The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-02-15

pictures do need censoring. He GER
tainly thought so from his experience
in dealing with boys and girls who
had been committed to his institution
from the courts of the state and he
thought that any Judge who dealt with
young people would agree with him
Mr.. Whalen of Burlington was the
first speaker in opposition to the bill
He said that the measure puts the
moving pictures in class by them
selves and discriminates against them,
and that it would put autocratic pow
er in the hands of few who would
tell a moving picture exhibitor what
he could and what he could not do. II
there is to be censorship at all 1t
should be national, he said. Mr.. Whal.
en- called attention to the great ex-
pense of maintenance such board OF
censorship in the state.
Mr. Grace of Fair Haven said that
the statement of Rev. S. Fl. Watkins
of Burlington, printed in the Burllng-
ton Free Press yesterday, that 30 per
cent of the moving pictures are bad,
is carving it pretty far. When the
board of censors in the states'of ONO,
Kansas, Pennsylvania and Maryland,
the only states which have censorship
boards, cannot agree as to what pic.
lures are bad and which ones are not,
it is going rather far for one man TO
draw line between the good and the
bad
William Wishart, representative
from Barre City, declared that the bill
is cumbersome and that it would never
work out practically, that the larger
communities where the pictures are
shown would be able to regulate the
movies by the present laws, going be-
fore the licensing board and making
complaint if pictures are objection
able.
Mr.. Sparrow said that this is a
drastic measure and that those who
are backing it are speaking in general
terms against the movies, but have
not brought forward specific instances
why the censorship is needed.
IF things are as bad in Vermont
rs they say" said Mr. Sparrow. they
should be able to 60 out and get an
unlimited list of immoral pictures"
Mr. Sparrow said that the contention
that the increase of juvenile crime IS
due to the movies has not been sub
stantated, and that Judge Ben Lind
sew, the well known juvenile Judge,
has said that the moving pictures are
one of the great correctives of juvenile
delinquency Mr.. Sparrow said that
only about six per cent of the attend
ance at his theatre in Bellows Falls
and Springfield are children. He eI-
pressed the opinion that it would cost
from $4,000 to $4,000 wear to carry
on censorship board in Vermont, and
the expense of this would ultimately
rest upon the moving picture goer
through increased prices
Mr.. Harte Of Bennington called at
tention TO the impossibilities Of any
three persons having time to pass upon
all of the films which are used in the
state 1t would be found as in other
states, he said, that more Censors
would be necessary and that would
greatly increase the cost.
Rev. Roland G., Chase of Wilder was
the fr,t speaker in favor Of the bill.
He rrll a number of statemeEt, pre-
pared by elergymen and Others which
pointed out the need for regulating the
moving pictures.
81 believe that the majority Of the
people of the state of Vermont think
that the pictures need to be censored.
said Mr.. Chase.