New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-16
Motion Picture Censor Advocates
Creation Of Public Film Libraries
Secretary Cocks of National Board Urges the Step
as Best Way to Organize and Satisfy De-
mand for Educational Reels.

Cocks. land public film Libraries must
be established.
There Is more need for q public
library Of films than there ever was
for q public library Of books. and for
the following reasoni The book is an
individual property. Il can be read in
solitude; the individual can purchase
It if ne wants it. But the motion pict-
ure Is essentially a collective COM
modify. The individual can have a
desired motion picture only on eondi-
ton that large number Of other peo-
pie want the same picture az the sane
time.
"The public film library would differ
from public book Libraries in a very inn
portant particular. The book library
IS a free library, maintained st the cost
Of philanthroplsts or taxpayers The
public motion picture library would be
self-supporting enterprisej probably
/ it would be in time lucrative bust
ness.
"The public film library, dealing with
a sufficiently large number Of schools,
churches and other agencies. would be
able to draw on the worlds supply for
whatever film il wanted and TO ransack
the film output Of the last ten years.
Nest Of the negatives Che original
copies) Of good films, no matter when
or where made, have been preserved,
and fresh copies can always be pre-
pared
"The public film librarian would en-
courage, not discourage, the selection
Of programmes; he would study the
problem Of making film programmes
positively, consecutively educational
and at the same time magneti. dra-
matte, popular.
"a recent development in the me-
ckenics Of the film brings the possi-
bility Of a public educational film IL
brary right TO hand. Mr.. Edison has
newly perfected and patented device
for renovating injured and worn out
films. A film, after passing several
hundred times through the projecting
machine, becomes scratched, blurred
and sun spotted. Mr.. Edison's new
process removes these evidences OF use.
The Edison Company is prepared to
renovate any film for $40; it will fur
rish its own disused films, renovated,
fo7 500 a reel Old, worn out films can
usually be bought for $40 reel, no
matter by whom produced they can
be purchased at a still lower price in
the European market. The price Of a
new motion picture reel is 500, and
the price of a renovated reel would be
$40.
"As soon as a businesslike, we'll
stocked public film library was created,
the use of educational films would de-
velop rapidly. Churches as we'll as
schools, public libraries, Fairgrounds
in the evenings, would patronize the
library. Commercial show houses would
patronize it to obtain the programmes
for such children's matinees as are
now given in two theatres in co-opera-
ton with the Horace Mann School.
The present immediate market for edu-
cational films is no index to the real
demand. The public book Libraries
would not be popular unless they had
books on their shelves, nor would peo-
pie form reading habits II they were
unable to secure the books they want
ed. And this is exactly the situation
in motion pictures.
"The present virtual monopoly, held
by the commercial show house on the
motion picture, must be brokenj motion
pictures are of public advantage and Of
public necessity, and their use should
not be entirely dominated by the mer-
camille motive under the stress OF in
tense competition, high rentals and the
overstimulated taste Of an amusement
craving public. The public or Coop
erative film library, organized with a
special view TO the needs of commu-
nifty centre groups and civic forums,
self-supporting and lf-deyeloping,
would meet the problem"