Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

October i'p, /yJ"/ 2275 Fight Going Forward for Repeal of Censorship in New York State How Legislators Voted on Act Is Shown; Organized Labor for Repeal WITH an entire now As.sembly to be elected to the New York State Legislature on November 8th, the question of continued censorship for New York becomes an imiJtjrtant issue in the Empire State. Reali/.inir that it will be of interest to the trade, and especially to those associated with the industry who are residents of the state, the Ni:ws publishes below a list vi the legislators who voted for or against the Lusk-Cla.\ ton censorship measure last April. That the efforts of the tilm interests in Xew York State to secure a repeal of the existing censorship statute are being enthusiastically supported by v a r i o u s branches of the American Federation of Labor, is clearly evidenced in the letters being received by J. W. O'Mahoney, chairman of the Freedom for the Screen Committee of the A. M. P. A. The.se letters assure the motion-picture industry of the state the full co-operation of such organizations as the American Federation of Musician>, the Actors' Fquity Association, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Fmployees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the I'nited States and Canada, and the New York State Federation of Labor. In addition to the election of the new Assemblymen, two senatorial candidates are to be elected this fall in New Y'ork State to take the places of Senators McCue and MuUin, who have resigned. The total vote cast last April on the Lusk-Clayton act consisted of 103 votes in favor and 38 votes against. The following Assemblvmen voted in favor of the measure: Simon L. Adlre, Richester; Paul Bailey. Amityville; Ezra A. Barnes, Oswego; H. A. Bartholomew, WhitehallHenry Baum, Union Course, L. I.; Andrew T. Beasley, Buffalo; Charles H. Betts. Lyons; George Blakely, Yonkers; James F. Bly, Brooklyn; H. W. Booth. Utica; George Brady, Buffalo; J. Arthur Brooks, Cazenovia; Arthur E. Brundage, Newburgh; E. C. Campbell, Albany; W. W. Campbell, Schenectady: James T. Carroll. Brooklyn; James H. Caulfield, Jr Brooklyn; G. J. Chamberlin, Syracuse: Nelson W. Cheney, Eden; Walter F. Clayton. Brooklyn; Ernest E. Cole, Bath; Arthur Cowee, Berlin; John R. Crews, Brooklyn; George Dobson, Seneca, Falls; Leo V. Doherty Brooklyn; John G. Downs, Cutchogue ; Louis J. Druss, Brooklyn; William Duke, Jr., Wellsville ; Anson H. Ellsworth, Fort Covington: James A. Evans, Little Falls: Edward A. Everett, Potsdam; Casper Fenner Ludlowville; George H. Finch, Claverack; Edward J. Flynn, New York; Noel B. Fox, New York; Nichalos V. V. Franchot, 2d, Niagara Falls; Ernest V. Frerichs, Tottenville, S. L; James M. Gaffers, Cohoes; Bert P. Gage. Warsaw; Frank L. Gardner. Poughkeepsie; John O. Gempler, Brooklyn; John G. Gray Liberty: Harry M. Greenwald. CobleskiU; L. Ford' Hager, Victory ^ Charles M. Harrington, Peru; James A. Harris, East Rochester: Clarence W. Hausner Montour Falls; John C. Hawkins, New York; Delevan C. Hunter, Canisteo; Eberly Hutchinson. Johnstown: Frank G. Jacobs. South Cairo; David E. Jeffrey. Lockport; Edmund B. Jenks, Whitney Point: Franklin W. Judson, Rochester: Leigh G. Kirkland, Randolph; Frank H. Lattin, Albion; Gilbert L. Lewis, Barnard: Lincoln R. Long, New Kingston; B?rt Lord, Afton; James M. Lown, Jr., Penn Yan; Louis M. Martin, Clinton; Seabury C. Mastick. Pleasantville ; Peter A. McArdle. Brooklyn: Samuel W. McCleary. Amsterdam: Joseph A. McGinnies. Ripley; Joseph V. McKee, New York; John J. McLaughlin, Brooklyn; Thomas A. McWhitney. Lawrence: Charles P. Miller, South Byron; James G. Moore. Brooklyn; Thomas C. Moore. Bronxville : Miller B. Moran, Lowville ; Leon G Moses. Brooklyn; James J. Mullen, Brooklyn; Frederick Nichols, New York; Nicholas M. Pette, Jamaica; Fred L. Porter, Crown Point; Michael J. Reilly, Brooklyn; Irving F. Rice, Cortland; John J. Richford, Elmira; George H. Rowe, Buffalo; Charles C. Sackett, Canandaigua ; Frank L. Seaker, Gouverneur; C. C. Smith, Saratoga Springs; Julian C. Smith, Oneonta; Miss Marguerite L. Smith, New York; Thomas K. Smith, Syracuse; Theodore Stitt, Brooklyn; Frank Taylor, Brooklyn; Mitchell A. Trahan, Jr., Yonkers; S. B. Van Wagenen, Kingston; Robert B. Wallace, New York; John A. Warren, Brooklyn; John G. Webb. Clinton Corners; Frederick A. Wells, Brooklyn; Walter W. Westall. White Plains: George F. Wheelock, Leicester; Forman E. Whitcomb, Union; Chauncey J. Williams, Remsen : Daniel P. Witter, Berkshire; Judson S. Wright, Falconer; John R. Yale. Brewster; Herbert A. Zimmerman. Buffalo Of those voting in the affirmative, all are Republicans with the exception of Mr. Reasley, Mr. Flynn, Mr. McArdle, Mr. McKee, Mr. McLaughlin, Mr. Reilly, Mr. Taylor, who are Democrats. .Since the vote was taken, Mr. Pette has resigned from the Assembly, likewise Mr. Lord. Mr. Jager was not recorded, having been previously unseated. Mr. Roosevelt was al.so unrecorded, having previously resigned, while Mr. Peck was unrecorded having died earlier in the .session. The following New York State Assemblymen voted against the motion picture censorship bill : Benjamin Antin, New York; Bernard Aronson, New York; Maurice Bloch, New York; Harold Blodgett, Schenectady; A. B. Borkowski, Buffalo; Thomas F. Burchill. New York; Thomas F. Cosgrove, West New Brighton: Henry B. Crowley, Rochester; Samuel Dickstein, New York; Mario G. DiPirro, New York; Charles D. Donohue. New York; Francis X. Giaccone, Brooklyn; Frederick L. Hackenburg, New York; Ralph Halpern, Richmond Hill; Peter J. Hamill, New York; Albert H. Henderson. New York; George N. Jesse, New York; John J. Kelly, Brooklyn; Owen J}. Kiernan, New York; Peter A. Leininger, Long Island City: Nathan Lieberman, New York; William Lyman, New York; Thomas J. McDonald, New York; John T. Merrigan, Albany; Hugh C. Morrissey, North Troy; Edward J. Neary, East Elmhurst; John J. O'Connor, New York; Samuel Orr. New York; Edward R. Rayher, New York; Michael E. Reiburn, New York; Morris D. Reiss, New York; Bernhard Schwab, Ridgewood; August Seelbach, Buffalo; Charles Solomon, Brooklyn; Joseph Steinberg, New York; Sol Ullman, New York; John J. Wackerman, Brooklyn; and Edward J. Walsh, New York. Of the above, the Republicans are Messrs. Aronson, Blodgett, Borkowski, Crowley, DiPirro, Giaccone, Halpern, Jesse. Lieberman, Morrissey, Neary, Rayher, Reiss, Seelbach, Steinberg and L^lman ; Messrs. Orr and Solomon being Socialists, the others Democrats. The following New York State .Senators voted in favor of motion picture censorship : D. H. Ames. Franklinville ; Caleb H. Baumes. Newburgh; Allen J. Bloomfield, Richfield Springs;' George T. Burling, White Plains; Alvah W. Burlingame, Jr., Brooklyn: William W. Campbell, Lockport; William A. Carson, Rushville; Frederick M. Davenport, Clinton; F, E. Draper, Troy; Holland S. »Duell. Yonkers Mortimer Y. Ferris, Ticonderoga; Leonard W. H. Gibbs, Buffalo: Maxwell S. Harris, Brooklyn; Charles J. Hewitt. Locke; Frederick W. Kavanaugh, Waterford; John Knight, Arcade; Charles C. Lockwood, Brooklyn; Seymour Lowman, Elmira: Clayton R. Lusk, Cortland; William E. Martin. Buffalo; John B. Mullan, Rochester: Fred B. Pitcher. Watertown; Georee M. Reischmann, Brooklyn; William T. Simpson, Brooklyn; Parton Swift, Buffalo; W. T. Thaver, Chateaugay; George L. Thompson, Kings Park; Ward V. Tolbert, New York: James E. Towner, Towners; and Charles W. Walton, Kingston. All of the above are Republicans. Since the vote was taken, .Senator Mullan, of Roche.ster, has resigned and his successor will be elected this fall. The following voted against the cen.sorship bill : John J. Boylan, New York ; Salvatorc A. Cotillo, New York; Bernard Downing, New York; William Duggan. New York; John J. Dunnigan, New York; Daniel F. Farrell. Brooklyn; George R. Pearson, Syracuse; John L. Karle, Glendale; Abraham L. Katlin, Brooklyn: Martin G. McCue, New York; Peter J. McGarry, Long Island City; Schuyler M. Myer, New York; Theodore Douglas Robinson, Mohawk; Edmund Seidel, New York; Nathan Straus, Jr., New York; Jeremiah F. Toomey, Brooklyn; James J. Walker, New York; James h. Whitley, Rochester, and Frank L. Wiswall, Watervliet. Of the above, Messrs. Boylan, Cotillo, Downing, Dunnigan, McCue, McCiarry, Straus, Twomey and Walker are Democrats, the others being Republicans with the exception of Mr. Seidel, who is a Socialist. Mr. McCue has resigned and his successor will be elected on Nov. 8. As evidence of the support that organized labor is giving the movement to secure the repeal of censorship in New York State, Chairman J. \V. O'Mahoney of the I'^reedom for the .Screen Committee submitted copies of the letters that he has received from the various labor organizations affiliated with the A. V. L. In a letter to the New York State branch of the American Federation of Musicians, the parent organization advises: " Your local is hereby urgently requested to get in touch with the candidates for Assembly of the Democratic and Republican parties in your District and ascertain their opinions on the repeal of the Motion Picture censorship law. I suggest that you address these candidates by written communication and, in addition thereto, have a committee from your union wait upon them for the purpose of advising them that the Motion Picture Censorship law is most unfair to the industry and in its last analysis is an attack on the rights of the people — therefore, should be repealed at the next session of the Legislature. The police powers of the state and municipalities are entirely sufficient to control or forestall the exhibiting of morally objectionable pictures and should not be superceded by moving picture censorship boards, which represent a guardianship over the opinion and rights of the people which should not be lodged in any committee or board, as the exercising of such guardianship as to what the people should be permitted to enjoy as a matter of recreation or education is contrary to the principles of our country." Replying to Peter J. Brady of the New York State Federation of I.abor, Frank Gillmore of the Actors' I'^quity says concerning the anti-censorship movement : "Let me know your further plans on this subject so that the Actors' Fquity Association can render full assistance." The organized stage employees and operators of New York State are advised officially by the national parent body : " At the last sessidu of the Legislature there was enacted into law the itotion Picture Censorship bill, which is estimated will cost the mntion picture industry over two and one-half million dollars, thereby compelling the producers and exhiiiitors to resort to every I)ossible economy by reducing the number of employees in the studios, the laboratories, and in the picture houses; that is, musicians, operators or assistants, etc." The members are then directed to communicate with their legislative representatives at Albany at once, pointing out the unfairness of legalized censorship and urging its repeal at the next legi.slative session.