PICTURES AND MORALS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1175, 10 July 1911, Page 4

PICTURES AND MORALS.

' CENSORSHIP PROPOSED. IBy Telegraph—Press Association.! ! '■•"••• , Christchurch, July 8. At last night's meeting of the Rangiora Borough Council a letter was read from tho Revs. F. P. Fendall and T. Miller, and Messrs. T. W. Ambrose (headmaster of thoßangiora School), W. B. Borthwick (headmaster of tho Soulhbrqok School), and T. R. Cresswell (principal of tho High School), strongly condemning the character of tho films exhibited at the Coronation Picture Show in tho town, to which the school children were admitted free. Three of the films, it was stated, were utterly unfit for children's eyes, and were harmful to those who were, no longer children. The bad effect produced on young minds by nick' pictures, it was said, must bo. far-reaching, and would do more than any other pernicious agency towards tho degradation of tho morals of tho rising generation. It was earnestly urged that such steps should. |)O taken by the council as might effectively prevent the exhibition of objectionable and harmful films in tho publichalls of tho town, nnd further, bearing in mind tho widespread use of picture entertainments throughout the country, they strongly urged that the Government should be approached with a view to tho establishment of a censorship of all films exhibited in tho Dominion. Tho Mayor and councillors expressed their approval of tho action taken by thoßo who forwarded the letter, nnd their willingness to do all that lay in their power to prevent the pernicious effects of picture shows. Tho Mayor said ho considered that tne Government should institute a strict censorship over tho films, allowing none but ther-e bearing an official seal to bo exhibited. It was suggested that a mooting should be held to arouse public interest in the matter, nnd load peoplo in other parts of tho Dominion to move in the. same direction. . As the outcome of a long discussion, it was resolved to hold a public meeting to initiate a movement against the exhibition of pictures of a demoralising tendency.