"SOCIAL ACCIDENTS''

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 199, 22 August 1919, Page 7

"SOCIAL ACCIDENTS''

AMD THE MOVING PICTURES. EFFECT ON THE CHILD MIND, HOW ABOUT HOME CENSORSHIP! -"Picture show* are just like motor cans used to be," declared the Rev. F. R. Jeffreys (First Offenders' Probation Officer), when .interviewed by a "Star" reporter to-day on the .statement made at the Supreme Court yesterday, alleging a connection between picture shows and juvenile crime. "You remember," he explained, -how many accidents there were when motor cars first came into general use, until the authorities took a hand and regulated their use till now they usefully serve and entertain the community. 1 am quite satisfied that •picture shows have come to stay, and that the possibilities of their good service to the community are very great, but in the meantime they are causing social accidents and must be regulated.' Mr. Jeffreys went on to explain that his experience among llrst offenders in the city had marie it quite plain to him that there was a distinct connection between certain aspects of the picture show r.inl the commission of some classes of offences by children. There was, lie believed, an imperative need for the regulation of picture -hows in their relation to the home life of the people. IN" SHADOW-LAND. The three points on which he considered improvement was ncice-sary were the lighting of the theatres, the display of posters, advertising the films, ami the regulation cither of the class of the patron or of the class of the picture. He had noticed thai some picture shows had adopted improvements in the light ing of the "auditorium," which gave a twilight, glow that did not affect Cue clearness of the picture* on the screen, and had the advantage of enabling patrons to see abuit them. Other shows

j while keeping in line with their eompeti- P (ors in other respects, I;igge,l behind in'" the dark ages in this matter, -eeiming to; 1 ' | specialise in keeping the body of the. 1 ' j theatre ;i cavern of gloom. He quoted specific incidents which ha,l come under! his notice to support his contention all picture theatres should bo required s to harp as nine): light in the body of the*, j theatre as was consistent with the proper /,- showing of the pictures. On the nuttier ||, of the advertising poster-, Mr. Jeffreysjt stated that lie had more than once taken: j, note that posters went further in sug-!.i ge.st.ion than di.l the actual jwctures on", the screen, and he felt that an extension, I of the censorship miffht be made in t'nat 1, direction with lieneti! to the public and vviiiioni prejudice to the picture shows. J2 THE I II1I.I) AT Till". "MOVIES." j { f'omiug to his third point, the effect of -| the pictures on the child mind. Mr. | .Icfl'reys stated iiis emphatic opinion that -) particular e'asse--. of pictures s.io.vu . regularly were such as wore likely to -] prejudicial!v affect child tuitids on the | subpe.-.'.s of thr spyirt ami of the relation- t ships of tin* citizen and lite law. licit was quae convinced that one particular t picture featuring in heroic fashion n man !<. who did desperate deeds of outlawry lia ! { been responsible for an epidemic of i escapades in Auckland by boys last year.'! There Here features in these escapades - that closely approvimnteil t.he nn-( \mW I ilustrated in the picture then current at 1 the theatres. In other pin,ires, wlreli ' were by no means objectionable from an t 1 adult point of view, were often to be I noticed derail* which were certain to I I puzzle youthful mind-, and to force them I |to a premature consideration and dis- ! m-sinn of matters in which they re-l I quire I the wise an I sympathetic counsel! jof older mind.-. 1"...-' those reason- the. social workers in the city had taken action with a view to having regulations made that boys under fourteen years of age and gir:- under sixteen should not be perniittcl to view mixed programmes' of pictures, or -'adult programmes,"' ■unlo-s accompanied by a tiarent or

I - _.«ii.|»«iir» .... v |M"C..I "I guardian. I 1 "It is too much," concluded. Mr.] .leffievs. "to expect two censors to tide-' quatelv inspect all the picture films pntjthrough in the Dominion. We are en- ' 1 deavouring to have a censorship board •of five members appointed. I hold strongly that the board should include!; two women, preferably women who have! had wide ex.jiericnee in teaching nndl understand ing children. I also think j the Education Department .-hc-uld take; up tiie matter of moving pi"tures, and' should exploit them widely as a means of education. Generally, I feel that the regulation of the pictures should be iiithe direct-ion of special sessions for children. with selected programme*, and the prevention of children from attending the; . general sc-siotts unless under adult, supervii! in." j [ cExscn-'iur in the home. ; •-Censorship. lil--e charity, should begin; at home," was. in effect, tbe opinion of - I Mr. Shanty, o' the Tivoli Theatre, on! • I riie subject. "It i,- imp .risible," ho said.- , "to eliminate from a liim every detail t j which nvght be mimicked by a youngster r to the discomfort of his elders, an.! yet , i leave a picture which would attract ■ I people. It would be such a thin-blooded,i < i anaemic procession of people doing ju.-tl . the ordinary tilings of life that yot; j , I would not be able to drag people to the. , I theatre, let alone expect them to pay to I I see it. Take the comedy pictures: there: . ! you see people apparently bashing each 3 | other with weapons, and throwing each] S other from great heights with violence. 1 | Cut out the apparent violence and you. ~ ; have no comedy left. The children enjoy | it. but they don"t go and do likewise be-' r j cause they realise the personal danger. \ j The same with the story pictures; cut | I out the spirit of adventure and the | I whole thinsr that attracts and entertains 1j is gone. There isn't a good book story . i or a single picture story in wliie.li there ' j are not dozens of incidents in which guns !i or knives arc drawn, or extraordinary s i deeds of during done, which are the pith I of the appeal to tiie ordinary patron, bea I oau-e it is the s.pirit of adventure itist as. .. in the "Ramps" story. Surely, with ,1 j proper home supervision the boy can r have the spirit of adventure in his pic--0 i tures jtist tis -lie can have it in his rend--1 ' ing without coming to harm." Mr. i, ! filianly held th-ut if parents wo-tiiW exer- ; cisc a supervision in selecting the picture „ ! shows for their children by reading the p advertisements and acquainting them- ,. selves with the programme the danger „ of the children getting "advanced" views would vanish, for the children would not have the opportunity of seeing unsuitable pictuies. He remarked that his firm had its own standard of censorship on neurotic subjects, quiie apart from the general cen-on-hip. because it catered for a wider appeal. The only suggestion ! he felt inclined to make in regard to the general censorship was that some "strong" subjects, such as "La. Tosea," .. might be specially marked by the censor, '• and included in programmes at which: T only adults should 'be .permitted to 3 attend.