The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-02-10
HEARING ON MOVIE
CENSORSHIP BILL
Those in Favor Say It Is In Interest
of Public Mora as--opponents Say
It lG lmpractcable.


Montpelier, Feb. S.--That the mov.
ing picture censorship bill Is stirring
up much interest about the State was
shown when large number Of pee
pie appeared at the public hearing be.
fore the general comm ttee of the
Legislature this evening.
Those who spoke IN favor OF the
measure included the Rev Joseph Rey
nolds OF Winooski; Mr.. and Mrs. Dal-
las f. Pollard of Bur ington, the Rev.
II. b. Rankin Ct Newport; Senator Ira
Lafeur Of Middd.ebury; NJ II. SIN, tn
OF Landgroye; the Rev. F. ]. Knapp Of
Christs Church, Moz&perer. and 9th.
err.
Those who spoke against the meas
ure were George H. Almon, one OF the
proprietors Of the Play House at
Montpelier, Mr.. Bradley, representative
from Swanton and Judge Warner Gra-
ham OF Bellows Falls.
The Rev. Joseph Reynolds said
that il any per cent Of the moving
pictures menace the morals of the
State II 8 manifestly the duty Of the
Leg stature 10 regu ate this industry
He called attention to a specific case
Of two boys who had been convicted
OF stealing an automobile in Burling.
ton and who testified N court their
acts were the result Of seeing the
same thing done the movies.
Mr. Pollard thought the ch eff harm
done by pictures was the showing OF
crime pictures which stirred up crm-
inal ideas in the bra MS OF the younger
element Of the audience He did not
believe that local censorship would
work out WE'LL State censorsh p is the
on'y way to handle the matter As to
the cost OF maintaining the censor.
sh p board he declared that the f.
nahces would practically take care OF
themselves. He quoted figures to
show that there are enough moving
picture films used in the State so that
the charge for censoring would cover
the expense OF the board He declared
that the cost OF censoring could not
be more than $4,000 a year
Mr.. Almon OF Montpelier said that
he was ready tc cooperate II getting
better pictures, but he thought that
d national CENSORSHIP p rather than
State censorship would be more eflec-
tiy,
Mr. Bradley OF Swanton spoke Of
the work which the moving picture
house did during the war in spread
ing the propaganda Of the govern
ment, he thought with Mr., Almon
that national censorsh p Is the solu-
ton. Ii pictures should be censored
why not books also since the pictures
which are often called objectionable
are taken from books
The Rev II h. Rankin Of Newprt
said that the men who run the moving
Picture house confess that they can.
not control the pictures VIII ch are
sent to them ''lf this be true he
said they should be protected They
ought to be glad to have this censor
ship"
Judge Graham cG Bellows Falls
spoke effectivly in opposition TO the
bill He told Of the way the moving
p cture house his town in which he
is interested, Is being kept c'ean, and
said there had been no complaint as
to the pictures shown there Until
there is some such complaint, he
thought It bad pol cy tc put the mat.
ter OF censorship in the hands of the
Stat'.
This Is not q matter for the govern
ment to handle said Judge Graham.
There is more cause to criticize the ad
vert sing d splayed in the posters than
in the NOV es themselves, he added