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MOTIOX riCTURE COMMISSION. 135 iov his crime by notoriety, large audiences, and large financial returns. But the effect is to shock the moral sense of the whole community and to strengthen any prejudices which they may have against motion pictures. X few unscrupulous motion-picture manufacturers thus injure the whole trade; because no policemen nor private citi- zens are able to overcome all the obstacles in securing evidence, the expense and delays in the courts, and various forms of civic corrup- tion, the manufacturer goes unpunished, the motion-picture trade is permanently injured, as by the ''Inside of the white slave traffic" and by the "Traffic in souls,'' and the children of the whole com- munity are much demoralized. This makes it evident that the morality of the playgoing public is not high enough to compel all the manufacturers, in order to make money, to raise the standard of their pictures to conform to the moral standards of the whole people. On the contrary, there is great danger that the morality of the playgoing people will become the morality of tlie whole people. This bill provides that there shall be nothing in motion pictures which Avill be contrary to the morality of the whole people, the law of the whole people. In order to do that you will see that it is necessary to have somebody to represent the whole people, not to represent merely the playgoing people or the people who are interested in the manufacture of films. ]SIr. Powers. What do you say as to the children who at that early age do not know what does and what does not affect their welfare and morality ? Dr. Chase. Of course that would involve the argument that I was going to make. That brings up Judge Towner's question. Mr. TowxER. There are some matters that I would like to take up. First, I would like to ask Mr. Schechter a question. Have you a copy of the bill ? Mr. Schechter. Yes, sir. Mr. Towner. Will you be kind enough to turn to section 12, where you will notice that the bill provides '"That a fee of $1 shall be charged for the examination by the commission of each film of 1.000 feet or less." What, in your judgment, would that amount to? Mr. ScHECHiT.R. If you will allow me a moment, I will figure it up. On the originals it would not amount to more than $12,.">00. On the 50 cents charge it would amount to about $125,000. Mr. Towner. What would l>e the justification for the 50 cents charge ? Mr. Schechter. I see no justification. You have a provision in section 15 which provides—■That the coiiiniission shall have power to charge, in addition to the fee for each film, such a snni as is necess.iry to i>:iv the ex])ense of iiKinnf.icturing the seals. The copies they will never see. All they will do Avill be to get the seals for the purpose of putting them on the copies. Why 50 cents should be charged for the additional copies that are never seen. I can not say. INIr. Towner. What was in my mind and what I Avas about to ask is what would be a necessary charge to produce an annual revenue of about $60,000 a year?