The Detroit times., 1916-10-21
The Movies
BY MoRDEN WARD.

! The moves lay claim 10 Delue
distinctively educational instiW
ton They point with pride 10 their
moral7ing influence upon society
| To assist i'm the bptterment OF SO
! Cial and economic conditions along
moral and educational lines is ever
their ambition.
They solicit public patronage be.
cause OF that fact and solely FOR
that reason. Amuse. educate, NOR
| alize, or better educate and deyel
! on morally by means OF a well SO
| lected system OF amusement
! kindergarten for tots and grown
ups" espresso the enthusiast
view Of what the motion pictures
aspire 10 be.
BEYOND question the picture
shows may be made-are being
made most potent power for
good in community or city. No
/ public forum except the daily press
reaches so many people as the NOV
! les Consequently no institution Is
| so situated 10 WELD great influence
! for good or evil or has imposed
upon II so great r Responsibilities
am always slow 10 suggest so
1 a man or set OF men that their bus
mess need constitute grounds fhr
political or quasi-political actiyitios.
| but when a business advantage IT,
an adjunct To a measure that is
based upon sound moral, social and
economic principles. 10 point ont
that fact adds weight 10 any sug
gestion made in connection there
with.
THAT is the exact situation OF the
movies in the present dry campa'er
| in Michigan The effort 10 With
| draw consent 10 issue saloon p .
| >cnses i'm the state is not based p~i
mnrily upon business reasons. and
good business in every line Of
! Industrial or economic activitio@
| demands that II be done In no
.usinesS Us that demand more en-
7hatic than in that OF motion pic
! lures Wherever a city. town or vii.
lagc has closed the saloons the
movies have prohted.
The following letter will need no
~xplanation
J. r Noble Esq
Vancouver " &.
Dear Sir Answering your inquiry
a. 10 how prohi bition has affected
our business here IN Seattle. v'Ieh
- say since T7nuar. I 'al6 our bus
meas has doubled. and think u Is the
! heFt thing that ever happened the
stat" OF Washin Ston. and has made
more pleasure for the women aud
! chlldren ss shown by their attend
/ anc" az this theater afternoon and
L. myself certainly believe in dr..
Yours ree2ectfuuv
GRO "a TEEr4
/ Asst Manage Ht7podroile Thcat~r
This condition not only obtains
/ in Seattle. which by the way Is
city Of over 100000 people and
fair index 10 what may be expected
10 happen in Detroit. but the re-
ports are the same all over The
country The reason IS plain :
man who spends his time ana mon
ey in saloon evenings. allows his
wife 10 have neither time nor
money to take the children 10 mo-
! ton picture show. The man does
not spend his money for drink be-
cause he needs il. or even wants it
He does so largely from habit and
always because OF convenience
Remove the convenience that the
saloon affords and few mon will
drink or care 10 drink. This Is not
only a sensible view OF il but II g.
the experience in every nor. saloon
city or community. Men drink from
habit and convenience Remove .
the convenience which the saloons
afford and ninety per cent OF the .
drink ceases and the other 10 per
cent serves only the more 10 cause .
society 10 frowa upon II Were the (
movies in Detroit and Wayne .
county 10 unite with the other edu- .
cational. moral and religious innu /.
ences TO drive out tho saloon they I
would not only be acting in strict !
accord with the reputed object OF /
their existence. but would be follow
ing the very best possible method /
Of increasing their business. When |
an institution can embrace an on .
portunity 10 show it's value 10 so .
ciety in general and all its money .
drawer at the same time IL is us
ually not slow 10 embrace il. +
When the churches. the schools. /
the temperance societies and other /
moral and religious organizations /
are at work. II is time for the mo- /
ton picture men TO get into the /
game with them
The Michigan dry movement pre-. /
sents the best opportunity the mo.
vies have ever had 10 demonstrate I
their usefulness 10 society and IN
cidentally increase their income.