Motion Picture Commission : hearings before the Committee on Education, House of Representatives, Sixty-third Congress, second session, on bills to establish a Federal Motion Picture Commission (1978)

162 MOTION PICTURE COMMISSION. bers of the board, whom I do not feel justified in naming. His state- ment to me Nvas that in the summer time, when these people who are volunteers do not appear, and as there is pressure not to have these films held up by the absence of the voluntary board, the pic- tures are passed on by the secretaries with the approval of the so- called National Board of Censorship. I do not question the sincerity or earnestness of every member of this board. I call your attention, however, to the fact that in the report that you have the statement is made that the body which engages these three or four secretaries is the executive committee of the general committee. The Chairman. On what page is that? Dr. Chase. It is on page 8 of the report of the National Board of Censorship, TO Fiftli Avenue, New York, 1014. in the table. You see on the right-hand side: Executive dep:irti)ient. Executive conunitti'e of five nieinbers of the general committee. Appoints statt' of four secret.uies (salaried, uonvotinj,') for the general committee aiul censoring committee. Nominates members of same. AVe are not told who ajipoints this executive committee or its re- lation to the manufacturers. This executive committee has the appointment of all these volun- teer members and has the employment of the secretaries. So you see that the control of the whole board is pretty largely in the con- trol of the manufacturing interests of the country, for the executive committee can not pay its expenses unless the manufacturers furnish the money. This is one reason why, to a certain extent, the national board can not be absolutely free in their decisions with reference to the moral effect of pictures upon the public. The name and work of the National Board of Censorship, so- called, deceives the public into thinking that the board really cen- sors films, v.hen. as a matter of fact, all that it does is to advise man- ufacturers what changes to make in their films. I desire to sum- marize tiie following ]K)ints with reference to the work of tlie Na- tional Boai-d of Censorship: WHY Tin: XATIOX.M. nOAKl). SO-CAI.I.KD, IS 1N'F.Il ICll VK. 1. Because it is not official and can not enforre its dei-isions. 2. Pecause its decisions are not always obeyed by the manufacturers. 3. Because probably more than 10 per cent of the pictures exhibited are never shown to this board. Tlie national board, in lOlH. claimed to examine 1>S ]ier cent and, in 11)14. 0(5 ])er cent of the pictures, but they have submitted no figures in detail to substantiate their claim. I use an earlier esti- mate of the board. 4. Because, as their ex|K'nses are paid by the motion-picture manufacturers, they are not free in their decisions, they work unconsciously not entirely for the public, but for their friends the film makers. 5. Because the volunteer censors are not n>gular in tlicir attend.auce, and in their absence paid secretaries exert great influence over the few that are present, and the seci'ctaries can not oppose the will of the manufacturers who pay their salaries. Each section of the board has about IT members, but the average attendance of each section is only four. The manufacturers, who pay all the expenses of the board, have an invisible control over the board, especially over the four paid