PICTURE SHOWS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 18 September 1924, Page 5

PICTURE SHOWS

DANGER TO CHILDREN

PRECAUTIONS NECESSARY

in ij’-.LEuitAPy —luiaas association >

. WELLINGTON, Sept. 16. The undesirability of children of tender age being permitted to attend picture shows unless accompanied by a guardian o,r unless the films have been specially censored and passed for exhibition before juveniles, was raised by a deputation from the women’s branch of the New Zealand Labour Party, which waited on the Minister for Justice (Hon. C. J. Parr) to-day in regard to the pass 111 gof social legislation. Mrs Gaulcer said the deputation desired that something should be done by the Government in regard to the attendance of children at picture shows, and they suggested that a portion of the theatre he set apart by the management of theatres for unattended children. While in Melbourne recently she attended an entertainment /for children, in the aquarium and she noticed that such accommodation was reserved for unattended children to prevent them from being crushed by adults and from interference.

The Minister: “Can you suggest some way to ensure that attended children get the right sort of picture to look at?”

Mrs Gaulter agreed that that was a very difficult question. The Minister said that many parents were very foolish in allowing children of tender years to attend picture shows. The trouble was that children were taken there by their fathers and mothers and one could not interfere. The picture theatre proprietors were anxious to help, and he did not blame them.

Mrs Gaulter admitted that a great many of the pictures shown were not fit for children to see. The .Minister said there were some pictures which excited the imagination of a child, such as. some of those wretched American films depicting cowboy “stunts,” etc., which was theivorst kind of material for a child’s imagination. He said that the remarks made by the deputation were entirely justified, and though he held rather strong views about children attending pictiire shows his difficulty was to get anything done under the existing law. He had been looking into the matter, and it was provided in draft legislation that it should not be lawful for a child below the age of 13 to enter 0 picture theatre between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. From the point of view of physical health alone children would be far better at home. After the passing of the Bill he referred to no child under 16 should be' allowed to, enter a picture theatre unless all pictures had been certified bv the censor as suitable for exhibition before children.

Mrs Snow: “You ought to appoint women censors.”

Mr Parr: “I agree that there should be a woman of discretion on the censor shin board. 5 r