Show I Movies Poor Mans Man's Book of Travel Proper and Popular as as Sunday Fun Is h Argument of Lord Beaverbrook BY LORD BEAVER BEAVERBROOK BROOK LONDON DON April 6 I 1 I have written in the last few weeks on success as it ought to appeal to young men and on health as it may bo attained in youth J I by moderation in exercise I feel JI I I may have given the impression that life lite ought to be all business modified by tennis This is far from my be be- be lief lIet Amusement too must claim its share in any rational and happy lIf life V What hat could be more healthy and ex exhilarating exhilarating ex- ex than dancing perhaps dancing perhaps the most enjo enjoyable able of all recreations I Vh What t better th than n a visit to a theatre which distracts the mind from Its own cares by bythe the presentation of the trials of ot others Lastly there is the cinematograph cine cine- I which is at at once the school cIne I I and theatre for tor forthe the masses This gen gen- era lion can have bave no idea of 01 the extent to which the life lite of the people has been brightened and Its Us horizon widened widened widened wid wid- ened by the picture theatre CONDENSED BO BonKS KS r I I ca can speak with some knowledge on this question for tor I have haye tried to en encourage encourage en- en encourage courage the development of ot the cinematograph cine cine- industry and I firmly be believe believe believe be- be lieve that there are few better ways of ot using money or spending energy Athletics apart the word amusements amusements amusements amuse ments means the picture theatre to I the majority of the nation There Isone is isone I Ione one blight on the of ot this form orm of ot happiness the happiness the prejudices prejudices' which close so many of ot the picture theatres against the public on Sunday This discrimination against one par- par form torm of or entertainment is utterly utterly ut ut- ut I terly indefensible in logic Is It wrong to read a book on Sunday No But the pictures are the ordInary mans man's i novel or book of travel They are condensed books thrown on a screen and what It is not wrong to read It cannot be wrong to see NOT RIVALS If It Sunday pictures are to be banned why should no same rule apply to Sunday Sunda picture papers papers papers' What hat is the moral difference between seeing a static or a moving picture Yet if It a aI local authority suddenly passed a resolution resolution resolution res res- I that no picture papers were to be sold In its area on on Sunday Sunda there would be an outcry heard everywhere There is a further argument that Sunday pictures would draw people from rom church This contention is neither nether spiritual nor true It is monstrous monstrous monstrous mon mon- to suggest that the churches and the tho cinematograph are two rival organizations competing as attractions for the masses Such a view Is fundamentally fun tun- irreligious A man who wishes to go to church will go there I whatever other ther ways of spending his time ume may DO oe open to to mm rum A man who wo goes to church l because he can go no nowhere nowhere no- no where else is not likely to derive any edification from his religious exercises T There tre is one single and overwhelming overwhelm overwhelm- ing argument for opening picture f shows on Sunday They give the people peo peo- pie the kind of Instruction Ion and amusement amusement amuse amuse- I ment they particularly need and want j Ion on their day of 01 rest from the weeks week's toil toll Would the really realty prefer them to spend that ev evening in the pubs the parks or on the streets streets- too often orten the only other places open to them The sight of distant mountains mountains mountains moun- moun of or great ships e entering foreign harbors of 01 strange people within tho the bounds of our dominions or of 01 some scene in our industrial life are better hetter things than a tour ale bar or a a. bench In a n par park If we are really free Cree men in in n modern England liberty of ot choice should have Its wa way The mass of the people un undoubtedly un- un do desire desiro Sunday opening and the they ought not to be hindered un-I un by the obsolete prejudices of 01 a few tew IndivIduals indi Indi- elected to a local council on some quite different issue I should like to lo see this issue made a test one at every county council election and the time Is rapidly coming when the SUpport supporters of rs rational Sunday amuse amuse- I mont ment will make It one The result of ot organization would be a complete vic tory for tor the forces o of liberty At the present moment the position Is both unjust rind nd J absurd Each authority au- au I decides this point as it likes I A A. man living in Epsom has to go to I I Dalham to find 1 a a. cinematograph h open lie is fined tho amount of time fare tare and trouble for tor residing In a lar H district But morals are not a n f m r u numer oi OL 01 What hat Is wrong in Epsom cannot be right in Balham A A. A man has to travel all the way from Middlesbrough or Southport to Wigan In Jn order to see gee a show What Is good for tor Brighton canno cannot be bad for tor Plymouth Ply Ply- 1 mouth what Is commended In Lewes Lewt's Is hot tolerated In Eastbourne and i the morals of Dalston are not approved ot of in In Finsbury park a mile awa away It would be a matter for comedy if It I were not for the serious hardships which the cranks impose on man many sections sec see of ot t the e community But the I remedy is with public opinion and tho the electorate I I SUNDAY LABOR I There is the lIre further purely eco ceo I objection of ot f Sunday labor I i no man has lias a right to his amusement at the the- cost of robbing som someone one else of his luls leisure But Sunday sunday Sun- Sun day day dav newspapers are published and no one says a word The production of ot a Sunday paper is so dev devised as to give ghe every man his weekly holiday I it Jt would be perfectly simple to make tire the same flame arrangements with Sunday Sunda cinematographs Here there is no tic such difficulty as occurs occur'S In the presentment of or a a play pIa seven days a week a week a task would overstrain the perform perform- ers The actors have hae done their p era long long- before the film Is seen In fact tact the net result of ot Sum Sunday opening would be to employ thonsa of oC m men n who arc now out of 01 work ork every picture theatre In the UnIt Kingdom were opened on Sunday J rn mediately more men could b employed without a single other n ma man having to work longer ho hours rs Add the dependents of each new worker e em and the assistance afforded the problem of ot unemployment become an Important factor SUNDAY PICTURES I have shown that the practICal OD ob I to the Sunday opening of P plc pIC times tures are nonexistent We Ve come ba k ther therefore fore again to the original qu qulion question ques ques- lion tion i Is rational l amusement a it gc go goo thing and do the pictures stand such amusement to the nation nuMon think they do I feel suie ure IC that that I t the majority of ot men are of ot the same sume op ot ln lon ion and if It 39 89 there js is no conc concely able ble re reason son for tor closing them down o the one popular day dav given gi over to rest est and r recreation c I |