Evening star., 1927-09-18

ters, fairs and expositions, conven-
tions, hospitals, penitentiaries, hotels
and Summer resorts, and for use by
travelling lecturers and railroad devel-
opment trains.
The rapidly disappearing pine
forests of the South and the impor-
tance of reforestation of the cut-over
areas to meet the demands of the new
industrial South are the subject Of a
recent two-reel film entitled "Pines-
From Seed to Sawmill." A picturiza-
tion of the naval-stores industry of
the South includes wood practices,
distillation and marketing, with a
plea for reforestation as the one
means of saving this great industry
for America.
The South's great crops Of cotton,
tobacco, peanuts and sweet potatoes
have been dramatized in the Govern
ment films to assist farmers in better
production and marketing practices.
Camera men at considerable risk re-
Gently photographed from airplanes
the airplane busting of cotton to con-
troll the boil weevil. travelling at
terrific speed above the plants, the
slightest mishap to their plane mean
ing instant death. Eight different
films, from one to four reels each,
have been made on the subject of
cotton.
"MOLLIE of Pine Grove Vat" de-
picts tick eradication work in
the South. 1t is the story of how a
community organized to get rid of the
cattle fever ticks, how the dipping vat
is dynamited by opponents of tick
eradication, but despite great odds the
tick is finally wiped out, the country
is released from quarantine, and the
community enjoys greater prosperity.
Similarly, 1.-THE Charge Of the Tick
Brigade" an animated cartoon, shows
how cattle are attacked by fever ticks,
and the methods used to exterminate
the pests.
Vigorous opposition has often been
met in some sections of the South in
the campaign for tick eradication. In
one such community. long known to
be hostile to the project. the depart
ment's film, ''Mollie of Pine Grove
Vat" was shown, despite threats.
The show began before an audience
that included a crowd of bullies and
the local bad man. With the un-
weaving OF the film story, however,
which showed clearly that only selfish.
ness and prejudice oppose the useful
work of tick eradication, opposition
melted. The leader, instead of whip
ping the departments agent, as he
had said he would do, shook hands
with him before he left. In other dis
tricts where opposition has been so
strong as to make the efforts for tick
eradication hazardous, the power Of
the silent drama has made friends Of
former opponents and is preparing the
way for better livestock and more
prosperous citizens.
Motion.picture work as a medium
OF visual education has developed
rapidly in the department from a |
laboratory in the basement Of
one Of the department buildings to |
a well equipped. two-story studio,
which is said to be the largest movie !
studio south Of New York. The staff |
now includes a chief and assistants, |
script writer's, canlNra men and film |
editors, and selected list Of profes. |
sional actors and actresses Subject |
to CALL" A board Of censors is SOM
posed Of the chiefs Of the delart. |
ment's numerous bureaus, who OK.
anime critically every film in a NNe- |
cial projection room before it leaves |
A staff of stage carpenters manu.
features interior sets in the huge
studio; there Is the
latest camera equipment; automatic |
printing and drying devices have been
constructed and improvements u