The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-01-28
A MOVIE CENSOR
IN EVERY CITY
IS INTRODUCED
REPRESENTATIVE HoRcH EN-
HAS A DRASTIC MEASURE.
CITY HAS ABSOLUTE CONTROL
Censor Board to Examine All Films
Before Shown.-Mayor and Chief
of Police Must Have know
edge of Pictures.

Des Moines, Jan! 26.- Tome censor
ship of miving pictures police au.
thorities in every city in re state is
provided in a bill introduced in the
Iowa legislature today by Represent
alive r. J. Horchem of Dubuque.
Absolute control of moving picture
houses is given the city council by
his measure. They may appoint a
censor board to examine all films be-
fore shown or they may leave ii up
to the proprietor to pass on the moral
ity of mis- own pictures and if he VOL
ates the trust close his theatre for
three months, and punished by an ad-
ditional fine of $1,000.
The Horchem bill provides: The
exhibition within this state of moving
pictures or scenes which are immod-
est or immoral in character or tend
encies, or which tend to familiarize
the youth of the community with
crime or wrong doing or scenes OF
violence or to portray the acts of life
of criminals or lawlessness in any
form is forbidden. All violations OF
this section shall be punished by a
fine not exceeding One Thousand
Isl .000.0O) Dollars.
No moving picture show or exhibit
ton of moving pictures shall be main
tanned or given in any city or town OF
this state, unless a license authoriz-
ing the same shall have been granted
to the proprietor thereof by the prop
er city or town authorities. 1t shall
be the duty of the governing body OF
the several cities and towns of this
state within sixty days from the pas
sage of this Act to adopt an ordinance
providing the manner and terms OF
such license and the fee to be paid
therefor
1t is hereby made the duty OF the
mayor or head of the city or town
government and of the head or chief
of the police department to obtain
knowledge of the pictures exhibited
from time to time within the corpor-
ate limits, and if in any manner it is
made to appear that there is ground
for believing that any licensed exhib-
| itor is or has been exhibiting any
pictures in violation of the first sec
ton of this Act, a charge in writing
to that effect shall be laid before the
council or governing body of the mu-
nicipality to be heard after due notice
of not less than two days to the H.
censee or his agent in charge Of the
show.
If upon hearing it is determined
that the charge is we'll founded, then
the license held by such party shall
ton shall be closed and no new H.
cense shall be issued to him or to
any one in his employ as agent or for
his use and benefit in any form until
after the lapse of three months. A
second violation Of the provisions OF
this act shall rebar the granting Of
Iany further license to the person
guilty thereof or to any company or
corporation of which he is member.
| The council or governing body OF
the cities and towns Of this state,
may, by ordinance, provide for the
appointment and compensation OF one
or more competent persons to whom
shall be submitted for examination
anu dppiONCh III oh oAiNS u 'AAN'' ~
hibitiOn, the pictures proposed to be
shown in such city or town and pro
viding that only the pictures approved
by such examiners shall be shown oil
exhibited, and further providing thai
a violation of the ordinance shall re
woke the license held by such party
and cause the closing up OF the place
OF exhibition.
The provisions OF this act, save
those contained in the first section
thereof. shall not apply to exhibitions
given by religious, educational o.
benevolent institutions.