The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-10-02
SUNDAY LAW TO
Be Tested by
MANAGER COHEN
Says He win Give His Announced
Free Sunday Shows and
Fight Il Out
SHERIFF WILL HAVE
HIS COPS ON HAND
-
Theatrical Man Says Precedent
Has Been Set and He
Win Follow II

J. c. Cohen, erstwhile candidate for
mayor, and other officers of the Con-
solidated Amusement Company, may be
taken to the police station Sunday
evening by Sheriff Rose and there
booked and held to answer on charge
Of violating the Sunday amusement
law.
Though sheriff Rose has threatened
to make arrests IL the Consolidated
Amusement Company carries out its
advertised intention Of throwing open
As three theaters Sunday for free mo-
ton picture performances, PresidentJ.
g. Cohen of the company, in state.
ment given The Advertiser last night,
reiterates his intention Of giving the
free shows.
Sheriff Rose said emphatically yester-
day that he would prevent the shows
being given. If he carries out his
declarations, il will no doubt mean n
testing of the statute in the supreme
court, which the theatrical company
admittedly wishes.
Sundays Precedent
"During the years we have been in
business here we have listened to these
plants and answered as best we could
that the laws prevented Sunday enter
tainments. Last Sunday afternoon
certain theater was thrown open for a
moving picture entertainment. It is
claimed there was no charge and that
no tickets were issued. Tickets were
issued for the afternoon performance
and both the afternoon and night NOV.
ing picture performances were held nm
der the auspices Of uplift workers,
among whom one of the most active
workers was Rev., j. w! Wadman.
Following on this admission by Mr..
Wadman that moving pictures can be
of upliftful nature and that IL is not
harmful that they be viewed on Sun
day, we announced that we would show
educational and religious pictures free
of any charge and only on invitation
basis and admission at the Bijou every
Sunday night.
Claims Pre- Judgment
!. &. Immedia lately Mr.. Waduan eonfesses
that he committed a sin in giving his
show, which he had advertised far
and wide as being holier-than-thou and
waltzes around to the newspapers TO
damn the attempt Of any other theater
giving free pictures which might fur.
nish more enhancing view than that
of repeated drunken scenes and the
smashing Of bottles over human heads.
1--WE have advertised that our pic
lures TO be shown on Sunday nights viii
be Of educational or religious order. We
are condemned before we start. Mr..
Wadman cannot know that the pictures
which we propose to put ON Sunday
night, IL allowed by the authorities to
present the pictures, will not be of as
uplifting nature as any shown Sun
day at the Y. M. G. A. g
win Force a Test
81 was in consultations with several
attorneys and with the city authorities
today Our attorneys stated that there
was question Of the law in the premises
and that " test case was desired that
inasmuch as IL is claimed that the law
had been violated by Mr.. Wadman and
his associates last Sunday the test could
be brought about by swearing 80 a war
rant for Wadman Is arrest which would
be issued on demand. answered that
this would not be sportsmanlike; that
we would rather make Nthe test our
selves; that If il is construed that we
would be violating the law that We
would submit to arrest ourselves. IL
the court rules that il is illegal to
give free moving pictures on Sunday
nights we would discontinue doing so.
If it is ruled legal to give these free
shows they will be fixture at the BIZ
lou If IL is illegal it is up to the poo
pie, IL they want Sunday theater enter
tainments to instruct their representa-
lives in the legislature to amend the
laws to allow of such entertainments
This picture has been shown gener'
ally over the United States by the
league where campaigns for prohibi.
ton have been carried on,l
In speaking Of this picture, the
r'Mida 3 Criterion,' liquor organ,
clipping from which was received by
, The Advertiser by mail yesterday, says
editorially: t
nThe Anti.Saloon League as part
! of its appeal to make Ohio dry is now
: using moving pictures from the old
I book called Ten Nights In Bar
|. Room. The Ohio State Board, how
ever, believes that the scenes Of crime
a land murder attempted TO be shown in
! the films have an evil influence, and
! they will not allow such films TO be
shown in the state.
"Carousing and murder scenes are
cut out, and thus the Anti-SaloOn
: League has suffered a rebuke for III
al attempt to demoralize the public. This
4 should be taken in all other States al
!. a precedent TO put a stop to the de
" moralizing shows that are gotten up x
order to create q feeling against al
h saloons by showing what may occur Il
v an unrcgulated place.
/. HSome time ago the liquor interes
e Of Nebraska made q strenuous protcs
u against the production OF these films
!. and now from the Ohio precedent the,
y ought TO have good leverage TO brinl
,e public opinion on the authorities o
10 that State TO put their veto on furthe
s decentralization of the youth of tn
country"