FILM CENSORSHIP.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13931, 13 July 1917, Page 7

FILM CENSORSHIP.

IS IT'BICtID ENOUGH?

BOASD OF THREE SUGGESTED.

DEPUTATION. TO THE MINISTER

A request for a more severe censorship upon Icinema films of a certain character was made by a deputation which waited upon the Hon. G. W. Uussell at Wellington on Monday. ~The deputation comprised representative's o: the various church organisations in the Dominion, the New Zealand Educational Instiliite, 'the New Zealand Catholic 'Federation' the -Salvation Army, .ami the; Society for the Pro tcetion '■ of Women and. Childdreii. Mr J. M. Dickson, M.P. for Chalmers/introduced the deputation. Too Much for One Man.

The licv. R. S. Gray (Dunedin) said that the deputation was the outcome of a meeting held in Dunedin about a month ago after the film "Intolerance" and other films had been shown in the city. Tho meeting had passed resolutions which had been circulated to other centres, -where similar resolutions had been passed. The Dunedin meeting had urged by resolution the appointment of a board of three censors, one of whom should be a woman, in place of the censorship. Auckland had altered that to a board of Jive, two of whom should be women; but the deputation supported the Dunedin resolution. They did not desire to say auything against the present censor (ifv W. Joliffe), whose supervision had done good, but not sufficient good. They recognised, however, that lie had a tremendously difficult task-in fact, a task which should not be put upon one man. They considered that in some instances he had been too lenient. Considerable complaint was made that the source of moral filth was America, and that it was since the introduction of American films that moral undcauness had been apparent. He suggested that the principles on which the English censorship was exercised should be adopted in New Zealand. A'Woman on the Board.

Mrs A. It. Atkinson said she had been appointed to speak on behalf of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. Their society, she stated, had circularised the Dunedin resolutions amongst the fifty-four women's societies operating in and around Wellington, all of which had endorsed them. She emphasised the need for the'presence of a woman on the pro posed board of censors, saying that it must be recognised that there were some things which would be discovered by .1 woman which would not be observed uy a man.

Mr Webb spoke on behalf of the New Zealand Educational Institute, which supported the Dunedin resolutions. Tlu- teachers, he said, wen' iind- , iiig that any good influence they'exercised on the children was being nullified by the bad. moral etl'ects which

many pictures were having on young minds. Mr Girling Butcher (secretary to the New Zealand Catholic Federation) stated that his federation could not let, the opportunity pass without again repeating its views, -nhich were still the same as formerly, the federation having begun the agitation for the censorship. Ho spoke highly of the work Mr Jolitfe had already done, but supported the views of the deputation that the position was too laborious to be left to one man.

The Censor's Difficulties, At Hie request of tk Minister, Mr Joliffc made a few remarks, lie said that the Act laid down his duties, and it was difficult for liim to make any statement to a deputation. He considered that the work would be equally difficult for a board of censors as for one man. In many cases it is exceedingly difficult to draw a line in the course of a picture being shown between what should bo permitted and ■what should be excised. Frequently, when..in doubt, he had obtained Ms wife's advice, which showed that his sympathies were with the idea of a woman censor, although he considered that there would be delay if a boavtl exercised the censorship, and that there would be other difficulties to contend •with. Many times he had had to decide off-hand, and no doubt in some cases, if he had had more time, he would have cut pieces out which had got through. Mr Joliffc referred to the big demand amongst the public for what he termed strong pictures. Recent exhibitions of sonic scenic pictures had proved a failure, and if he was to exercise the law to the extreme point he would empty the picture theatres. He wished to' assure the deputation that he had endeavoured to act without fear or favour, aud had sought to carry out hio laities conscientiously and faithfully, ' The Minister's Reply. The Hon. G. W. Russell expressed his pleasure at meeting such a large and influential deputation, While up to the present he. had been in favour of the work remaining in the hands of one censor, the statements that had been made and the information that had been given him led him to state that he would place before Cabinet .without delay the question as to whether the censorship -should be strengthened by the appointment of two additional persons, one of whom should be a woman. Mention had bean made of the question of cost, but that must not be considered. In any case, the cost of the censorship should not be borne by the Consolidated Funds, but by the picture-film importers. He would be glad if the Rev. Mr Gray would send to him in writing the principles upon which tire English censorship was exercised. He' would be very pleased to go into the question of adopting those principles; He would not tolerate the sending out of any pictures that would degrade the morals of the people. When the censor took office he found things in a pretty bad way, and he .had allowed a certain amount of latitude; but things were now being hardened up. Ho -was certainly surprised that the censor had not made more use of section 4 of the Act, which empowered him to give a discriminating permit for any film. He had himself

soon the.picture "Intolerance" in Wellington, and afterwards told Mr Joliffo that he did not think that certain portions of it should have been passed. He •understood that the picture theatre proprietors in New Zealand were prepared to arrange special exhibitions for the school children, and he believed there would be some development in the direction. Dealing with posters the Minister regretted that the Department had not been given the full' cooperation and sympathy of municipal bodies in regard to that aspect of the matter, The Department had no machinery for exercising a censorship over posters, but the municipalities could deal with them in their by-laws under the Municipal Corporations Act. He proposed, he said, to take power this session to •nuke it penal for anyone to exhibit a ;iostcr containing a picture taken from ut lortion of a film which hail 'been re-; ejected by the censor, or to display aiiy I advertising matter which had been cut ' jut of a film. ■ He considered the importers had now been allowed ample time to adjust their purchases to the requirements of the censorship, and the people of the country now had a -right to say that no picture which would transgress public decency and no picture containing suggestive matter should be allowed in the country.

Dr. Gibb expressed his complete satisfaction with the statement the Minister had made, and Mr Dickson thanked him for his courteous reception and his sympathetic reply.