Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-09-17
MANAGERS WANT
SUNDAY MOVIES
Theatre Heads Will Soon Start
Campaign to Open Movie
Houses on Sabbath
FORM NEW ASSOCIATION
For Mutual Protection and to
Work for Open Houses
for Patrons

The managers of all the theatres in
this city met yesterday and formed
the Perth Amboy Theatrical Managers
Association with the chief objects OF
the body to promote the general well
fare of the theatrical business in this
city and to obtain the opening of the
motion picture houses In this city on
Sundays.
There will doubtless be, within a
short time an active and Vigorous
campaign waged by the managers to
bring about municipal action toward
permitting the use of the theatres on
Sundays for the exhibition of motion
pictures. Just when the campaign
will be started or how it will be
brought about has not as yet been de-
The theatre managers are unani-
nous in their desire to have the
houses open on Sundays. They point
out that surrounding places and cities
and towns throughout the state at the
present time, allow their amusement
places ODE open. Tottenville draws
from this city many hundreds Of per-
sons on the Sabbath, who go there for
entertainment Newark also, is visit
ed by large numbers of persons on
Sundays. who attend the theatres Of
that city, the managers point out
Obviously they say, this is unfair TO
them and TO the patrons who are
forced to pay the car fares as well as
their admissions to the theatres.
The theatres have given the great
est possible aid to the government in
allowing Four Minute Men to speak
from thier stages. in allowing their
screens to be used to secure recruits
to aid the Red Cross and other causes
in their various campaigns, in pro-
noting the sale of Liberty Bonds and
thrift and war saving stamps, the
managers say.
They also point to the government
tax on admissions, which soon is to be
doubled and in addition to the other
taxes there is tax per day of fifteen
cents a reel on each reel shown. For
instance, II the theatre shows ten reels
of movies O day, tax Is $1,bO a daN
SO a week, or $46B a year.
The theatres are kept closed TO
Sunday under the old Jersey blue laws
which were put on the statute books
before the motion picture reached Its
present state of perfection. Under the
same law, no newspapers could be
sold, candy, cigar and ice cream
stores could be forced to close and.
in fact the towns could be so closed
down that no business at all would
be transacted. This law, they argue
is obsolete.
The managers also feel that Perth
Amboy should provide some enter
tainment for the soldiers and sailors
who are stationed here and who visit
here over the week ends, as well as
for the thousands of war workers,
many of whom are on the to IL
O'Clock shifts during the week and
thus are deprived of any possibility
of attending the theatre except on
Sundays.
Then, too, as a final clinching ar
gument, the managers feel that the
new gasless Sunday ruling of the fuel
administration deprives many persons
of their favorite recreation and that
in place of the usual Sunday auto trip,
the movies should be thrown open as
n place of recreation for them.
One of the objects of the associa-
ton also will be the protection of the
various managers rights and the pro-
lection as we'll of the rights of GER
tain picture franchises.