New Britain herald., 1916-01-14
WEEKS BATTLE ON FILM CENSORSHIP
House Committee on Education
 Hearing Arguments
Especial to the Herald)

night on the house committee on Education that is to continue for six week nights for two hours and half each with equal division of time between the churches and welfare societies, on the one hand, and the motion picture interests on the other. The issue is the Smith Hughes bill to esta blish motion picture com mission to license interstate films lit to be seen. The bill authorizes the president to appoint with the consent of the senate, motion picture com mission of five persons to have such supervision by the aid of deputies over the great motion picture inter- ests as the interstate commerce com- mission has over the great railroad interests. The expense IS to De pro- vided by small fee of one dollar for each one thousand feet of film, which the law require to be reduced If found to be more than sufficient to replace the modest appropriation Of S40ooo a year The only films which the bill authorizes the commission to sup press-this is done by refusing copy right and interstate commerce privi- leges-are those that depict a bull fight''--these are already excluded by previous legislation--s,nd those that are "obscene, immoral, inhuman,' or are "of such a character that by it's exhibition would tend to impair the health or corrupt the morals of chll- dren or adults, or incite to crime.
 Advocates First.
 The advocates of the bill first had their innings, led by Rev Wilbur F. Crafts, Ph D., of this city, superln- tendent of the international reform bureau, who followed the reading Of the bill with the reading of the unan- imous report in it's favor made in the last congress after full hearings on both sides by the house commit tee on education as then constituted. It now contains seven new men. The following short extract sufficiently in dicates the trend of this report.
 The necessity for censorship of motion pictures is beyond question. With the acknowledgement of the need of censorship both by the mo- tion-picture interests and the public they serve, the question arises as to what shall be the censorship and who shall do the censoring. The National Board of Censorship at New York City is composed of rep of various moral and civic organizations. The ex- penses of this board are paid by some of the leading motion-picture inter- ests, and it has no legal authority At the request of the manufacturers this board passes upon the pictures. It is estimated that from S5 to 95 per cent. irt1I in try are passed upon by this unofficial board.
 Numerous Official CensOrS.
 Tn addition to this voluntary board there are numerous official censors, both state and municipal. The estab- lishment of such large numbers of these local boards clearly demon strates the inadequacy of the so- called National Board of Censorship which by it's very unofficial chara cter cannot exercise effective censorship. Though it were to exercise a careful and intelligent censorship over 95 per cent of all pictures, still there would remain per cent. which could be immoral and unfit to be shown. It is only fair to assume that those pie lures which are most objectionable will not voluntarily be submitted for censorship. An unofficial board which has not the right to examine 100 per cent. of the pictures is in reality not board of censorship, but a board of recommendation and approval. As a matter of fact. evidence before the committee discloses that a very con- siderable percentage of the pictures approved by the unofficial board are declared by the local boards unfit for exhibition.
 The character of the motion-pic- ture industry renders state and muni- cipal censorship inadequate Notion picture films are essentially articles of interstate commerce. They are not manufactured for use in any one state or municipality, but practically every picture is exhibited in all of the states of the union and many are exported. Innumerable inspections by local boards work great hardships on the industry. In the absence of any official federal censorship, the states and cities are finding it neces- sary to establis these local boards to prevent the exhibition of immoral in decent, and obscene pictures. The only adequate method of censorine motion pictures is to be had in federal commission"
 Letter from Shawkcy.
 Dr. Crafts then read as proof that more censorship is needed letter rom Hon. Nj. r. Shawkey, state super lhtehdent or education of West Virgin la III Whlch survey of the pro- grams presented on the princina, street of the state ca pitaI for , ,,,a,4, was then summarized:
 Good and not bad .......25ro
 bad and very bad ..........75<o
 Cigarettes were shown in .35fc
 bi iiih Ill 5Uto
 Gun play and murder in 5Oco
 Deceit, intrigue, jealousy or treach-