Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-09
Prof. Woodruff Speaks
To st. Marks Club On
sMovie" Censorship Bill

as ~-------ss -
In Very Interesting Address Speaker
Points Out Features Of ths ~
Now Before Lcuislature-Mesting
Presided Over b. A. N. G. Soule,
President Of Club
A good sized gathering of members
Aurch assembled at the parish touse
Tuesday night to listen to . stirring
appeal. delivered by Prof. Frank
Woodruff Of Bowdoin College. for sup
port Of the bill now pending before
the Maine Legislature which If passed
would place the exhibition Of moving
pictures in this State under the control
of a board of censorship.
The meeting was opened by A M. g.
Souie. president of the club, who In
his remarks referred to the boys of
the parish who with himself attended
the state boys conference at Port
land last week. He said that : tSt.
Marks has every reason to feel proud
Of her boys and the showing they
made at this conference. One Of her
boys, Joseph Farnum, was chosen the
most popular boy from Kennebec cour-
ty and was accordingly. honored by
this conference. He said the keynote
of the conference was that no fear may
be had Of class friction or friction OF
the masses or Of the spread OF Boil
shevism in this nation IL capital ana
labor would become reconciled to each
other and would pattern after their
Master. the Man Of Gallilee.
Professor Woodruff opened his re-
marks by reading from SOME of the edo
itorials of The Worlds Work regarding
the nationwide movement looking. for
ward toward the control of the motion
picture btsiness. He said that the
greater part of the motion picture
business is for the good, and as yet its
use Is not much abused. The greatest
fear is that out of this good there is
something bad. The name of pic
ture Is no guarantee Of its cleanliness.
Some of it's elements are often unit
for the boy and girl of mature years
to witness and incites to crime. He
cited a recent exhibition of famour
perturbation of the immortal play
way DOWN Last, dHA ciidoSa ~ 49,
production on the screen as disgusting.
Local laws, he said, for obscene shows
we have, but the people are reluctant
to act and what we want is preven-
ton. Local managers at many times
are cooperative and are inclined to as
sist, but their control is imperative
because of their contracts with the
distributors.
He then took up the work and the
organization of the National Board OF
Review which, he said, in it's name
gave a false idea of it's intent and
lacked federal law and is supported
by the manufacturers Doubtless this
board has accomplished some good and
we should be grateful to them for it.
Four states have already passed and
have working censorship laws. There
are now FIVE bills before the Massa-
chusetts Legislature which in time
will undoubtedly be passed. and 40
states have now bills pending before
their Legislatures.
Prof Woodruff said that the opposi-
ton to such control came mainly from
producers, however, have come out
openly for it. The excuse OF the oppo-
sition is generally that of the invasion
Of personal liberty, but the American
people have been, taught in many
ways chat such liberty has limit.
He took in detail some of the pro-
visions of the bill pending before the
Maine Legislature and said that he
had found considerable interest
among the members at the State House
in favor of such a BILL He appealed
for support of this measure by the
men of the community. and especially
of the Capital City, saying in closing
that the children of our families
should be shielded from the evils that
Turk in indecent kinds of moving pic
lures.