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10 MOTION PICTUEE COMMISSION. termined at one place for all time. As I have said before, these films are mostly made for use in interstate commerce, and they could well be censored by a national board of this kind. Mr. Treadway. Suppose a film concern in New York were pre- pared, as I suppose they are, to supply thousands of moving pictures throughout New York State. Would this board have jurisdiction? Mr. Crafts. This bill would not affect such a concern at all. If they stayed within the State they would not be affected, but if they wanted the privilege of traveling over the country then they would be affected. In matters entirely within the State,'^the State and cities must look after everything together. But the pictures I have in mind, and the only ones which v»^ould come here for a license, would be those designed for interstate business. And you see we have a precedent right here in the matter of copyrighting books; we have a precedent in the matter of patents; we have a precedent in the matter of laws which have already passed and to which I have already re- ferred, laws preventing the exhibition of pictures showing prize fights. Under the law as it now stands, we do not allow the exhibi- tion of pictures of prize fights or bull fights when those pictures are in interstate commerce. The Chairman. And Ave stop the sending of obscene books through the mails. Mr. Crafts. Yes; and that is a very strong analogy. The law prohibits the transportation of obscene books by express and the transportation of lottery tickets, on the ground that they are es- sentially interstate matters. Mr. Treadway. Then there is another feature along that line. The reason why such legislation as this would come before this committee. I suppose, is because of its moral features, connecting educational matters with the moral condition of the theater, and that sort of thing, but what is your idea as to whether this is legislation with which we should deal or legislation with which the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce should deal? Mr. Crafts. That was fought out for several hours yesterday, as to whether it should come to this committee or not. and it was finally decided that it belonged here. Mr. Treadway. Who made that decision ? Mr. Crafts. Well, I do not know that it was fought out, but ir was considered by the committee, by the clerk Mr. Treadway' (intei'posing). By the proposer of the bill? Tlie Chairman . This bill was referred by the Speaker to this com- mittee. . . , - . Mr. Ciiafts. It was several hours after it went in and they thought of all those matters. T judge. The dominating thing in this bill is that it is making a new division in the Bureau of Education. Mr. Treadway. That is an arbitrary power placed in the board of education rather tlian somewhere else. That is what the bdl is doing, but I am looking at it from the standpoint of the subject matter itself, Mr. Crafts. I think the dominating thought is that these moving- picture films are of great educational force. Mr. Edison is planning to have a complete system of education in connection with these films.