THE CENSORSHIP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1361, 12 February 1912, Page 7

THE CENSORSHIP.

4 EARL SPENCER RESIGNS. By Tpicgraph-Preßß Assoclalbn-Oopyrlgli* (Rec. February 11, 5.5 p.m.) London, February 10. Earl Spencer has resigned the position of Lord Chamberlain on account of hia health. It is understood that his resignation is also partly owing to tho controversy over the dramatic censorship. Earl Spencer, G.C.V.0., has been Lor.d Chamberlain to His Majesty the King since 191)5. As Mr. Itobevt" Spencer, h« sat in the House of Commons, on the Liberal side, from 1880 (o 1895, and from 1900 to 1905. Parliamentarians still remember the amusement created when ho informed (he House, "1 am not an agricultural labourer." lie was a personal friend of tho late King Edward. He l>ecame Lord Allhorp in 1905, and Earl Spencer in 1911. The control which the Lord Chamberlain, who is an officer of Ihe Royal House.hold, exercises over the stage dates from the time of Queen Elizabeth, but the dramatic censorship received its presint status from an Act of Parliament j-iic-cd in the reign of George 11, at tho instance, of Sir Robert Walpole, who bad been annoyed by the political allusions in some of the plays of that period. It was. however, chiefly employed in tho interests of decency. Tho modern agitation against, the stage censorship is mainly due to the banning of "problem plays" nnd other serious plays by Shaw, Maeterlinck, Baker, Zangwill, nnd oilier contemporary dramatists. The duties cf I lie office have been mainly discharged under fhn Lord Chamberlain by Mr. G. A. Redford, in the capacity of Examiner of Plavs. A few weeks ago, Mr. Charles Brnbkficld was appointed to share this office, and rs Mr. lSrookfield was the author of a farce, entitled "Dear Old Charlie," to the tone, of which many critics took strong objection, his appointment caused n. good deal of dissatisfaction, and the agitation against the censorship as an institution was renewed. Meanwhile the resignation of Mr. Redford, to lake effect from tho beginning of the year, was announced. It is said that ho had not been consulted about (he appointment of Mr. Brookfield. -Air. M'lCemm, when defending the appointment of Mr. Dronkfield ill the House of Commons, stated that one member of the Advisory Board, whpse name he would not give, had resipned, and Hint lib could not hold out any hope of a Bill pmbodyinir the recommendations of the com mittee being introduced next year.