The annals of the American academy of political and social science (Nov 1926)

Official Censorship Legislation 173 Green Bay, Wisconsin, created a Board of Censors in 1917 consisting of five members appointed by the city commission, and in 1921, Memphis, Tennessee, estabhshed one consisting of three members elected by the City Board of Commissioners. Oak Park, Illinois, has an ordinance creating a Moving Picture Censor Board and requiring permits for each film. Pasadena, California, created a Board of Censorship in 1914, but in 1922 passed a new ordinance creating a Board of Review, consisting of three members appointed by the city manager and paid annual salaries. The board previews all films in the city before exliibition. In 1922, Wichita Falls, Texas, created the positions of Censors of Commercial Amusements and a Board of Appeals, both appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council. The censors are paid officials, but the Board serves without pay. Previewing is required when demanded by the censors. The censors are also given the powers of a police officer. One of the most recent and most comprehensive censorship ordinances was passed in 1923 by the city of Portland, Oregon.^^ It provides for a Board of Motion Picture censors, and film inspectors, previous notice and previewing of films, sets forth the standards of censorship, procedure, and rather stringent penalties. The Board of Censors is a board of appeal and is appointed in a novel way. The theatre interests nominate three persons from which the city council appoints one, the council selects another member at large, and these two select the third. These members are selected annually. The board is given very broad powers and is apparently working out satisfactorily. Milwaukee has a semi-official censorship board of citizen members ap 8s Portland Ordinance No. 42790. pointed by the mayor. No ordinance has been passed to give it official status, but the city pays the salary of the secretary of the board, who is the censoring official. The board acts as a board of appeal. Censorship Abroad Official censorship is more common abroad than in this country, possibly because government regulation in general is more common. England has had censorship of the theatre for two hundred years, but no governmental censorship of motion pictures has been established. In 1913, the Board of Film Censors was established by the motion picture interests. This consists of five members, and corresponds in a general way to our National Board of Review, although its association with the government is much closer. The present president of the board is a member of Parliament, and its work is carried on in close co-operation with the Home Office. A very detailed set of standards has been formulated by the British board. Many English cities, like Manchester and Liverpool, also have strict regulations relative to the attendance of children and minors. Nearly all of the Canadian provinces have the authority to establish either censors or boards of censorship. Germany, as might be expected, had strict censorship before the war, and has re-established it since then. The Berlin police regulations are particularly strict. Government censors in Norway inspect all films before they are exhibited to the public. Turkey has a very strict religious censorship of films, but does not censor for other purposes. In Switzerland all films must be examined and approved by a government censor in each city or canton before they can be shown. Sometimes a fee for inspection is charged and sometimes not.