The Washington times., 1914-08-26
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Organise Branches
of the National
Censorship
Board

Volunteer censorship boards as op-
~1sed to the Iegalized bodies exc
Iting Stste or municipal law will
given a trial in a number of COM
l~lunities throughout the country dur
.uC the next few months. The idea
cc establishing such boards has orig
i7ated in 4 sentiment that mas been
rowing steadily against a legalized
'ensorship. 1t has been several
mes pointed out in these columns
mat the film manufacturers had it
j. their power to obviate all talk of
censor by censoring the films them
ives. Failing in this the exhibit
ors. for their own business inter-
SITS, should establish board of
r-sde or some similar body to view
Inns that come into each community
tor the purpose of using only those
lrIG that will be acceptable to that
art of the public the exhibitors
serve.
It would seem that the volunteer
censorship board would be an en-
oellent iden-ccrtainly q better idea
than the lsgalized censorship, pro-
ided the exhibitors would abide by
the boards decisions. Ii probably is
not generally understood that the
national board Of censorship is just
such a body. 1t has no legal status
whatsoever. 1t is a body Of eminent
men and women interested in the
J -ogress IF the moving picture and
g. the cause Of social service. Not
ne Of them has any financial inter-
est in a moving picture concern and
each Of them is chosen for his un-
Cerstanding of the needs of the peo-
lie. The service that is required of
The board is extremely arduous. The
rumber Of films that are viewed by
is very large and the duties entail
great responsibility.
The producers who carry the
1 ailer showing the stamp Of the
I oard's approval on their films are
not required by any law or regula-
ton TO submit the films to the board.
', ne submission of pictures is made
fy them purely as a courtesy, al
though those companies who do not
81 omtt them agree to keep rigidly
" thin the requirements of these
censors. J. w. Binder. who has been
eT gagged in the extension of the
q the community boards, declares
|. at very few bad pictures ever get
by the boards scrutiny, and that a
few bad pictures have caused most
Of the campaigns for legalized CEN
sorship. Mr.. Binder explains that
there have been, in his opinion, two
things that menaced the solid growth
of the motion picture business: le-
Ealized censorship and bad pictures.
n h21 ha 80 h-I
lectures passed by the national
hoard Is negligible, but that the few
bad pictures not submitted to the
board are responsible for 80 per cent
OF the criticism directed against pic
lures generally and created the ex-
cuse for legal censorship. He hopes
70 be able to bring this small num-
her OF pictures under the super
7sion OF the board.
To bring about this very desirable
end is the prime object of the cam
paign which I have undertaken for
the national board" said Mr.. Binder.
n working IL out, no untried theo-
res will be used. Every step has
cen proven by actually organizing
9 imilar committees in widely sepa-
7 ated centers throughout the United
States. These committees have been
for from one month to
ne and a half years, and it is safe
. use the results obtained as fair
= tKamples Of what can be achieved
~ this plan when it shall have been
eTtended to cover the United
+ ates'
Conditions in Milwaukee. where
zuch q board has been working with
9 ne national board for some time,
cited as an example Of the condi-
Ions which Mr.. Binder hopes to
and all over the country. Another
, oject OF the plan Is to carry on a
ampaIgn OF publicity through the
rade papers. the magazines. and
ally papers