"OBJECTIONABLE PICTURES."

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 123, 21 November 1911, Page 2

"OBJECTIONABLE PICTURES."

TO THB HpITOB. Su*,f—As an pooasional attonder at our' local'picture shows, I think it is high time that a strong protest was made against many of the pictures now being shown. I do not refer to anything of att immoral nature; as a matter of fact, those entertainments arp remarkably free from anything questipnable, or vulgar, while many, of the pictures are exceedingly beautiful and others highly, instructive; but there Beems to bo a growing tendency to show piptures abounding in all sorts of horrible and murdprous scenes. Tho sight of some of thoip is enough to make a strong man turn away while thoy make many women ill for hours afterwards. What offoot tho contemplation of such pictures can have on ' the minds of tho children 1 who flock to these places can only be imagined. For instance, • I wont to bcb the representation of a famous play, recently. It contained , a .a snioldej-oAid, a, torturing trfiOno, "all of which wore m full view of the budlenco. The applying of the instrument of torture, and the agonised, contorted face and WWthings' of ,tho pmouoK-wjlj haunt pie for long. Another play contained the murder of a bushand by BuVwifp, ,ar,nip,d--with a hugq, axe. tho subsequent mui'der of. the mother and her paramour by her the same axe —tho realistip portrayal pf tho mad-' ness of Ins sister, concluding with a peculiarly ghastly soone of the death of tho said sister. The continual witnessing of scones like theso must have a most pernicious ofi'opt on tho minds qf children, while as for the groyvn-ups, wojl—most of ub have onpugh of troubles, and worries in bur daily life without being further distressed by tho witnessing of these soenes of hprror and plays that end in misery, and death. As regards a remedy, there is pot much tq be 1-oped for from the proprietors. These places are run primarily to make profit, ff sensational pictures bring. in the biggest returns, then sensational piotureß you will get, quite regardless of ,-thp ultimato effect on the minds of the people. The only controlling influence at present is tho Police, apd they would only interfere if the pictures were iqdepont. I know the office of censor is not a popular one. and were not the interests involved so grave I would hesitate to reqommpiid it, but consider the position:' Children, whoso minds and tfharaaterß are being, formed, fprm fully half the picture show audi-/ enccs. It is daily bocoming reppgnisod how great an influence, thloso picture shows opn exert, and while the school books and sohopl studies' are already rigidly oensored, thpre is praotioally no control at all over the picture show. ■ln the circmnstancfcii, a censorship comppsodl of a reprpsontntive body of public men and edups,tional authorities iseonjs tho best sqlutipn of tho matter. Trusting that somothing will sopn bo done pn the lines suggested.—l am, etc., G.L.R.