SUNDAY PICTURES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1917, Page 3

SUNDAY PICTURES.

(To the Editor.)

Sir.—ln your issue .of Wednesday yon ilea! preay fully with the question of Sundav pictures in l»roymouth and open your columns to a discussion there.>n. The only qualification 1 have to discuss the (piestion is my e.xperii n< e of tile world under varied eircu instances and lutulit for .over three score and ten years. Now

sir. 1 will start with dis.sei.unij; from sonic of your arguments, especially where you pay that it may he more pro'itable ta spend a few hours at the pitTures than in a public house. !i may he so, but why have such u choice thrust upon our young people. Must we have drinking or gambling shops Russia that we used to ci nsider half civilised has shown us. that it is no*. neces.-.liy ; but sonic may say we have e,,;:si it in.'una: government and it must be altered by the will of the pen pie. At the present time the (Jovernnieni liave powers to deal with such matters; and they are tinkering with it in pin pricks that only irritate, such a.- antishouting and six o'ehn k closiii" ami the sore In our social system still festers, and delays the settlement of the war as the excellent article in your issue of the 14ih hist, fully bears out. lb. picture shows have no better justification for their existence than that they are not as bad as a public house, then it i.-- a pity for the picture show:*. While yo u are merely placing the case before the public with the object of getting a irue pubTTc opinion 1 would like to point nut that a just public opinion on all such matters has gut to be led up !o by earnest thought and that earnest lhou»ht is not geneialiy indulged in without very pointed ivma.,k.s by tlie leaders of thought and 1 congratulate you on having ,c. the ball roiling. As v | nun sectarian 1 can easily recognise that the ehurthes look upon the pictures as, a port of opposition to them, which n i doubt t:,ey are whether meant to be or not; but it is not in that light tint I would base my opposition to Sunday pic lures, l.'ndcr the British flag we have a .Sunday more free from unnecessary labour than obtains under any oilier flag. Working men slum!:.! guard that privilege to all of their class, and not leave some working for their living ;it a picture show mi Sunday. Then there is the economic side of Ihe (piestion at the present crisis. To day we have the brightest infrontiers to the millions bearing allegiance to the f!aj> to .liathor their resources for the mighty struggle that is shortly to decide the late of tlie Empire. Are we answering that call hy crowding the picture sh■ iv;,, all the week and Si inlay n ght as well'.' IJeeattse a person likes it and is amused, is not a sufficient answer. The housebreaker takes a certain amount of pleasure in the adventure, mid 1 have known a man io earn £2OOO worth of unlit ill two years n;id ,«pcnd it all dancing round a oiiii.nl t: ' at night, and he liked it—but 'Wits thai any excuse? Selfish tastes don't make -rood, citizens, and to gratify ,o,ur tastes, be they what they may. to the iieg!e t of dutv demoralises a commuiiitv, and is especially bad for the youth. That i! is possible to educate our people as well as amuse them at a picture show is no proof that il is done, and 1 am afraid the most shady picture pleases best. Ask tlie slorekeeper.s of this t iwti if going to picture shows is always going hand hi hand with settled, accounts, ami you will be surprised with the answer. It is not only boys of fifteen who bre: k into premises to secure firearms to play the dl'siierado on the lulls that are prejudicially aafeeied bv some pic'tires, but even their elders often get a false view of life and respoiisiblitv by viewing objectionable pictures. As a Jjrilislter, in the present crisis I .should vote for Sunday pictures lieiim pat (low n and out. 1 am, etc., N'ON SWTAHTAX.