The Washington times., 1914-10-06
How National Board
of CenSOrS Goes
About Its
Work.

The publication yesterday OF the
National Board of Censor's ideas as
To how the public can help it in its
work has not unnaturaIly brought
up the question as 10 how the board
does its work now. Practically
every person who patronized the mo-
ton picture theater is familiar with
the seal of the boards approval, but
there are very few people who re-
,lize what tremendous amount of
work is accomplished by that board.
There are few people who know that
that board is 2 voluntary body, that
It's members receive no pay for their
s-rvices. that ii has absolutely no
legal standing. and that the manu-
facturers who submit their pictures
for approval. do so voluntarily. There
is no law that Compels the producer
10 secure the boards approval. The
reason practically 81 per cent of the
moving pictures exhibited in this
country are submitted to the board is
that the producers realize the value
~ the boards approval So certain
ave they Of this that the board is
MOLLY financed by the moving pic
tUre manufacturers themselves. And
they are eager for its success because
during the half a dozen years of its
life il has proved itself fair and
sousre-on the level-and So the
manufacturers have come to support
u. In . way. it is like paying for
the advice of specialists on public
opinion; like buying advice, after the
picture is made, as to whether it may
be permitted TO run without being in
serious danger of being prohibited BY
IN u-hr
The national board has its Offices
st 20 Fifth avenue. New York
There is a small staff OF seCreta rios.
under the supervision Of Orreu -.
locks. a Vell-known social workc-
in New York. The orEa niZation is
simple and effective. The censori II
committee numbers about A hundred.
This censoring committee is brok' n
UP into numerous subcommittee Of
about five persons each. Each cf
these little committees gives IN
afternoon or a morning a week -
some one of the numerous studios in
this city. where the latest produ"tS
sre displayed to the subcommitte-
before being publicly produced.
Each meeting is attended also by N"
of the secretaries Of the board. II
the reel IS satisfactory to the sub
committee. the manufacturer has no
further worries. He can write
Passed. etc at the end Of tho
reel. and speed it on its way. II the
reel is not satisfactory. several things
may happen. After discussion 1y
the subcommittee. the manufacturer
may decide to make the RECON-
m-nded changes, and produce l.
again before a subcommittee later.
Or hc may appeal from the decision
Of the subcommittee. in which case
the general committee reviews II AT
one Of the regular Friday afterno m
tessinnS.
Tho general committee is BODY
composed uf representatives of s"T'e
srore Of the more important chsrlfa o
bic organizations in New York CITY.
An iGcs OF the amount CT work
performed by the board can be
gained from the following figures
contained in the last annual report:
Total number of reels first inspected.
TnSS: total. including reinspeCtion.
1876. Total number Of finn subjects
iTsp' cted. $40: total number of feet
Of film inspected. s.s9s 24s. numbcr Of
subjects cCndemnei in toto. 3. num-
b-r of sample copies frora which
.Iin1inatinnS Wera made. sCl: num-
bcr - feet eliminated. artarnar.I AL
proved - G20 total nunL"r nf feet
cordcmned 1923. cost to :nanurao-
turers Of -eg2ti"e dest~ovtd, sIfJ =
gG4 sale value to manufacturers Of
riIm kept off tn" American rIarket
si53. SIS. total cost TO manufacturers
OF negatives. sampl" copies. and sales
copies kept off the American market
sSs2 SIS. number of meetings Of cen
sorins committees. 9ss: aggregate
hours of attendance. $3.50; monthly
average of sample reels inspected.
BSs