KINEMA UNDER FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 213, 9 March 1914, Page 4

KINEMA UNDER FIRE.

AT TUB W.C.T.U. fIUKSK AND SENSATIONAL FILMS. Gisborne, March 5. "Six years ago," said the president of the W.C.T.U., in her address, "tile total number of employees in the kinematograph theatres in Great Britain was about 501). They now exceed 125,000. Their wages probably run into £l-2,00(>.-000 per annum. The number of people visiting: kincmas per week is estimated at eight millions. There are about 15.000 picture theatres in America, patronised by more than six million people per day. In the face of such figure* who <j:i estimate the power for stood or evil ~f Unemas? \V!,!!,. J <l O not, intend to enter into u;!.v detailed criticism of picture shows. I should like to ' a»k: '\«!i:ii, i, iii r eii'eet of a certain clai-s of |i,i'iui->-n upon the rising generation? There i. s no doubt that a good ileal n;ay be learned from films which, treat of the foreign world, l>ut it it an incontestable fact that there in another class of picture that demands most ruthless supervision. It is a class of picture that is a popular feature at many, picture shows—cod rse, clandestine love scenes, sensational crimes, bushranging scenes of the Deadwood DicW type, and murders. These arc midonbtiedly harmful in their effect on the minds of the young, for they create a most unwholesome appetite and invariably lead to wholesome moral decrepitude. A perusal of the daily advertisements for the kinema will convince that the programmes arc largely blood-curd-ling and sensational, calculated to hold spellbound and, as one advertisement recently put it, with 'thrills enough to suit the most exacting.' It is a matter for amazement that, with parents lufly aware of this, there should be such apparent indifference as to the class of entertainment which their children attend. It might be well if, in New some responsible foody was created to supervise films before thej appear in public. It could do the managements no harm, while it would exercise a most beneficial effect upon the community." ANOTHER MATTER DENOUNCED. Dealing with gambling, the following remarks were made in the address.-1-As we expected, the racing fraternity made another effort last session to get Parliament to pass into law a Bill increasing the number of race days by thirty, in a country already over-supplied, and we are amazed that ™i ».?, onld l find thL ' U ' no t0 "i*™* !»V II Whc " im P° r '«"t business, affectmg the general welfare of the, community, was crowded out. As wo are convinced that gambling is illilnicill to the tiest interests of the people, an* ikely to beeomo a social cancer unless its growth can be stopped, we mu-t-a» our late beloved president advised us at last convention-continue to proe;s ngamst any effort for lessening 'the se all estimate means to eradicate he gambling evil from the Dominion, and to abolish t ) lt , totalisator."