The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-24
CH|LDREN'S WEEK
 BEGINNING TODAY WILL BE OBSERVED
Committee Reports on Censor ship of Moving Pictures. Effectiveness Depends on
 Sentiment of Public

Children's week, beginning today, and continuing through next Sunday. will be observed by the Sunday schools of Birmingham for the purpose of inter esting older people in the moral and spiritual development of child life
 Programmes will be carried out by the Sunday schools of the city adapted to local conditions and denominational needs. The central feature of the weeks schedule for many of the de- nominations will be the general meet ing when grown-ups will discuss The Religious Education of Children in the Home, the Church and the Community"
 CHILD AND COMMUNITY
 In the relation of the community life / to the child. the discussion of motion pictures for children will have part in the programme, with special reference 10 investigation of this subject by competent committee.
 As superintendent of the elementary department of children's work of the general Sunday school board of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, Miss Minnie Kennedy compiled statistics of lue survey. Ol HlOIlOn plcCureS In OrQer to secure An intelligent knowledge of conditions found. as these relate to the welfare of children. After a survey of the committee over a large section of the country Miss Kennedy submitted the following findings for the consid- eration of parents and Sunday school teachers:
 "A questionnaire of 10 points was put into the hands of capable men and women who volunteered to go as sur veyors," said Miss Kennedy, who con- tinued:
 "Thirty-five of the three hundred and eighty eight films observed were free from objectionable features. Some of these were clean, wholesome comedies, full of fun and free from vulgarity or slap stick crudities. Some had inter- esting plots that entertained without undue tension or nerve strain, while Lew contained a challenge to lofty thought and conduct All of the three types mentioned above are distinctly helpful, either from the standpoint of innocent amusement provided or be- cause of inspiration given. Part of the S5, however. while they did not contain any v of the points mentioned in the questonnalre, are nevertheless namby- pamby or insipids and hence are doubt full as to the influence exerted.
 The remaining 353 films each con- ldln one or more oDJectiona ble points. Sometimes all-of the 10 that are in-. cluded in the questaionnaire are found in the same film. Some of these points are particularly hurtful to adolescgnt boys and girls, who are in the period when their battlefield is in the realm of the emotions and when life stand ards and ideals are being made. Tn this group may be enumerated married in- trigue of unfaithfulness, divorce a nor ma solution for all problems, the in- terior of houses of i'll fame, gambling dens etc., immodest dress, smoking by girls and women, and the like.
 Boys and girls. of to 12 years of age also receive injury from the ele- .ments in moving pictures mentioned above, while details of crime, particu- larly of various types of dishonesty and z of what may be termed picturesque lawlessness,' are especially hurtful to them.
 Younger children also receive many hurtful impressions from seeing films shot through with the particular types of evil that are now under discussion They doubtless fail to grasp the import of much that is before them, but vari- ous incidents show that they oftentimes receive scars upon heart and spirit by continual attendance upon such pic tures."
 REMEDYING CONDITIONS
 In SpeaKlng or the remedy for the conditions as stated by the committee on survey, Miss Kennedy suggests
 There must be an accurate knowl- edge of these conditions before steps can be taken to remedy them. Parents and persons in authority should seek from every possible source information on the subject of moving pictures They should get in touch with agencies that, are doing constructive work in direc- tion of providing lists of carefully se- lected films, and thus familiarize them selves with those pictures that chill dren can attend with safety
 The National Moving Picture league of New York city is doing excellent work in this direction. iThey should i'm spect the billboards displayed by nov ing picture theatres; they should read the articles relative to this subject that have appeared in recent magazines
 Adequate censorship must be pro- vided. This is possible only when pub lie opinion demands and sustains it.
 Theatres must be secured where only good films free from the objec- tionable points discussed above. will be presented. This is being done in some communities.
 The home. the church, and the com munity must be made to realize the urgent need for providing adequate recreation for children and young peo- pie. so that attendance on moving pie lures will be but an incident in pro- gramme of recreation activities"
 Miss Kennedy suggests that the problem is primarily one for parents, that theirs is both the burden and the responsibility. In co-operation with the parents many of the Sunday , schools of the city will give this sub- Ject serious consideration during the next few days while meetings are held in observation of "Children's Week." HUNDRED MILLIONAIRES