The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-12-24
SUNDAY MOVIES
ARE LOCALIZED BY
THE Commission
Existing Ordinance Is So
Amended by a Vote of
Three to Two
MATTER is PUT UP
TO PROTESTANTS
Judge Weakley Makes Two-Hour
Speech Protesting Against Sunday
Movies as Illegal-Ward, Truss
and Barber Vote Together
by RICHARD f. LUssIER

For two hours yesterday morning Judge
Samuel d. Weakley argued on the fac
that the city commissioners would no.
enforce the law against Sunday NOV
Ing pictures, His remarks made such ar
it would break the law no longer and i
therefore legalized the Sunday movies
by passing an amendment to the offensive
ordinance. The new ordinance regarding
pictures on Sunday follows:
THE NEW ORDINANCE
'No.-C. An ordinance to amend sec
ton 1890 of the city code:
Be 1t ordained by the board of COM
missioners of the city of Birmingham
that section 1880 OF the city code is
amended SO as to read as follows, viz:
Working or Doing Business-Any
person who does any worldly bv7i-
ness or labor on Sunday, or who COM
pels any child, apprentice or servant
to perform any labor ON Sunday, eX-
cept the customary domestic duties of
daily necessity or comfort or work of
charity or who keeps open on Sunday
any store, shop, warehouse or other
building in which business Is trans
acted. or goods of any description are
kept for sale; or who sells or offers for
sale on that day any goods. wares or
merchandise druggists and clgar
dealers being excepted, and newspaper
dealers being allowed to keep open
until u O'Clock mo- must, on
&c nrnVi6a6
ton SOC of this code.
Provided, however, that the giving
CT high grade, strictly musical con-
certs or entertainment on Sunday and
the charging for admission thereto,
shall be lawful if such concert or
entertainment in nowise partakes of
a vaudeville performance, and in no.
wise furnishes entertainment in whole
or in part other than strictly mu-
steal.
provided, further, it shall not be
unlawful to operate high-grade NOV
Ing picture shows on sunday"
The amendment to legaaize Sunday NOV
ing pictures was passed SO quickly BIS
the united action of Commissioners Ward
Barber and Truss that it took severa
for the protestants against thu
whipsawed-that the buck had been neatly
passed up to them,
The question of Sunday moving pic
lures is now settled definitely and with
out equvocation. 1t is recorded on TN
minutes and on the city code that Il
shall not be unlawful to operate high
grade moving pictures on Sunday
The question of Sunday moving pic
lures was first agitated about two year
ago by The Age-Herald. Since that tim
the question has almost been poramo'- n
10 any ether issue in the city. Ye
~ rouehout the various debates staged a
tbe CITY hall in protest against Sunan'
.,,sovies the theatre managers hav
rever northumberland never attempts
to influence the actions of the commits
sionars in any WAY: the movo-~,e,,. 70
10 oneninr of the Sunday theatres beini
,,,erelv kent M by The Age-Herald il
resuorses 10 a strong public demand 70
INNOCENT entertainment on Sundays.
c,rrO>r re AuvrA CLED
ASiAo4> ~
AT first the opposltioh AGAINST 9ulieu
pictures was LED by the Fas.or u'iioi
This organization later PraeN0'tiS "i'
drew from the hSht wnlch was taheh u
by laymen coiiih'.'ee u 49, 49,,
f. Morgan was tne leauer' fo' ti'e 70,
two months MI morgan mas coh9iSteh'iS
and 1t must be admitted aply, rough
against Sunday pictures. ABOUT SIN "seN
ago the Sunday theatres We're opsuen q
the request OF commissioner Alhe i"ti
ber Commissioners WeathsiY an
Immediately after the opening of tn