The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-06
FATE OF SUNDAY MOVIES HANGING ON THE THURSDAY MEETING OF BOARD Pastors and Laymen Ask Commission to Close These Places of Amusement TAYLOR SUBMITS
 UNIQUE FIGURES Shows How Largely Confis- cation of Liquor Has In- creased Since He Went
 Into Office

Birmingham will know Thursday afternoon whether motion pictures houses will be allowed to operate on Sunday in the future as has been the case for the past two years or more' when the city commission meets in an adjourned session to decide the question definitely.
 While no member of the commls- sion would state how he expected 10 vote on this issue Thursday, from pointed questions asked the members of the board informally and the an- swers received, it seems foregone conclusion that movie fans of Blr- mingham will soon have to seek avenues of amusement for their Sab bath pastimes other than attending local photoplays.
 The question was presented to the city commission yesterday morning
 by delegation composed of 27 leading
 ministers and laymen of the city who are opposed to the continuation of the
 present policy of the commission or allowing the picture shows, to operate
 on Sunday.
 The Rev. J. M. Broadly, pastor Of the
 Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church, and chairman of the Laymen's and Pas tors committee, made the first speech and headed the delegation Dr. l.. '. Branscomb, editor of the Alabama Christian Advocate; Dr. Albert Sidney Johnson, pastor of the South High lands Presbyterian church; Dr. H. H. Hibbs, pastor of the Ruhama Baptist church at East Lake, and Dr. George R. Stuart, pastor of the First Meth odist church, also addressed the com mission upon the question.
 The feature of the meeting was the
 statement of Commissioner John H.
 Taylor, of the department of public
 safety, who asked the ministers as
 they were leaving to listen to state
 ment that he had prepared which he
 wanted to read to them.
 TAYLOR SUBMITS FIGURES .T want to show you a few figures" said MT. Taylor. There has been some talk here in Birmingham to the effect that the plain clothes men of my de- pa rtment have not been performing their duty as they should. I do not want to make any grandstand play, but do want all of you to listen while read you two figures. The bone-dry
 law went into effect in Birmingham last July 1. During the four months following there were TIP quarts of liz quor confiscated by the detective de-
 partment I came into office then
 During the past three months there
 have been 1866 quarts confiscated
 Those figures should mean some thing"
 Commissioner Taylor was congratu- lated.
 The speakers opposed the operation of the movies on Sunday for the reason that they believe that the observance of the Sabbath should be rigidly enforced You will remember,'' said Dr. Broadly, that two years ago the commissioners repealed the law which allowed moving picture shows to remain open Sundays For time everybody was happy, and there seemed to be no demand for Sun day pictures. Then the theatres were allowed to open upon the request of the proprietors. The people interested in the proper training of the young people of the city protested A petition signed by more than 25,000 persons was pre- sented to the commissioners in protest to the Sunday moving pictures. Lay men in immense mass meetings asked that the law be repealed, and that the shows be made to close on Sundays. The commissioners refused to respond. ' DIR. STUART URGES OBSERVANCE I've would be mighty poor preachers, ' said Dr. Stuart, If we did not try to work for the observance of the Sab bath day Tn every way we can. When a city does not observe this day it loses its morality. When it loses it's morality | it loses the foundation upon which 1t
 must stand.
 "All glory to the men who have tried to enforce the observance of the Sab- bath. All glory to the men who eat plain light bread and cold ham and ob- serve the Sabbath"
 1 Final action on the matter was de- ferred until Thursday morning at 10 o'clock, when an adjourned. session of | the commission will be held.