THE SCHEME OF THINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 117, 13 November 1926, Page 16

THE SCHEME OF THINGS

(By M.H.C.)

A sensible point of view concerning film censorship is put forth in a recent letter to the Pruss. The writer points out that the question comes round with the frequency, of the chorus in a Greek play. The ceaseless repetition accomplishes nothing but the opportunity for people to "blow off steam," «»d express opinions which, as a S*ue, fere uniform in demanding that "something should be done." It has been said, states the writer, that women or more men should be added to the censorship, but ho points out that if this is taken seriously it is a whole time job, and. a very serious and exacting one for anybody to undertake. ''Thatwhole-timo service could only be made possible by a sympathetic Government defraying the cost for the additional machinery employed." The writerthen deals with the difficulty-of getting suitable people to undertake the work, arguing that education of a high degree is'necessary for good judgment, as well as thai most uncommon quality common-sense, with a balance of judgment towards people ' and producers eminently necessary.- The fact that some have tried to provide "children's programmes," but have met with scant success is dealt with by the writer, who, however, does not appear to have realised how economically and with how little judgment ..most, of these attempts have been made. It is no use to give old-fashioned out-of-date films to child-. ren, while the vulgarity of some of the so-called comics would make any careful parent shudder. Others are simply 80 foolish that brainy children are bored ■with them, and they are only fit for '.he "nth" class brains of older folk who laugh indiscriminately at tragedy and comedy, and are commonly met with at most theatres. The. question is undoubtedly a most cpmplieated one, and the writer has done service ; in pointing out the fact that the job is a whole-time one; and not to be taken on under any other circumstances. It has been easy to say that "some one else should be appointed to assist the cen■or," but who—and how often?

It i« a matter for wondering speculation as to when—if ever, some extension of the present law will be evolved to provide for the custody and expert examination of people who appear mentally unbalanced at time's, though normal at others. Tragedy succeeds tragedy in public print, first in one part of the world and'then in another; all have the same history. There is a man or a woman who appears well at times, but at others- makes vague threats of murder or suicide, or appears mentally unbalanced in some minor way, but suddenly deyelopes into acute mania, and these horrors are the result. One wonders if the following story is often repeated:—A man.with a wife and two young daughters of about fifteen and seventeen, who had been "peculiar" for some years, suddenly took to appearing at the breakfast table accompanied by a slasher or hatchet;' which he laid beside his plate. His wife remonstrated, but he made her an angry reply, and told her to let the matter alone, or it would be worse for them all. Her courage oozed out at this, and she said.no more, but consulted the family doctor, who declined to have anything to say, as he Lad known all the family of the man for years, and did not want to htive anything to do with committing him to a mental hospital. The hospital doctor, when consulted, said that he must have another opinion before he could move in the matter, someone who had known the - man ■well for preference. In one way and another the wife found that she could do nothing unless a .tragedy happened, and so took steps to remove herself and daughters from the house. This is a common story enough, and it is a matter for further thought to try and get a tribunal within reach of ordinary people who are in doubt about the sanity of a member of their household which will fairly and justly meet' such cases without any undue publicity. People must, of course, be protected from false accusations of insanity,' for nothing could be more appalling than for a sane person to be shut up with the insane. But, unfortunately, in these days, there are quite a considerable number of people whose balance is not very good, and a recent medical lecturer urged on his audience most emphatically the folly of delaying medical examination, whether for men; tal or any-other disease. So much could be done in the early stages for all these cases, but people delayed till the last moment,. specially in mental trouble, he said, which was a cruel and terrible thing,to all concerned, and often was the cause of the trouble becoming incurable. Early treatment was the saving of thousands of people. The foolish old stigma, which was mentioned contemptuously by a legal authority recently, should riot be considered at all, either, by relatives' or by doctors when appealed to in such cases. ■"-

The fact that eminent medical authorities have, lately recommended that a more careful study should be; made of the conditions pf human death is very interesting. . There are some who have for many years objected to the statement, 'f And the last enemy to be conquered is death/ for he comes as a friend so often to those who suffer terrible pain; to those who have Jost interest in life; to. those who long to rejoin their friends and dearest ones, and %vho are lonely folk on this side of the Great Pivide. For a great many reasons death may come as a relief and a friend —a beautiful and pitiful angel. But then oldfashioned ideas of death as a grisjy skeleton, just as Satan was so mistakenly represented as a hideous being with horns and a forked tail, were the result of entirely false ideas. Unfortunately, these have been pictured and taught in a way that has caused untold misery in the past, for children have grown up to adolescence and old age with these ideas firmly rooted, making misery of a perfectly natural process, as natural as being born, and, according to many doctors and nurses, as unconscious. Tho Christian ideal has been largely interfered with and spoilt by mis-translations of words in Sacred Writ, as well as Apostolic statements which are open to question as being the honest belief of the speaker at tho time, but not intended for all time. The person who does cheerful duty in life, and waits patiently for death, no matter under what circumstances, need not be anything but ciieerful and hopeful for the future, anc: tho sooner this is co-ordihated by the observation of competent authorities, the sooner will a better vision be taken by the world at large of one of the common happenings of humanity.