International projectionist (Oct 1931-Sept 1933)

22 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST June 1933 ventory reduced or enlarged as the comparison indicates to be desirable. An important part of advance planning for emergencies will be a survey of the possibility of obtaining suitable replacement parts at radio stores, battery charging stations and other logical sources of supply within the community. How complete, from the point of view of the theatre's needs, is the local radio man's stock of supplies? How many storage batteries, should a power pack go dead, will the local charging station have available for renting? If the theatre operates on Sundays and holidays when such places are closed, can their owners be reached? How far away is the nearest stock room of the manufacturer of the equipment, and how long will it take to get parts from him? The availability of public address amplifiers that can, if necessary, take the place of the theatre's amplifying panel, and the proximity of a good machine shop that can help out in case of mechanical trouble are important factors in determining the emergency steps to be planned and the list of spare parts that must be carried. Advance plans can never be complete. More things can happen to a sound system than anyone will ever be able to expect. There are two ways of making such plans as complete as possible. One is to list one's own experience with the same or similar equipment, adding to the list all other troubles of which the projectionist may have heard in discussions with other men operating similar apparatus. Another is to consult the manufacturer, who in most cases will have lists of troubles and their cures, based upon his servicing experiences or upon correspondence with his customers. The more complete the plans, the more efficient and economical will be the spare parts, and the smaller will be the liklihood of the projectionist being taken by surprise and failing to restore the show through some unexpected emergency. Unplanned Emergency Methods Unless planned in advance, unplanned emergency procedures will not be in order until after all normal methods of restoring the show have been exhausted. They are always dangerous. Carelessly applied, they may damage or destroy some other part. No emergency can justify applying any such repair methods without the clearest understanding of their exact effect upon all other circuits involved. It is better to let the show stay dead than to do further damage. Erpi Theatre Contract Held Illegal and Void "EXHIBITORS having equipment and service contracts with Electrical Research Products Co. (W. E. reproducers), do not have to buy replacement parts for these sets from Erpi, and producers need not recognize that clause in their recording contracts for W. E. equipment which states that they may sell the finished film only to those theatres which use W. E. reproducing equipment. Such is the meaning of a decision handed down by Federal Judge John P. Nieids sitting in Wilmington, Del. The decision, which took the form of a grant of preliminary injunctions pending trial of the issues involved, ing to the lessening of competition and monopolistic practices. 5,000 v. S. Theatres Affected More than 5,000 theatres in the United States having W. E. equipment refers to the suit of Stanley Theatres are affected by the decision, although (Warner Bros, subsidiary) ; Duovac i* should be remembered that only pre Radio Tube Corp., manufacturers of Hminary injunctions pendrngr inaZ will , , J r^ 1 m 11 • be issued. The basis for the issuance vacuum tubes, and General lalkmg „ i.- x i.j .u j „. , _, , . , , of such injunctions had not been de Pictures Corp., sound equipment mak ^-^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^-^ writing. ers and distributors, against American However, the decision does reflect Telephone and Telegraph Co., Western the first serious break in the protec Electric Co. (95% control of which is tive wall which Western Electric has held by A. T. & T.), and Electrical Re built around its activities in the sound search Products Co. (subsidiary of W. motion picture field. Heretofore it was E.). The plaintiffs instituted the suit accepted as inevitable that W. E. on the basis of the Clayton Act, relat (Continued on page 28) Court Cases TPHE trial of the action brought by more than 300 permit men of Local 306 against Harry Sherman, 306 president; William C. Elliott, I. A. president, and William Green, A. P. of L. head, charging unfair discrimination in the matter of privileges enjoyed, assessments paid and jobs allotted, has been concluded before Supreme Court Justice Riegelman in Brooklyn, N. Y. An early decision was promised by the Justice, with 306 leaders appearing confident of a verdict favorable to them. in attempting to have a court operate a labor union, through receivers, was unwarranted and refused to pay the $15,000 fee demanded by the receivers. Decision mentioned probably means that it cost the receivers not a few dollars in personal funds to serve. Ralph O'Hara, organizer for Local 110 of Chicago, was found not guilty of a charge of murder in connection with the shooting in Local 110 headquarters of Fred Oser, "opposition" union member. O'Hara admitted that he fired the shots that ended Oser's life, but insisted that his act was in self-defense. Three receivers for Local 306 appointed last December by Supreme Court Justice Cotillo, of New York City, will get not a penny for their services, according to a decision handed down recently. Harry Sherman, president of Local 306, took the position that the action of Justice Cotillo Argument on the appeal of Sam Kaplan from Supreme Court Justice Miller's decision upholding the right of the I. A. General Executive Board in removing Kaplan as head of Local 306, will be heard before the October term of the N. Y. Appellate Division. But when all considerations of caution have been exhausted, the fact remains that with a reasonably clear understanding of only elementary electrical theory, any prolonged interruption to the show is or ought to be very nearly impossible. It may be allowable to repeat: there is no limit to the possibility of emergency repairs except the knowledge and ingenuity of the projectionist. That knowledge and ingenuity, however, must be applied within the limits of restrictions described in some detail above, which may be repeated merely as a list of precautions: 1. Prefer simple, quick, easy, un ci aborate methods. 2. Prefer methods that will cause the least interference with other apparatus. 3. Prefer trouble-proof methods, neat and stable emergency connections. 4. Avoid displacing or lengthening wires when pick-up or hum may result therefrom. 5. Maintain approximate impedance match in 'speech circuits. 6. Above all, carefully maintain the resistance of a D. C. circuit and the impedance of an A. C. circuit, to avoid possibility of further damage resulting from an excessive flow of current.