The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-03-24
MOVING PICTURES IN
THE MINING INDUSTRY
HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL VALUE
IN ADDITION TO ENTER
TANNING FEATURE.

The need for diversion and the in
nate desire in humanity for new
forms of amusement are chiefly re
sponsible for the great development
of the moving picture. AS businesses
both the making and the presentation
of the finished picture have proved t
he highly remunerative. The use o.
the movie film for educational pur-
poses is developing, but not as fast
for the money returns are moderate
says a writer in the Engineering anc
Mining Journal
Industry has also turned to the
moving picture film. and there is al
present a greater and greater tend
ency to resort to this popular method
of exposition where it is necessary to
put over an idea to any considerable
group of humans. 1t is decidedly IN
style to increase the interest in a lee
ture by using the moving picture as
an accessory. Not so long ago, the
stereopticon was generally accepted
both for Illustration as well as to
popularize an otherwise dull subject.
1t is now difficult to get a rise" out
of even an intelligent audience by
means of ordinary lantern slides, how
ever good they may be. faded hui
manity wants its movie. The neces-
sary thrill must apparently come
through the eye, although the practi
cal Snowman makes considerable use
of the ear of his audience as we'll
The Movie in Promoting Safety
First"
The mining industry has not escap-
ed the prevailing tendency, and is
taking some of its thrills by the movie
route although it is perhaps more
conservative than other industries
and has as yet only started The U.
: bureau of mines was among the
first to recognize the potent appeal of
the movie Under its direction num-
Der of educational films have been
prepared and systematically loaned to
educational institutions. The films
have served a useful purpose in MAX
ing possible a wider dissemination of
knowledge of the mining industry
They have been exceedingly useful in
visualizing different phases of the
industry for mining students in the
various colleges and universities of
the country AS means for bringing
the safety first principle to groups OF
miners and other workers, probably
one of the most important education
al methods is the moving picture film.
The larger mining companies can CO.
operate with the bureau of mines IN
the preparation of suitable films, but
the relatively large expense and the
requirement for systematic distribu-
ton where the film story will do the
most good puts the burden of this
work. as well as the expense. upon the
bureau of mines.
The incubation of the principles Of
Americanization of proper living con-
ditiOns, better work methods the Wis |
utilization of motion study to workers, |
and the explanation of the operation |
of intricate machinery to the men who |
must either operate or repair such |
machinery are important fields for the
moving picture film. These subjects
are educational and apply to the min
ing as well as to other Industries.
OF more special interest to mining
is the motion picture film applied to
the needs of workers in advancing the
Elementary principles can be present
ed to large numbers simultaneously,
and if accompanied by a concise and
clear description, the result is better
than can ordinarily be secured by 9TH
er methods. Great care is essential in
the preparation of the film, and the ex-
pense is justified. as agood film can
be used in many different districts
and repeatedly shown to the same
audience. There will undoubtedly be
a certain amount of Standardization
in such pictures. and in this as well as
their preparation the bureau of mines
is the most competent body to direct
the work
The introduction of new or highly |,
specialized machinery into the mining !
field will undoubtedly be considerably h
facilitated by the use of moving pic
ture films which can be used, first, /,
more thoroughly to acquaint a pros
pective buyer with the machine and, |,
second to instruct the men who may {
have to operate the machine in the
details of its erection. operation and {
adjustment complete film story /,
tyo ecker rorh 4.OO7S: Is GREAT s.
showing the shop erection of a gyra-
tory rock crusher it's dismantling and s
loading on a freight car. its removal {
and haulage to the place Of erection, /
it's final erection and the adjustment {
and replacement of wearing parts q
would in itself be exceedingly in
not only to the ordinary 5
worker but to the engineer as well. A !
film story could be developed for al t
most any piece of machinery in a !
similar manner. c
Engineers would be better ac- {
quainted with the erection and han {
ding of heavy machinery if film stor- ]
les on this subject were available. I