Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-23
MOVIES UTILIZED
In WAR AGAINST
The WHITE PLAGUE
Ihos. A. Edison Joins Cru
sade in Sending Out Pho
toplay Showing Menace to
Humanity.

THOMAS q. Edison has lent his aid in
The anti-tuberculosis fight which, under
the direction Of the National Association
fof the Study and Prevention of Tuber-
eu.osis, has been for some time past a
countrywide contest. Mr.. Edison has
assisted in the preparation OF notion
picture play which deals with the prob
ION OF tuberculosis In children. A climax
IN the hlm tragedy shows a broken, in
ieeted employe gloatlng over his cm-
pioyer because the latter's two children
nave been found to be Victims of the in
sanitary conditions which the employer
refused to correct
The plot OF the picture. which is en-
Titled The Temple of Moloch." is laid
~ small village the chief industries
OF which arc some potterles. owned by
Harrison Pratt. He also owns a group
OF dtapidated tenements, in which most
OF his employees live. Doctor Jordan
Health Officer Of the village finds that
lnsnnitary working conditions In the
Pratt potterles, together with the un-
healthy state Of the tenement homes OF
the workmen, have to do with the spread
OF tuberculosis. Pratt tells him II ls no
use to try to do anything in the matter.
THE LOVE INTEREST.
Doctor Jordan has fallen in love with
and she has become interested in his
work. particularly that at the preven-
torium for children from tuberculous
families. Three times Jordan appeals to
Pratt and each time he is rebuffed
Finally, he exposes conditions he has
discovered through articles in the news
papers, in which he calls the Pratt pot
teries and tenements a modern Temple
OF Moloch," in that they feed young chill
dren to the God OF Greed. When Eloise
who is ignorant OF conditions in the fac
tory sees the paper she Immediately re-
sents what she considers an insult to her
father, and returns her engagement ring
TO Doctor Jordan.
Later, Pratt's daughter and son are
found to have tuberculosis When Eric
Swanson. former employe OF Pratt's,
who had been discharged because he had
contracted "potter's rot'' in the mills, and
was no longer able to work, hears of 1t,
he eNults over the calamity, which he
views as a sort OF personal vengeance.
He musters all OF his strength, and steals
away to the Pratt home, where Eloise
and her brother are taking the cure for
tuberculosis on the porch, and there de-
nounces Pratt, telling him that his son
and daughter were originally infected as
young children by Cora Swanson. when
she served as r1irsegirl for the Pratts
several years before. So struck is Pratt
by this denunciation and the graphic
story OF Swanson, which is affirmed by
Doctor Jordan. that he decides to clean
up conditions in his potterles and tene-
ments at once.
The story ends with a Christmas scene,
In which the engagement ring Is re-
turned to Eloise, and Doctor Jordan re-
celves a liberal check for the employment
OF visiting nurses, the establishment of
open-air schools, and other anti-tuber-
culosis agencies in the town
About 300 Junior and senior engineering
students of the University of PennBylva--
mia listened to lecture on asphalt last
week by Daniel t. Pierce, executive as
slstant OF the General Asphalt Company.
Motion pictures were used to show the
Trinidad and Bermudez asphalt lakes and
mining and refining OF asphalt in the
tropics Other pictures illustrated each
step in the construction of streets and
roadways. These reels constitute COM
plete course of visual instruction in BIZ
luminous highway building.
Mr.. Pierce described the formation of
asphalt. its chemical characteristics and
the various ways In which Ii is used In
the construction OF highways. Since 1870.
when the first asphalt street was built,
100000 suare yards of this kind OF pave
ment have been laid, In addition to sew
eral thousand miles of asphaltic highways
that have been built since the Good-roads
movement started in earnest four or Ave
years ago.
HELLO GIRLSp
Thousands of girls from all parts Of
the country have entered the Essanay
contest for the most beautiful telephone
operator in America The Essanay Com
pany has made nationwide search for
the most beautiful operator, who will ap-
pear in a photodrama entitled "The
Woman's Way"
The winner OF the contest will be paid
800 for her services and her expenses
10 Chicago and back, together with that
of her mother. father or guardian. Girls
IN the contest must be IS years OF age,
unmarried and living with parents or
relatives, They must never have appear
ed as a professional beauty either on the
screen or the legitimate stage. They must
be employed either in a public or private
exchange, but cannot be a chief opera
tor