The Moving Picture World (1908)

78 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD apparatus in a great many of these places. Good men are ex- pensive, but hereafter all operators of moving picture machines must be licensed. Under the direction of Chief William T. Beggin, of the Violation Bureau of the Fire Department, oper- ators of machines from Brooklyn are taking a stiff examination to show their fitness for the important work entrusted to them. Chief Beggin said that while it was too early as yet to make any statement, he felt confident that one of the evils of these shows, at least, would be done away with, when competent men shall have been installed to operate the machines. The exam- inations will continue until every five-cent moving picture show will have a competent manipulator on its staff. The owners will be forbidden to let any but licensed operators run the machines, so the danger from incompetent handling of the really dangerous apparatus will have been eliminated when Chief Beggins has issued licenses for all the establishments. The re-mspection by the Fire Department will include every establishment which exhibits moving pictures, licensed or unli- censed, full-fledged theaters and nickelodeons. The fire-fighting apparatus will have to be in perfect condition and up to the stand- ard required, the exits will have to be ample, sufficient in num- ber, and plainly indicated, and the aisles will have to be kept dear. In fact, the owners of these places will be required to do everything necessary for the adequate protection of life and limb. An effort will be made by the city officials to compel all estab- lishments which are now giving free shows to secure licenses. Just how that will be done has not yet been definitely decided. While the investigation is going on no new licenses will be.is- sued, and it is believed in some quarters that quite a few_ of the cheap theaters now in existence will be deprived of the privi- lege of doing business until they make some very radical changes in their layout and method of operation. • * * PHILADELPHIA FIRE INSPECTORS GET BUSY. Second-Story Theaters Condemned. "I shall order the police to stop any moving picture exhibition they may find being given on the second floor of a building in anypart of the city," said Director Clay. "The resolutions adopted by the Common Council asking me to prohibit such exhibitions on the second floors of buildings ex- cept where, in my judgment, sufficient safeguards had been pro- vided, has been handed to me. I do not know of any place where such exhibitions are being given where the safeguards are sufficient, in my opinion, and therefore shall order that all be moved down to the first floors where, in case of a panic, it would be easier to empty the people into the streets than it would be if it were necessary to get them down a flight of stairs. "All the places where such exhibitions are given are, in my judgment, provided with stairs that are too narrow for a quick emptying of the halls, or they lack fire escapes. I know of absolutely none which I consider safe. That applies to perma- nent moving picture machine establishments. As to the itinerant conductor of a moving picture machine, I agree entirely with 1 the opinion expressed yesterday by members of the Philadelphia Fire Underwriters' Association, and the police shall be instructed to watch for such men carefully, and to stop such exhibitions wherever they see the slightest danger in them. "I think that a license should be obtained for such exhibitions under all conditions, whether given under the auspices of a church or not. A State law will, of course, be necessary before the operation of one of these machines without a license and without an inspection of the electrical connections can be made a misdemeanor. In the meantime we shall watch them carefully and use the police power to protect the public. "Fire Marshal Lattimer is making an investigation of all build- ings in which public entertainments are given. The Building In- spection Department has been rigid in enforcing its require- ments, and the Police Department will be just as careful." The directors' instructions were to make the inspection a thor- ough one. Superintendent Taylor was directed to issue peremp- tory orders to the police to prohibit such exhibitions in all places where it was found that sufficient safeguards were not provided to insure the safety of the public. r; "All our buildings are fireproof," said B. A. Baer, manager for S. Lubin, smiling and shrugging his shoulders recklessly. "We have both front and rear exits, the doors swing both way. We have two aisles in each of our houses, and we will not per- mit any one to stand in those aisles. We never put the rooms in which these moving picture shows are given in complete dark- ness. If a fire should start, the audience might leave by either the front or the. rear. If it should start in the coop in which the moving picture machine is, the man who was running the machine might close the coop and leave it. This coop is over the front entrance as a rule, but there are always rear doors." CHICAGO GETS IT ALSO. Inquiries regarding the safety of the thousands of persons who daily crowd the hundreds of five-cent theaters scattered all over Chicago poured into the offices of Building Commissioner Downey and Fire Marshal Horan. The replies were reassuring. Both Commissioner Downey and Chief Horan declared a rep^ tition of the Boyertown disaster would be impossible in Chicago. The catastrophe, nevertheless, promises to arouse a demand here for the examination and licensing by law of all operators of the moving picture machines. "We have kept after the managers of the nickel theaters until we are satisfied their places are safe," said Mr. Downey. "The building department has insisted so strictly on the nickel theaters obeying the rules that the owners started to form an organiza- tion a short time ago to resist us. There are over 400 01 these places in Chicago now, and we have turned down fully one hun- dred requests for permission to open additional theaters. We have consistently refused to allow any of the shows to open in places above the ground floor. All the moving picture shows in Chicago are conducted on the street level with three excep- tions, which started up before the present rule* was adopted. These are in brick buildings and well provided with exits." The licensing of operators was discussed by City Electrician William Carroll, who is now empowered by the theater ordi nances to see that each machine is run by "a competent maa" "I have considered the question of a license for the operators before," said Mr. Carroll, "but I have never formally recom- mended action to the council. It would be a wise measure to require operators to pass an examination, but I am not entirely convinced that it is necessary. The running of the machines is a simple matter." * * * DES MOINES WILL EXAMINE OPERATORS. Fire Marshal Louis Siegel believes that to protect the habi- tues of Des Moines* moving picture theaters, the operators of the machines should be compelled to pass civil service examina- tion. The fire marshal is greatly agitated by the recent Boyertown disaster, and he declares that it is up to him to put the moving picture shows of Des Moines under such regulations as to pre- vent a similar occurrence. He says that many of the men and boys who operate the lanterns in the local theaters are incom- petent ** Mr. Siegel is now preparing an ordinance, and the problem will be submitted to the council. The ordinance will provide that every operator of a moving picture theater shall be placed under civil service examination. An examining board is provided for which will meet and hold examinations each time a moving picture show wishes to em- ploy a new man to turn the films through the lantern. The ordi- nance will provide that the council appoint the members of the board. * * * ST, LOUIS ENFORCES CHILD LABOR LAW. State Factory Inspector J. W. Sikes, of St. Louis, Mo., and his deputies have been busy for some time investigating violations of the State Child Labor Law by proprietors of various nickel- odeons in city and State. Many boys and girls under sixteen years old have been found working as late as midnight as "spielers," door tenders, vocal- ists, operators of projecting picture machines, ushers, etc., and informations have -been issued against the proprietors. The operation of a moving picture machine is dangerous, even by an expert In one case found by the factory inspector, a youth of fourteen was turning the film off the reel, not only endangering his own life, but the lives of the audience as well. Several fires have occurred from inefficient operators manipulat- ing the machines. In a number of cases persons have pleaded guilty to violating the child labor law and were fined $25 each. * • • ACTORS' UNION TAKES ACTION. The Executive Committee of the Actors' National Protective Union has called on the Central Federated Union to take up the matter of moving picture shows in New York. It is asserted that most of the shows are .run in a manner to make them a menace to the lives of the people who attend them. It is charged that young and inexperienced men are employed to handle the machines, that proper precautions against fire are not taken and that the rooms in which the shows are given—most of them store- rooms^—are not provided with proper exits. The Central Union is requested to take the subject up with the Board of Electrical Control of the city and the Fire Department. j .