New Britain herald., 1916-09-16

Vote to Report Progress to
 Common COuncil-Theater
 Managers Heard.
 "a After two hours of listening to the #bjections of local managers of mov- @ g picture houses, and discussion on 8le proposed appointment of a censor
 govern the exhibiting of pictures in X ais city, the ordinance committee last
 ght voted to report progress to the HHommon council next Wednesday and R ask for more time to study the question. There Is no doubt that the @olVlng Of this problem will cause considerable trouble if it be under
 zaken, for in the words of Councilman
 rancis T. McDonough, there is no #aember of the ordtnanceecommitte or 2he common council who Is qualified Xo match his opinion against that of &he national board of censors under
 Those drectionall pictures which are
 hown in local playhouses are cen- Bored.
 No one appeared at the hearing to 8peak in favor of the ordinance to se- &eot @ board of censors. The recom- #nendat1on from the council at it's May &neeeting based on 8 petition from the School board that an ordinance be #rafted was all that was shown to fa-
 For the project. None of the members |Bf this board was present to speak. 1t @bfng said that that the superintendent Bf chools was ill the building although she was not at the hearing. That the members of the committee were not much enlightened by some of the ar guments presented by the theater Inen was shown when at the close of Ehe hearin, Councilman Steiner said: Well, have not learned much about The proposition yet. All that I heard tonight was the way MT. McMahon runs his theater and the name of the feature film.'' Chairman Mueller also stated that the common council had given the committee a stupendous task to undertake.
 It was shortly after o'clock when the committee settled down to busness with the following members present: Mueller, chairman; Coun- eilmen McDonough, Steiner, Arata, and Porter. The following -heter men were in attendance: w. J. of Foxs theater, George of the Scenic, and P. $. Me- Mahon of Keeney's. Judge J. B. Coop er was present for a few minutes. After the opportunity had been given s1le opponents of the censorship idea to speak, and none appeared, the .heater managers were called.
 Mr. McMahon was lead-off man. Af- .er explaining the length of time that ne was in the business in this city, he assured the committee that he had never with messed a picture passed by he national board that was not fit for anyone to see. He went back to the 0rimitve days of the art and spoke of he changes that were made in regard 10 eliminating objectionable scenes. He Believed that any scene that is in any way objectionable could not pass the board. He did not believe hat a manager would jeopardize the Popularity of his theater by allowing an immoral picture to be shown.
 Chairman Mueller asked, Are all pictures fit for children to witness?"
 Wants Censor for Library.
 "Oh, couldn't say as to that" was answer. after some delib- sration. Continuing, he said that at ais house Wild West pictures and ,ther stories such as books in the H- 1rary have are shown, and he believed hat if a censor was appointed for pie ures there should be @ censor for the library. MT. McMahon then asked Chairman Mueller if there was not an ordinance governing picture houses. We are here to draft one," was the 'ep1y.
 Well, the chief Of police and the mayor have the power to stop pictures which re considered unfit. The draft ng of an ordinance is going to cause ot of trouble,'' MT. McMahon said.
 Chairman Mueller asked MT. Me Mahon his views in giving 0 perform tnce for children on SataurdaN after 1oons MT. McMahon's views did not indicate a success for the undertaking. He ended his remarks by saying: You fellows can say whether or not there shall be pictures for children"
 Again pressed for an opinion by Chairman Mueller in regard to the living of shows for the children, MT. said he didn't see any need of it. "What Is your idea of a chill dren's show?" asked MT. McMahon of Chairman Mueller. The Third Ward answered that the board was sitting to get his ideas and not to give them out
 Would Be Inconvenience.
 Councilman Porter asked if the of such an ordinance would lnf1ict an inconvenience on theater owners MT. McMahOn replied that 1t would as it would mean that each
 he hn chO ba- fore the first performance and a. man would have to be detailed for the job.
 T wish that I had thought of it aud
 would have had a man here from
 New York from the Moving Picture
 World to tell about the manner 1T
 which pictures are selected and cen