Reel Life (Sep 1913 - Mar 1914)

10 Reel Life "A Kentucky Romance" "The Feud Leaders Meet" Kay-Bee Teaching Citizenship by Moving Pictures The consular reports contain an interesting story of how Italy educated the millions of voters who came into the franchise for first time at the recent election. Th-ere were over 4,000,000 voters who had never cast a ballot before and who had to be taught how to exercise their new right. The thing was done effectively by moving pictures. The procedure to ibe followed by the voters was thus graphically illustrated. Besides, the political leaders had films of their own to teach their followers how to get the result they were alfter. As has been said, the method was highly successful. Indeed it was so successful thait public leaders are now taking it up as a means to spread 'education along various lines, notably domestic and personal hygiene. This method of using the moving picture theatres for purposes of education is not new to this country. It has been used in the anti-ituberculosis campaiign. It has also been used for political purposes in many places. But nowhere has this popular form of entertainment been turaed to the highest good in an educational way. The great bulk of the masses of the population could be reached better in no way than through moving pictures. Our boards c^f health could spread the doctrines of cleanliness and good sanitation by showing the pictures of the wrong habits and wrong methods. The public schools of the country could be turned over for this highly important education of our adult population. Further, our children whose delight in moving pictures is notorious, could learn from them many a lesson of life that cannot be given them in the usual manner. Modern methods of education are not to be avoided merely because they seem to afford the education through the avenues of pleasure or entertainment. The results in the Italian election were remarkable. Some of our Americans would revise their opinions of the Italians if they were to stop and consider how intelligent, well ordered and entirely successiful was this first ^election in Italy under the general franchise. The population of Italy must be composed of an usually adaptable and intelligent class of people. Think how many of our voters are utterly unable to make the ballot tell the story they want it to. Natives and foreigners lose their franchise because they have not learnt how to use it. Our foreigners in this country, if they were properly taught the ways erf the land and instructed how to wield the ballot, would not be long in understanding these elementary matters of American citizenship. Too Much for Her "Don't you want me to give you a ride on your sled?" asked a lady af a small boy whom she met trudging along, dragging his sled behind him. The boy looked up at the lady solemnly, then spread his arms and said : "I am an airship !" And the lady hurried on, recognizing her total inability to cope with such a wonderful machine. — Exchange. One morning when the colonel asked his usual question about her health the old lady turned to her granddaughter, who accompan'ed her, and motioned. The girl stood and stared. The old lady wigwagged frantically. The girl looked stolidly at her. The old lady wheezed and coughed and panted. The girl stared straight before her. Finally, the old lady burst out furiously: "Drat you, Mary Louise! Didn't I tell you you would have to talk for me? Can't you see I can't say a word to save my life?" — Saturday Evening Post.