The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-02-07
Charge of Admission Justi-
fed BY Dishonest Excuse,
Allege Ministers in Reso-
luton of Strong Protest
Adopted At Large Meet
ing.
Suggest Censorship of Films
Displayed on the Sabbath
and Recall Words of vii
liam Pinkerton on Influ-
ence of underworld"
Movies.

The Bridgeport Pastors asso citation
makes attempt to nnince words in
a resolution of protest condemning
Mayor Wilson and his police board,
for the new policy of charging admis-
sion to the Sunday moving picture
shows.
Dishonesty is the EXCUSE" of the
administration for authorizing the
charge for admission. is one of the
phrases of the resolution.
A recreation commission is need
ed, the pastors believe, to supervise
the whole matter of Sunday enter
tainments, to the end of eliminating
the illegal and mischievous feature
of private proft-making on Sunday
The Sunday moving picture shows
are proving a Bonanza to the local
theatres. For a very small additional
charge, the theatres are able to ar
range their film service so as to get
enough material for a Sunday pro-
gram.
Because of the readiness with
which the public has responded to
the Sunday shows, programs of
mediocre merit have been strong
enough to pack the theatres.
The pastors want the films used on
Sundays censored, and the association,
in it's resolution calls all men and
organizations interested in good citi-
zenship'' to join in the protest against
mayor and police board"
The resolution adopted at a meeting
today follows
THE Bridgeport Pastors assoc
citation hereby earnestly protests
against the recent order of the
mayor and the police commission
ers permitting the charging of
admission fees to moving picture
shows on Sundays.
This action is illegal. The
mayor is charged by our city char
ter to be vfgilant and active in.
causing the laws to be executed
and enforced. 1t is inconsistent
with his former policy. Less
than two months ago the mayor
announced that no admission
fee should be charged or tickets
sold 1t is against sound public 1
policy. Commentaries is the
one line which government can
draw in protecting the inestimable
blessings of a free Sunday with
out debating its individual observ-
ance.
4The excuse that riots occur
at the movies through admitting
people without tickets itself :
proves dishonesty in the coupling
of attempts to compel contribu-
tions with pretence of obeying
the law. It is not conformity to
the law but this attempt to make
contributions compulsory that has
produced disorder. A genuinely
voluntary collection will prevent
riots effectively.
t'This pretext, with other seri-
Gus considerations. only empha-
sizes the need of placing the
whole matter of Sunday enter
tainments in charge of a recrea-
ton commission, thus eliminating
the Illegal and mischievous fea-
ture of private profit-rnaking on
Sunday. ~ -
Motion pictures have splendid
possibilities for good, but also
very l1urtful possibilities for evil
William A. Pinkerton, the famous
detective, has told a. convention Of
police chiefs that & he regarded
moving pictures, in their depic-
ton. of the underworld, as among
the most insidious suggestions of
evil in the country today, espe-
cially in their effect on boys:
Bridgeport does not want this sort
of thing allowed without over
sight or restraint in its theatres
on Sunday nights.
1--WE invite all men and organf-
cations. interested in good citi-
zenship, to join in this protest
against an unlawful usurpation of
power by the mayor and police
board, and a policy itself harm
full to the moral welfare of our
city, and sure to lead to still more
serious consequences in the pres
ent breaking down of the protec-
ton of Sunday freedom and
peace
Rev. DR.. Sidney L. Gulick. mis-
sionary to Japan, addressed the as
ISOLATION this forenoon, on 1.-THE Re
sponsibi1ity of the United States for
the Peace of the WorId.'' DR.. Gulick
advocated that the churches start a
campaign to bring about peace and
to end the war now raging in Eur
He said the citizens of this country
had such a duty to perform and it was
also their duty to see that aliens who
come here are treated fairly.