The Moving Picture World/Volume 1/Number 2/The Closing of Nickelodeons in New York City
The Closing of Nickelodeons in New York City.
As briefly mentioned in our last issue, some forty of these places of resort were closed for not complying with the conditions demanded by the Board of Electricity.
It appears, on inquiry, that certain owners are in the habit of buying up old and wornout machines of types that existed in the early days of cinematography, and by tinkering them up, adding a little here and a little there, making them work (after a fashion), and to this were adding all the film (bought cheap) that lumbered up the dealers' shelves, placing same in the hands of a coterie of boys, and instead of using up-to-date appliances, made of iron, to receive the film, it was run into linen bags, for the sake of cheapness. The result has been disastrous fires, caused through this inefficiency and carelessness, and although cautioned time and again, little notice was taken, until it resulted in the closing of the places and dismissal of the inexperienced boys. Further than this, it has caused the manufacturers of machines no end of trouble and expense, and one on whom we called voiced his sentiments as follows:
"The last two weeks have been a busy time for the manufacturers of motion picture machines. The Electrical Bureau of the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity has deemed it necessary to restrict exhibitors and make necessary certain changes in the machines to guard against fire. Several fires have lately occurred on account of unscrupulous operators, who did not use the ordinary precautions for preventing accidents. Of course, most operators are mere boys, very poorly paid, and hence a decent operator cannot take any work at such places. All operators should be over twenty years old and licensed, and made responsible for any neglect on their part in leaving their films and machines unprotected.
"Film made of celluloid is naturally very inflammable and the rays of the electric or calcium light must not too long rest at one point, to avoid burning of the film. Various devices have been made by manufacturers as precautionary auxiliaries, but the operator usually leaves the fireproof magazines open, does not take proper care of the reels with film on them, and either forgets or deems it unnecessary to shut off the light if anything happens to the mechanism or there is a break in the film. Now, the manufacturers are perfectly willing to make further precautionary devices, but a proper time allowance should be granted and not the exhibition places shut up, as it injures greatly both parties in doing business. It would be advisable to pass each machine and put a license tag on it, but the manufacturer and showman should get at least one month's time to get their equipments in approved shape.
"Examine and license operators."
These sentiments fully accord with our own views, and we would like to see laws passed, similar to those in existence in Massachusetts (which will be found on another page), to cover the whole of the cities of the United States. A tall order, you may remark. Well, yes, it is; but nevertheless, no valid reason can be adduced why such laws are not in existence.
With a view of getting operators licensed, if possible, we paid a visit to Mr. Brown, of the Electric Bureau of New York, and in the course of an interesting conversation we learned that the requirements of this department are far more rigid than those of any other city in the world, so far as appliances go and the manner in which tests are made. On referring to the licensing of operators, Mr. Brown informed us that there was no provision made for such a procedure, and if we were willing to draft a bill for Albany, calling for such action, it would have his fullest sympathy and support, and that he would like to see a registration of electrical workers on similar lines to plumbers, fully believing it would be a boon to the worker and the city. In reply to our question about the reopening of the Nickelodeons, we were answered that permits for a period of thirty days had been granted, provided certain alterations and safeguards had been made, and that all the obsolete machines were made over with safety devices, where such was possible, or new machines substituted.
In relation to the machines, we learned that as a result of this action the principal makers were asked to submit their machines to the bureau for inspection, and some very drastic experiments were made. The Edison and Waters kinetoscopes passed with little alteration; the cameragraph of N. Powers and the Chas. Dressler Company's machine were ordered to be improved in one or two minor points, chiefly in the mechanism of the safety shutter devices. Both these firms are now hard at work, complying with the suggestions made, after which the machines of these three firms will have arrived at the acme of perfection, so that customers may be assured that every safeguard the ingenuity of man can devise will be there for protection of the public. One remark is very pertinent here, that is, with all this work and toil, while the machines are everything that can be desired, they are not fool proof; by this is meant, that if operators will not use common sense and care they can always find a means to have an accident (?).
In penning the above remarks, we have no desire to imply that these three machines are the only ones that come up to the proper standard. Other makers have good machines, and no doubt they will pass the necessary examination, but at the time of writing we have no knowledge of them, and if the various manufacturers will send us particulars of tests made with their machines we will give them full publicity.