Film Weekly year book of the Canadian motion picture industry (1951)

ference relates to a contract for the showing of motion picture films in a theatre or theatres situated in the Prov¬ ince of Quebec, then the arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the Rules of Arbitration for use in the Prov¬ ince of Quebec, dated May 14, 1935, which are filed with the Motion Picture Distributors and Exhibitors of Canada which are hereby incorporated with and made a part of this agreement, and in accordance with the Arbitration Act in force in the Province in which such ar¬ bitration takes place as to all matters not provided for by such Rules of Arbi¬ tration. Subject to the right of appeal, if any, given by the Arbitration Act in force in the Province in which such ar¬ bitration takes place the parties hereto hereby agree to accept as conclusive the award of the Arbitrators or a majority of them or the umpire, and further agree that a judgment on such award may be entered in any Court of competent juris¬ diction.” In 1944 efforts were made to establish regional conciliation boards, with an ap¬ peal body in Toronto, but these ended unsuccessfully after months of negotia¬ tion between representatives of exhibit¬ ors and distributors. The definition of Independent and the scope of the boards were matters on which no common view was arrived at. Conciliation and arbitration differ. Ar¬ bitration means a final decision by an agreed-on third party, while the concilia¬ tor’s job is to get both parties to the dispute to agree with each other. MONETARY RESTRICTIONS, ETC. TVTHILE MOST of the countries of the ” world placed restrictions of one kind or another on the remittal of film earnings to the USA, Canada did not interfere with the outward flow of dol¬ lars. The only one was the ten per cent withholding tax, which predates World War II by many years. When the government made it evi¬ dent that the motion picture industry would have to play its part in helping Canada keep its USA-dollar position in control, the Canadian Co-operation Pro¬ ject was evolved by the Motion Picture Association of America. Taylor Mills of the New York office of the MPAA handles newsreels, short subjects and the co-ordination of the CCP and Blake W. Owensmith of the MPAA's Hollywood office is in charge of features and liaison between the pro¬ ducers and Canada. On the Canadian end is Don Henshaw of MacLaren Ad¬ vertising Company, Ltd., Toronto, which co-ordinates all phases of domestic par¬ ticipation in the Project for the MPAA and works with the Inter-Departmental Committee of the Canadian Government. The Department of Trade & Commerce represents Ottawa in the CCP. The CCP, by boosting USA tourist trade through views and mentions of Canada on USA screens, increased the amount of Canada’s USA dollars when we needed them most. Additional dol¬ lar's were brought here through the sale of Canada-made shorts to USA distri¬ butors and by its aid in inducing Holly¬ wood companies to send crews to Can¬ ada. Canada has never had a quota favor¬ ing Canadian or Commonwealth-made films, the nearest being a regulation of the Ontario censor which requires news¬ reels to have 25 per cent Canadian con¬ tent. However, several of the provin¬ cial amusement acts have sections call¬ ing for such a quota if applied, these having been written in during agitation along these lines after World War I. It is interesting to note that a lead¬ ing Canadian producer recommended to the recent Royal Commission that a percentage of the money earned in this country by films from other lands be retained as an aid to domestic produc¬ tion. Customs duties are listed elsewnere in this book. 48