PICTURE FILMS.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13968, 27 August 1917, Page 1

PICTURE FILMS.

GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS.

WELLINGTON, August -.23.

The' censorship "of films formed the subject of sonic remarks by the Hon, G.W. Russell to-day, in reply to a deputation of Otago members' of ■Parliament which waited on him. It was suggested, among other things, that a portion of the' programme at picture shows, say 25 per cent.,-should comprise educative and instructive Jibns,

. The Minister in reply to the deputation, said lie believed certain improvenient had been made, in the picture pro ; grammes since the censorship hud come into operation, but lie did not think the censorship had .sufficiently got*, going yet to fully justify itself, because a number of.films were on circuit and in the libraries of the companies hiring out dims at the time it came into force. A reasonable time had been given the companies to work off these. The-right was reserved to withdraw this' concession at any time, lie was not going to state all he knew, but certain information hail come to him, and after the olst of this month there would be a prosecution against every picture house that showed a film that had not been '•cnsoied. "By that means," the Minister said, "we shall get a grip on a lot of Ktnil' that is being hawked round 'ilill without passing through the Censor's hands." That, lie believed, had been the cause of a great deal of I lie [rouble. The censorship was receiving the consideration of the Government mow, and very careful inquiries were 'icing made as to the appointment of 'wo other censors, one to be a woman. He could not say how far the mater mil gon: 1 . Enquiries ivere being made :ml he hoped that very shortly a state!!cnt would be made with reference to lie matter, lie did not think it would ever be possible to attain to the igh level suggested by members of. the leputatinn in regard to the proportion if educational libns. He did not think t was possible for the Government to :iy down a rule that 20 per cent of he programme would have to be of a larticular class. All they could lay lown was that there should be a reaioualde standard. .Inst as it was in iteralure, so it was in picture films—>ne could not reduce the films to the evel of the child any more than one ■ould reduce one's library to the level if the child; There must he some films .vhicli a child could not understand. They could only stipulate that a paricu'.ar film could be witnessed, by a qiecilied class. The experience, how■veiy wms that sosooii'iui'it was stiminted that a film could be witnessed by idults onlv, and this was advertised, here was a rush for seats in the hcatre in which is was being (.shown mil even young girls put up their hair mil made themselves like women in mler to see the picture. At the pre■enl time proposals were under con■.ideration which he hoped would, have the effect of materially improving the status o# pictures. He hoped the appointment of a woman censor would be leliuitely dealt with by Cabinet very ihortly. lie had not definitely committed himself yet. He did not want to increase tlje expenditure at the pretent time, but the deputation's requests ail his sympathy.