The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-08-05
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
Free Shows by City
Hurt Business
for Regular
Exhibitor

A serious question that has re-
Gently been injected into the moving
picture business Is Just how far a
municipality can go in supplying
free shows without interfering seri-
ously in the business OF the regular
exhibitors.
At first glance this question does
not appear TO have a very serious
side. but when 1t is given considera-
ton it will be seen that the free
show will be an acute issue before
very long. II has already become
an issue in other sections Of the
country. IN Chicago and in Pitts
burgh. among the larger towns. and
in many smaller places, there have
lished in the public parks and the
schools for which the municipalities
paid. In many OF these shows the
greatest care was exercised in the
selection of the programs, with the
result that. while the films that were
shown were largely old-that is,
film that had been seen before at
the regular houses-the programs
were considerably better. because
of this fact. the business of the
regular exhibitors was hurt, and
they have made a very strenuous
kick.
The strongest protest has come
from the Pittsburgh exhibitors, and
1t seems to be backed by more or
less justice. The Motion Picture Ex-
hibitors' Protective Association Of
Pittsburgh filed its complaint with
President John NJ. Goehrfng, Of the
city council. This was equal TO ask
ing for a temporary Injunction.
President Goehring. being a lawyer,
treated it as such and temporarily
suspended the municipal movies.
The exhibitors complain that they
paw the city a high license fee to
operate and that business at best Is
poor during the summer Adjacent
movie houses do little business when
the Fairgrounds are showing pic
lures free, they say. and the best
feature at nickel cannot compete
with a highly educational free show.
Again. many of the city movies are
in the open air. and, therefore, more
attractive. One will depopulate half
a dozen nickelodeons. AS most
members of council are on vaca-
tons. final decision was DELAYED,
but Supt. w. F. Ashe, of the play
grounds association, substituted
other amusements.
President Goehring said the city
did not intend to rival the exhibitors,
but to contine its films to educational
and municipal subjects means to in
culcate principles OF better citizen
ship and enlarge the scope of the in
telligence Of the people. At one of
the first shows the board of health
had doctor and nurse present to
demonstrate health rules in connec-
ton with health film.
II does not seem fair to the ex-
hibitors to be compelled to pay a
heavy tax and to go to all sorts of
expenses in providing shows and
then nave the city government come
in and compete-with all the re-
sources of a city government behind
the competition. The matter should
be given careful attention here where
there has already been put forward
a proposition to utilize the motion
picture in the schools. In a recent
report from the Bureau OF Educa-
ton the statement is made that
within the course OF year or two
every school in the country will be
using moving pictures and evAry
school auditorium will be, in effect,
n picture theater. G. NJ