The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-13
SEES DANGER IN
 PICTURE THEATRES
wv. H. Winn Thinks Certain Features Need Attention
 of the Authorities

w. II. Winn in letter to The Age-Her- aid points out certain conditions in Bir- ming hams moving picture shows which he thinks should have the attention of the city authorities. He writes as fol- lows:
 To the Editor of The Age-H erald;
 On the momentohs subject of the festive jitney. the city commissioners have spent many hours of wracling travail plus a tremendous nflietion of oratory. of the psrfervid variety. And now the agony is apparently over. We have an altogether lovely set of regulations and as the jit- neys are ast disappearing. probably they may be easily enforced, or. better still, scrapped in the limbo of whereases and therefores that have died ahorning
 Hence at present we are without a local problem-a condition insufferabe to true Firming and doubtless distaste- fui to commission that believes in earn ing its wage.
 Now. why cannot Jitney Jim, Gentleman George and old Man Aye Oh grd them up In the middle and start something? Why not launch q torpedo at the jitney shows? They carry any number of con traband inconNeniences and not few dangerous explosives. Besides, they have crused around without restriction until all that some of them lack to look per fecty natural Is a black flag at the peak. For instance, 1t is d common occurrence for people to be inveigled by broadside announcement of picture only to dis cover at a nickel or a dime shot that something else Is being run inside while the curtain tells you that what you thought you was going to see will be shown next day or next week Why not make the pirates come ID to spechca- tions?
 The city commission won't allow you to ride the rods of jitney. any more, and public sentiment would undoubtedly uphold a Birmingham Railway. Light and Power company strap hanger in any deed of violence righteous indigna ation might lead him up to- yet the aisles and Hobbies of the movies are constantly chol1ed with patrons who have paid for seats but who are compelled to stand and admire or cuss the prevailing style of millinery, ac- cording to his or her temperament. Why not close the ticket window when the house Is sold out? Certainly this would meet with everyone's approval and might be the means of preventing another ca- tastrophe. Birmingham Is learning, but we have one peculiarty here-we insist on paying a stiff price for our knowledge.
 With the Birmn gham style of theatre construction an explosion In the operat-
 ing room tsoft pedal that flreproof ioke) would cut off the escape of nine-tenths if not the whole of the audience. Be the desire to escape due to actual danger or mere panic. when il takes hold of crowd somebody ia going to get hurt and the knowledge that as blazing furnace stands between yon and the door Is not calculated to inspire one with the calm and gallantrv of lawn tennis party.
 Why not avoid another investigation or "a bnormal conditions and the necessity of finding an angora by arranging the machines in the rear of the building so that the audience may. face the street, and therefore have an unohstructed exit in case of emergency? W. n. WYNN. West End, May 12 1915.