The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-15
CENSORSHIP OF
MOVIES NOT NEEDED
Many Speakers Heard in
Opposition to Bill to Pro-
vide Such a Body
DOES NOT WORK
IN FOUR STATES
Judge Bracket of Boston Tells of Mas
sachusetts Experience with Censorship
i'm Which. He Says, Vice President
Coolidge Does Not Believe.

NOOiluge Does MOI fBStitNt.
MONTPELIER. Feb 15.-That there
is enough law on the statute books of Yer
mont at the present time to take care of
the moving picture situation through local
regulation of licenses and active interest
of popular opinion; that H-145, which
would provide a state censorship board, Is
discriminating against a certain business ::
that the bill as framed is unjust. objec-
tionable and unconstitutional, was the
contention of Mr.. Wishart of Barre City
and Others who spoke against the measure
at the public hearing in the reception
room last evening, conducted by the gem
eral committee of the house, with Mr.
Stearns of Johnson, the chairman. presid-
ing. The moving picture men were first
given an hour in which to present their
side of the case. and the proponents Of
the measure were then given an hour to
defend the bill
Among those who spoke against it
were: James Whalen of Burlington. pro
prietor of the Strong theatre: W. II.
Grace of Fair Haven: William Wishart,
representative from Barre city; IL. ID.
Sparrow. representing moving picture
houses in Bellows Falls and Springfield !;
J. Il. Hartc of Bennington. representing
two moving picture houses in the southern
part of the state; George III. Almon, pro-
prietor of the Playhouse in Montpelier :;
and Judge Bracket of Boston.
Judge Bracket came here at the re
quest of the moving picture men to tell
the experiences of Massachusetts in NOV
ing picture censorship. He said that Cal
dent-elect Harding have all expressed
themselves as opposed to censorship on
the ground that it is not in accord with
the spirit of our government. The speaker
said that when we walk about censorlng
films we are dealing with a thing which
has rights which cannot be taken away
without jury trial. The principles OF
self-government, he said, are sacred III
this country. and the Boston Transcript
expressed the whole situation when II
said: IF we have censorship in the
! United States who Is going to put the
sense into the CENSOR" 1t has been
found in the four states which have state
censorship now that it does not work out
well because nobody can agree on what
| films should be passed and which ones
! should be excluded.
| Mr.. Wilson, superintendent of the Yer
mont Industrial school at Nergennes. was
| one of the strongest speakers in behalf
| OF the bill. He said that when we come
| to answer the question whether or not
censorship in Vermont Is desirable. he
/
that the moving pictures do need censor
! ing He certainly thought so from his ex-
perience 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 would agree Will
| him.
Mr.. Whal6n of Burlington was the
first speaker in opposition to the bill. He
said that the measure puts moving pic
lures in a class by themselves and dis
eliminates against them, and that il
would put autocratic power in the hands
of few who would tell the moving pictur,
exhibitor what he could and what h.
could not do. If there is to be censorship
Mt all it should be national. he said. Mr.
| Whalon called attention to the great ex
pense of maintaining such board of cen
sOrship in the state.
/ Mr.. Crane of Fair Haven said tina
statement of Rev. 5. II. Watkins of Bur
lington that 80 per cent of the movin.
pictures are bad is carrying it pretty far
4 When the board of censors in the state
of Ohio, Kansas, PENNSYLVANIA and Mary
land, the only states which have censor