The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1914-05-15
WESTMINSTER, md.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MAY Is, 1914
CENSORSHIP OF MOTION PIC
TURES.

There IL an increasing tendency to
ward higher standards for moving
pictures Those which are instruc-
tive, beautiful and interesting are
much more common today than they
were few years ago, and even those
which are designed to be mere
'thrilIers" are, as a rule, less obnox-
ious than formerly.
When we consider the almost I'M
limited field for the legitimate use of
the biograph, its vast possibilities for
satisfying our thirst for knowledge,
its enormous advantages over other
methods Of depicting persons and
events and its facilities for gratifying
our curiosity concerning the smallest
details pertaining to men and things
we are interested i'm and can never
see, 1t seems a pity that this wonder
invention should be subject to 80
much adverse criticism because OF the
base uses so often made of it.
There II now before Congress a bill
known as the Smith-Hughes Picture
Censorship, Bill, the purpose OF which
is to create commission of five per-
sons appointed by the President, and
to hold Office for six years. The
commission II to have authority to
select deputies, license films, unless
they are found to be obscene, indecent,
inn, inh Of no Oh
to corrupt the morals Of people and
incite them to crime. 1t also ex-
cludes bull-fghts and the like 1T
further provides that no person, firm
or corporation shall carry or trans
port any film from one state into an
other state of the United States, TN
less such film has been licensed by
the commission and a true copy OF
the certificate accompanies it, pro-
vided.
That this section shall not apply to
films consigned to the commission.
That no motion picture film which
has not been licensed by the commits
sion and which does not bear its seal
and Is not accompanied by it, GER
titicate shall be exhibited in any
licensed place Of amusement for pay
or in connection with any business in
the District Of Columbia, or i'm any
one Of the territories Of the United
States. or any place under the juris-
diction Of the United States.
That fee of $1 shall be charged
for the examination by the commits
sion Of each film of one thousand feet
or less, and fifty cents for each film
which il duplicate of any film which
has been licensed. Any change or al
teration i'm any picture on the film
after it has been licensed, except the
elimination Of a part, shall be VIC
lation Of this act, end shall also void
the certificate and seal of such film.
That the commission shall annual
ly, On or before the first day of jan
uary in each year, submit a written
report to the United States Commits
sioner OF Education. tn this report,
and by other means, the commission
shall make recommendations To inn
porters and producers of films and to
the public. regarding the educational
and recreational use of motion pic
lures.
That the penalty :or violation of
this act shall I'VE fine w not more
than $500 or Imprisonment not more
than one year, or both, ill the discre-
ton Of the court, and the films IN
lawfully changed, exhibited. Or trans
ported shall be confiscated."
Already law exists to prevent in
terstate shipment Of motion pictures
of prize-f-hts. The Secretary or the
Treasury has censorship authority on
imported films.
A nationwide demand for more
censorship il seen i'm that PennsyI-
vania, Ohio. Kansas and California
have official state censor bonds, and
San francisco and some other cities,
official local censors- lit il manifest
ly fairer to moving picture makers
and exhibitors, whose films 20 all
over the country, to have one ade-
quate national censorship, al it il AL
50 more satisfactory to those seeking
to guard moral interests.
The measure before Congress
should pass. Al j. said that i've mil
lion people 20 to these shows every
day, and certainly there ought to TX
a censorship that prevents the i'll
strucion Of children in crime ana
hardens them To scenes W shame and
murder.