Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1917-01-26
MONTPELIER. Jan. ID

MONTPELIER, Jan. "a.
The house this morning began to use
the AK, five bills of minor Importance
being killed. In all cases these bills
were reported adversely.
In the senate Senators Villas and Peck
of Chittenden again introduced several
bills, putting them easily in the lead
as the long distance bill introducers of
the session.
Together Peek and Villas have intro
duced % senate bills out of a total of
Al.
The most important bill introduced
this morning was the measure to in
crease the salary of fish and game com
missioner to $4,000 a year.
There was Il lively hearing last even
ing before the senate committee which
has in charge the Dunton "movie -
bills. The senator appeared in person
and defended the bills in an eloquent
speech in which he referred to condi-
tions in Portland, Oregon, aud else
where whore immoral conditions of n
most startling nature had been charged
to the demorali2ing atmosphere of
the movies.
The doctor particularly condemned
sensual and lustful presentations !"
which he described as having been de-
pictcd on the screen and he urged the
committee to establish standard Of
morality therefor.
Hiram l.. Miller of Lynn, Mass, for
merly principal of the academy in
West Brattleboro, criticised the Ian
guage of the bill, particularly the
word "vulgar," which he said had no
definite, legal meaning.
"Tberc is no more reason" he said
&" for a censorship of motion pictures
than of a newspaper, magazine, novel.
speech or sermon. The analysis which
the speaker has read of a screen drama
would apply to any great work of lit
erature. 1t would apply to Shakes
peare. the Bible or George Eliot s
great book, Adam Bedc.'
Orrin G.. Cocks, secretary of the ma
tional board of censorship, gave Il
concise account of the work of the vol
untarv association of which he is a
part
"Our standards have been progress
sivc.' he said. eve found pictures
which We're making light of the clergy
and of religious ceremonies of various
kinds. Such pictures have been elm
mated. We We're faced by the problem
Of the so-called white slave pictures
and decided that they did more harm
than good. No more pictures of this
sort will be shown.
1.-The so-callad educational pictures
regarding habit-forming drugs have
been eliminated. After showing the
great film Hypocrisy in which nude
figure was displayed, we decided that
there should be no more nudes.
every recently n decision has been
arrived at which will eliminate all
pictures having sensual, salacious or
prurient motive"
Mr.. Cocks closed his argument by an
appeal for constructive instead of de-
structivc regulation.
Rev. II. x. Shcrburne and Rev. Will
liam Shaw of Montpelier made brief
arguments i'll behalf of the Dunton
bills.
The first organized opposition to the
governors program developed before
the house agricultural committee when
Senator Kicker of Caledonia county
appeared as the champion of separate
department for the livestock commits
sioner. Fred l.. Davis of Hartford,
the incumbent of the Office, also APP
peared before the committee and told
in detail why separate Office was nee
essary for proper protection of Yer
mont live stock.
1t is freely predicted that this first
administration bill to consolidate the
offices of commissioner of agriculture
state forester and livestock commits
TONER would meet with determined
opposition in the senate and might be
defeated.