THE CINEMATOGRAPH FUND
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—During the debate in the House of Lords on the estab-
lishment of a Cinematograph Fund " for the purpose of
encouraging the use and development of the Cinematograph as a means of entertainment and instruction," Lord Ask-with asked the Government whether the Fund would be available
for the supply of projectors and films to schools. On receiving the assurance of Viscount Hailsham he voted for the amend- ment, and subsequently wrote to me, as I had made the original suggestion, informing me that schools would be able to apply for grants for that purpose. I have recently referred the matter to a legal authority asking for his opinion on this point with the exact wording of the Act before him. My letter was as follows :
• " With reference to the Cinematograph Fund provided for in the Sunday Entertainment Bill, may I ask whether, in your opinion, the wording of the Act (and the intention of Parliament) would permit of grants being made from the Fund for the following ' purpose : Many schools are ready to make practical applications of the Cinema in teaching, but they have no money to purchase the necessary projectors, and to hire the required films. The Education Authorities cannot now find the money, and the teachers themselves cannot do so. Would Educational Committees and Head Teachers of Schools be eligible to apply for a grant from the Cinematograph Fund for the above practical purpose, and would the Privy Council be acting within the Act in making such grants ? "
He replied to me as follows :
" I have looked at the Sunday Entertainments Act in connexion with your letter of the 25th July which you were kind enough to write to me. Section 2 of the Act would allow grants to be made from the Cinematograph Fund for the purpose you mention, but of course I cannot say whether such grants would be made by the Privy Council."
It is now certain that the Fund can be used for this purpose which will immediately promote the use of the cinema in education, and give a great impetus to the cinema industry in supplying projectors and films. If directors of education, headmasters and mistresses of, public and private schools, and other education authorities will write to me I shall be happy to supply them with full particulars of class-room and lecture hall projectors and of educational films available, showing the exact cost of installations and how they can be obtained and used, so that they can apply to the Privy Council for a minimum grant, according to their requirements.
We have now reached a stage in the use of the film in educa- tion when we should make steady day-by-day application of this potent supplementary method in ordinary school work by teachers in their own way and time without inter- ference from the outside. One of the greatest obstacles to these experiments has been lack of money, but to an increasing extent that can now be overcome by grants from the Cine- matograph Fund which there can be little doubt the Privy Council will make to the first and best applicants. Early application is necessary as the Home Secretary is required to issue the necessary order to deduct up to 5 per cent. of the amount set aside for charity for the purposes of the Cinematograph Fund. The Act comes into operation at
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