THE CENSOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 133, 28 February 1908, Page 7

THE CENSOR.

/ : ARBITRATION ASKED FOR: ■ ■ B* ■ XE[.EGBArn—raEsa association —copyright London, February 2G. • Messrs. Barrio and Pinero; Sir W.-S.-Gil-. ;:berf^';and;-manyother deputationised the Right Hon. H. Gladstone; Homo .. Secretary, .asking for -tho ■,appointment of court arbitrators'.against the decision of the . censor, in: regard to-plays." ■"■■'. : : • Mr: Gladstono expressed I himself ■ personally - sympathetic, and promised to consult ' , the Prime Minister, Sir H. " Campbell-Ban-norman. 1 ' AN AUTOCRAT: NO APPEAL. .■■■. •. A, lengthy list of names of playwrights and , authors appears at the bottom of a "formal . protest" , which ; has, been . published'/.against the ■ office of; censor. The signatories include those mentioned in, the .cablegram; arid many r,v others. . '1, •"•••• .. ' ■ Theyvdeclare that,the' offico was "instituted for political,: and-rnot;; foiv the so-called moral . ends to whieh -it is.:perverted—an office autocratic :in procedure,,opposed; to, v thespirit'.of' the Constitution, contrary to common justice and' to. common- sense." '•; - • -They,.protest^against "the-power lodged in. , the handsiof ii'single official—who judges without: a public\ hearing,-- and; against whoso diei turn-there, isino, appeal—to. cast a slur on the good name, and destroy the means of livelihood of any member of an honourable calling." ; . They' assert ; that the censorship has not' been exercised in the. interests of morality, ' but has tended to lower the dramatic tone by appearing: to relieve tho public of ; tho dutv of moral judgment." . ■ ; . , r . , ,■ They, ask to be. !' freed ~ from ■ the . menace ■ hanging ;oyer . every, dramatist of having his , work. and, the proceeds of,. his work destroyed .:: at a' pen s, stroke. by''.the' arbitrary' action of a "Single official.'neither responsible to ParLament',noiv amenable' to hiw." '■'-.- The;signatories' ask ;that their art be I placed on j the . same footing as' every other art. - They ; ask that, they : themselves bo placed in- the : position;enjoyed".under' the'law by every other citizen. To_ these ends they claim that the licensing ot plays. shall be abolished.' ' The public," .it' is added, 1 "is already sufficiently : assured- against: managerial liiiscon- ' duct .-by',.,the : present - yearly ~ licensing of theatres, • which remains untouched by tho i measure-of justice here.: demanded."