The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1914-06-06
100000 SEE
MOVIES EACH DAY
Congress May Pass Censorship
Law at This Session
TO AFFECT $4,000 .TAEATERs
Film Makers Protest Saying Their
! Products Are Good-Advoeates Of
Proposed Measure Say Children Are
Led into Crime BY Some Photo Plays.
Some States. Censor All Reels.


daily attend the $4,000 moving picture
theaters now in operation IN the Unit
ed States. A large proportion Of the
patrons are children. There are an
proximately 20.0o0,000 school children
in the United States. The attendance
OF the picture shows therefore repre-
sents four-fifths Of the daily enrolment
of the public schools and far exceeds
that reported by churches. libraries
and other institutions of human bet
terment.
These facts, or, what are represented
to be facts, were brought out before
the house committee on education. The
committee has under consideration a
bill to establish a federal censorship
commission over moving pictures. The
measure has strong support, and the
chances are that it will be enacted
into law at this session. of congress.
1t has been Endorsed by clergymen.
educators and some moving picture ex.
hibitors. 49,. j
Other exhibitors oppose it on the
ground that film makers censor their
product and that federal censorship
would interfere with the business. An
other objection urged against the bill
is that it's passage might serve as a
precedent for legislation abridging the
liberty Of the press.
Those who voice this objection argue
that If the federal government under
takes to censor moving pictures it may
extend the authority to printed matter.
Advocates Of federal censorship of
moving pictures say that these exhibi-
tons are hurtful or beneficial to the
youthful mind according to their char
acter. 1t Is asserted that many crimes
have been traced to children who had
Witnessed debasing scenes in moving
picture houses.
For this reason it is argyed. that com
petent inspection and effective censor
ship Of films are needed. The two
sides OF the story were told, in the
house committee.
MANY parts of moving picture exhi-
billions are perfectly proper" said the
Rev. 81. N. Pringle, assistant superin-
tendent of the international reform bu
reau. Other parts may be objection
able because they present at times pic
lures of murders, robberies. holduns.
assaults. burglaries and nearly the
whole catalogue Of crimes.
Every few days you may see in the
newspapers illusions by criminal court
judges to the connection between juve-
nile crime and the demoralizing pres
entations just mentioned. This bill
proposes the examination and censor
ship Of picture films so that tainted
and diseased amusement may not be
sent out from about fifty film manufac-
turing firms and importing firms to
nearly 10000 moving picture theaters
to injure millions of immature persons
who daily see these productions"
W. Stephen Bush Of New York. rep
.esenting moving picture publication.
made defense of American made
moving pictures.
Respect for the ordinary decencies
If life characterizes the producers of
moving pictures" he said. ''They are
anxious to please not to offend 1t is
i fact that the American producers
supply not less than Is per cent Of the
worlds market Of moving pictures.
No matter where you go in Europe,
You will find a strong percentage Of
'ach program is made up Of pictures
made in this country Why? Because
he American pictures with negligible
are clean.
They are made by men whose ewes
md ears heed public taste and senti-
nent and who do not want to cater to
my morbid or depraved taste. Now.
censorship has been responsible in the
Countries Of Europe for:ia great de-
rease in the nun Der Of pictures made.
nd absolutely no good is accomplished
~ the censorship such as exists In |
tussia. Germany and other countries"
1T was brought out that Ohio. Kan
as. Pennsylvania and California exer-
Use censorships over moving pictures.
Boards of moving picture censorship
lso are in operation In many cities,
1nong them New York. San Francisco
'hicago and Cleveland. Censorship
avs are applied to- the business in
Germany. Austria, Denmark.
,ussia and Canada
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