The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-03-22
Shall Barre Tax Them to
Operate AS Professional
Movies" Are Taxed?
CRITICISM MADE
TO CITY OFFICIALS
City Council Was Informed
Last Night About Basis
Of Church "l.y les

i |
The burning issue ore the Barre
city council last e, % was the all
legged competition $ hurch movies
with professional - ,vies.s Or shall
the occasional ch q movies pay a.
license fee the So 2 Is the professional
houses O
The issue cay ap through the ac-
tion of the Unl. salist church in put
ting on some hand reel pictures, so
called, during the last few weeks, the
first being a set Of Lincoln pictures and
/ the second being set of Roosevelt pic
lures. The pictures are put on on Sun
days or week days; and there is no
gainsay;ng that they have drawn large
audiences. Therefore, they attracted
the attention Of the professional
movie" houses. These latter pay fec
to the city treasury Shall the church
movies" do the same? The matter had
previously come to the official atten-
tion of the city through chief of po-
i lice, city attorney, city clerk and in
dividual members. of the city govern
ment.
1 After considerable angling last night,
| it was drawn out that the criticism
Of the church movies" had come chief
| ly from the professional moving pic
ture houses. These houses felt that as
long as they were compelled to pay
| license fee, the churches should do the
same.
In contravention of that claim, it
was argued by the proponents of church
| movies that the exhibitions of the
latter were crude affairs, put on with
a hand reel, with none of the finesse Of
the professional theatres, the pictures
were instructive and educational and
the idea of profit was scarcely consid
cred at all, the main purpose being to
get the people into church and at the
same time To give them some whole
some entertainment.
Sometimes the church movies have
passed the hat; once they charged
stated admission. They desired to raise
money to pay for the cost Of the exhi-
bitions and to help out the campfire
girls. Taken all in all, it was scarcely
to be considered. as a business PROPOSE
tion, so the advocates of the church
movies" stated.
No one represented the professional
movies" last night; but some Of the
objections those houses had put up
were relayed before the council by city
officials. There was even a hint that
the movie" houses might engage evan
gelists, turn their houses into churches,
so 10 speak, and thereby avoid license
fees, taxes, etc, if the church movies
were allowed to go license-frec.
All of which, one will admit,
makes rather puzziing question, so
puzzling, IN fact, that the city council
did not feel ready last night to saw
one way or the other whether tho
church movies, should be taxed 'or
not So there the matter rested, with
talk and no action.
Aside from movies" of one kind orr
another, the council transacted censid-
cradle business. Ex-Mayor Il. c. Glys-
son and o. H. Anderson appeared in
support of plan to put the state per-
manent highway money. matched by
city money, into continuation Of the
cement pavement on Washington
street. the dust nuisance on parts of
that street being held up as very un
and the roadbed being UNI
stable. Mayor Shield assured the pc
titioners that permanent roads was a
hobby of his and that as much OF the
city's money as possible should 60 into
streets. with Washington
street. having its due consideration. Al
ierman Mccarthy suggested that a ce
ment pavement with surface ribbed
with slight depressions would serve adj
for teaming on the Washing
ton street grade and would not cause
/ jar TO automobiles.
Assessor V. Z. Ayers made the ar
nual request for authority to canvass
he city for taxation purposes; and
he assessors were authorized TO make
iuch canvass through clerks. three
,r six in number as the assessors saw
1t.
A resolution relating TO departmental
for the wear was adopt
a as read at a previous meeting. Mrs
Iohn Brown was given a permit to
,uild 9 BY II addition to a motor
oom off Center street. The property
ommittee's report adversely on new
teel case for the city clerks Office and
n favor of wooden shelves for the
asement vault was accepted. Petition
or an electric light on lower West Pat
erson street was referred 10 the light
ng committee.
City Engineer Ruggles desired TO
now what department should approve
he bills Of the engineering department.
having been voted by the aldermen
lst meeting that departmental bills
hould he approved by the heads Of the
,mmittees. The clerk will notify him.
\ this connection. the council voted
Ist night to have monthly conferences
ith heads Of various departments in
rder to keep in touch with the prog
IS Of affairs.
The city clerk wac instructed 20 no
fv w. A. Lane that stonechrps depos-
cd on the city's half-acre Of land on
uruham's meadow must b. leveied of
IA that no more be dumped there.
David y. Farrand was granted a pool
ON license a. l5s North Main street
sd Antonio David vas granted
nch room permit st 3llh Nc-th
ain street The latfcr's complaint
out the dumping Of stonechips into
n river Of Granite street Vas re-
rred to the street committee. James
Gregory's claim for damages for -
nes u glass broken in q buiiding
Soufh Main street ~ ice-bls=tinz
thc river vas referred 30 the street
muittet-
Residents 81 NeEton. Farvei. Co1by.