The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-06
Closing the Theaters.

To the Editor of The Gate City:
To one who knows something of the
business, and knows the value of a
properly conducted theater to any
community, 1t seems vastly unfair
that more appreciation does not come
to the local playhouses and to this
important industry in general.
1t should be remembered that the
man who runs theater Is in the
retail business in just the same way
as the clothier, the jeweler, the shoe
man. He sells amusement. Theater-
men here have invested in buildings,
equipment, deposits on contracts.
ETC., more than the average Main
street merchant has in his business.
These theaters employ more Keokuk
people and are under larger daily
overhead expense than are Is per cent.
of the Keokuk merchants.
The local theaters give literally to
every charity and public benefit that
comes along; they pay city, county
and state taxes, as does any other
business concern, and they pay city
license and government license,
both of which the average merchant
in other lines is not called upon to
pay.
In our big war, people of the stage
and screen, through their efforts and
from their own purses, raised bill
lions of dollars for Liberty loans,
Red Cross and kindred war activities.
Through the ticket and film excise
taxes, Keokuk theaters alone have
furnished more than $4,000 to war
purposes in the past year.
Everywhere the theaters have free
ly given their screens for slide adj
vertising in Liberty loans, war chart
ties, food and coal conservation and
other activities for the country's well
fare; they have given their stages to
the Four Minute speakers, and by
their general cooperation have
secured publicity for war work the
success of which. could never have
been achieved in any other way
Some eminent persons have said
that without the magnificent help of
the theaters, and of the stage and
screen profession, it would have been
almost impossible to put over the
money demands that have been made
on the people. Certain it is that no
other single industry has done more
for our great cause.
One thing more. Great satisfac-
ton is felt among the Keokuk mer-
chants when circus is coming to
town. 1t means money spent here by
the neighboring people, and the cir
Gus people spend something in the
/ town. Think a minute. Your one
combination stage and picture theater
brings more real shoppers and show
people TO Keokuk in year than two
circuses would bring. More money is
spent in Keokuk, and the receipts of
the shows are not all carried away,
either but remain to be spent again
in Keokuk.
The theaters while blamed for all
the bad ideas that children and gen
eral mankind absorb. in reality far
Offset any bad influence they may
have by their unlimited facilities for
instructing. Schools and books can
never achieve what the motion pic
ture has accomplished educationally.
In the present Influenza situation
| it ia not absolutely established that
crowding promotes spread OF the dis
ease. II is significant fact that
throughout the small epidemic here
employees of local theaters have met
and mingled with the crowds, night
after night, for hours at time and
lutIe has uOL Dttu d case VI
influenza among managers, doormen
ushers or other employees of a Keo-
kuk theater. Then why blame the
epidemic on the theaters?
| Both Keokuk theaters are provided
with an efficient ventilating system.
Are the stores, factories. churches
and all the schools similarly
| equipped? If it is important that
there be neither sickness nor death
resulting from congregating in thea
tiers, surely a few weeks of school,
or church, or business in store or
factory is unimportant compared to
the lives of our people
! Come on. Let's appreciate what
splendid and vital industry is doing
! for us-and let's be on the square
with the theaters.
| AN OBSERVER
q