps towards
presenting a petition and therefore the
matter dragged through all the week
without a single proprietor of picture
theatre making the least move towards
presenting a petition to Judge Lane.
However, yesterday | talked the mat
fer over with few of the owners ana
came to the conclusion that it was ABOUT
time we were doing something towards
r,rotectinc our interests. We have de-
cided to form an association for protec-
tive purposes and also to convince the
nublic that the picture theatre is not a
Mace of evil-rather I say 1t is the enemy
of evil We will also present a petition
for the Sunday opening of the moving
picture theatres on Sunday to Comission-
er Lane on Monday.
1--WE will simply present petition TOT
the privilege of opening on Sunday with
out specifying any terms for the permit
ibis matter we have agreed to leave en-
tirelv at the discretion of Judge Lane.
1--WE will make no active fight for sun
d4y opening. in fact no fight at all. We
viii present the petition and II Judge
Lane and his brother commissioners feel
like granting it to u.s. we Will do to our
utmost to carry out the dictates OF the
permit to open on Sundays"