The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-24

Few comprehend the magnitude of
| the motion picture industry. BY good
authority IL Is estimated to be NTH
| in the United States from the stand
point OF capital involved. AS a factor
| in instruction, amusement and general
influence, IL has few parallels and is
yet In It's infancy.
! Because OF its proportions and the
Legitimacy of its object, it is entitled
! to consideration from the government.
| both State and national But the gov
eminent in It's consideration must not
! overlook the duty IL owes to Its ciu-
Zens The state must not forget that
countless thousand view motion pic
lures daily, that a great percentage
OF these are children of tender years
/ whose minds and lives are being
shaped by their environment, and that
/ by reason OF the marvellous manner
! in which a motion picture appeals to
( the mind through the eye, each day
there go forth innumerable sugges-
! lions for good or evil. dependable upon
+ the character of the film witnessed
! Therefore there can be no question or
more vital concern TO the State
One can scarcely believe that film
companies produce pictures unft for
public exhibition. Nevertheless. they
do. Not long since a large number of
the legislators of Ohio visited the
projecting room OF the censor offices
to witness eliminations that had been
ordered by the board Some women
who were Interested bowed their
heads in shame and took their depar
ture 1t will not be denied but that
1t is often a difficult matter to deter
mine the merits or dement's of photo
play. However, II will be agreed by
every intelligent and respectable citi-
zen OF the State that when Aim or
part Of the same Is manifestiy within
any Of the following classes the right
to exhibit it should be forever pro-
hibited
Pictures of a sensLous nature which
tend to excite sexual passions.
/ Pictures intended to blaspheme the
( Deity and bring into disrepute the
Christian religion.
Pictures of a coarse. vulgar charac-
/ ter containing scenes of suggestion.
Pictures which unduly aggraVate
religious strife and hatred.
! Pictures assembled in such a man
ner that they become technical lessons
in crime and immortality.
! Pictures which arouse race preju-
( dice and are mob-inciting in their ma
ture
iNtui rr SSChSS ~ BhASl~
| ~ and gruesome that they are dan
! gerous for women and children to be-
hold.
! Pictures that proclaim traitorous
and anarcfytcal doctrines and those in
tended to ridicule the legally consti-
! tuted authority of the nation and
! State
! Pictures of every kind and charac-
ter wherein the evil shown outweighs
/ the moral of the story.
/ Should Not BE Exhibited.
| II certainly will not be disputed that
pictures clearly within any of the
above classif1cations should not be ex-
hibited. This being true. the prob
! lem confronts the State as to the most
logical means to employ TO protect
its citizens. especially children, against
dangerous and harmful films. To this
/ there Is but one solution. which is
censorship
In April. 1918, The Ohio Legisla-
ture in its wisdom passed law es-
tablishing the Ohio Board of Censors
to consist Of three members. said law
requiring that all Aims be passed upon
by this board before being exhibited
in the State, A penalty was provided
against anyone who exhibited a film
that had not been approved, The
board began censering on September
"a 1918. and continued until Deem
Der 81, 1919. when the work was sus-
pended pending n decision by the
United States Supreme Court on the
constitutionality of the law This de-
cision was rendered In April, 1914, and
settled the proposition that exhibiting
| motion pictures does not come within
: the constitutional provision relative tc
free speech and the press In other
words. IT decided specifically that a
! State has right to regulate the ex-
hihition Of motion pictures.
As is true with all new laws. the
legislators could not foresee the many
contingencies to arise Hereunder
} Some of the film companies and ex-
changes took advantage Of the law in
many WAYS. They counterfeited the
stamp OF approval of said board and
took the stamp of approval given for
an approved film and placed II upon
a Aim which had been rejected. Yet
the exhibitor was the only party who
could be prosecuted and the real wrong
doer would go free. In many instanc-
es II was found advisable - order
certain scenes eliminated '.ther than
reject the entire film. and Many times
the exchanges and film companies
failed TO make the Examinations. vet no
penalty was attached
In 1918 bill known as the Besa W
Act was introduced In the General
Assembly. This act sought to make
the original law more worka BILE and
effective, to correct the violations by
making the exchanges responsible, and
to cure many other defects relative to
it's enforcement
The National Board OF Censors,
which is a self-appointed organization
under the influence and control of the
MIN companies and which Is without
any legal status or authority TO en-
force its rulings. strenuously opposed
/ this amendment Their representative
occupied suite of rooms at the Neil
House in Columbus practically all dur
ing the last session of the Legislature
and vigorously lobbied against said
bill After this measure was carefully
considered IL passed both branches of
the Legislature with an overwhelming
! majority and will be In operation Au-
gust 81, 1918. unless a referendum
petition Is filed which will prevent it's
operation until the law is approved
or rejected at the November election.
Opposes Propaganda.
The motion picture propaganda as
a whole Is ever opposed to censorship
laws from financial standpoint. 1t
/ cost them 81 per 1000 feet as CEN
sorship fee in Ohio and of course is
an inconvenience TO them They and
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