The Moving picture world (May 1922)

154: MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 13, 1922 Music Tax Hearing Postponed to May 15; Walker "Out, " Exhibitors Lack Attorney \Special to Moving Picture World] WASHINGTON, D. C. — The public hearing on the Lambert bill, which involves the question 'of music tax, scheduled for Friday afternoon, May 5, at the request of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, has ibeen postponed until Monday, May 15. No cause for the postponement was given. The hearing, however, will be held following the convention. At the convention a special commission will be elected to re|> resent the M. P. T. O. A. at the hearing. While no official statement was available it was explained that the dismissal of Senator James J. Walker last week, as reported in New York newspapers, left the exhibitors without an attorney to represent them at the hearing at which the music publishers and composers were to be represented by well-known attorneys. Although this information was not given out officially, it believed that this was the motive back of the exhibitor demand for the postponement. the faction that is fighting Sydney S. Cohen for re-election. Judging from reservations made at the local hotels, at least half of the delegates to the convention will be in Washington by Sunday night. The convention does not open until Monday morning at 10 o'clock. Members of the various Washington convention committees are paying little or no attention to the internal strife in the organization, but instead they are proceeding with their plans. It is now practically certain that VicePresident Coolidge will deliver the address of welcome to the exhibitors at the opening session Monday morning. The executive committee of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America held its meeting here on Thursday afternoon instead of on Friday afternoo'i, as was originally planned. The meeting was held in Hotel Washington where the M. P. T. O. A. convention will be held next week. The Pennsylvania delegation promises to be the biggest that will attend. The Western Pennsylvania organization will come via special train from Pittsburgh, arriving in Washington early Monday morning. The Eastern Pennsylvania contingent also is slated to come by special train. Many of the Philadelphia exhibitors are coming by automobiles. An entire floor at the Hotel Willard has been reserved for screen stars, who will be on hand during the entire convention. E. T. Peter of Texas, formerly treasurer of the M. P. T. O. A., and who last week resigned as manager of Urban's "Movie Chats," arrived here on Thursday Peter, together with Charles L. O'Reilly and Sam Berman, is leading Senator James J. Walker, Charles O'Reilly, Sam Berman, William Brandt and others leading the faction that has declared war on .Sydney S. Cohen are scheduled to reach Washington on Friday night or Saturday morning. Film Censorship Is a Direct Menace to Liberty, Says Baltimore Minister THAT censorship of motion pictures constitutes a direct menace to the liberties of the people is the opinion of the Rev. Dr. William L. Sullivan, who has charge of the mission at the First Unitarian Church, Baltimore. He said words to that effect when he made an address on Sunday night, April 30. The censorship question was brought bef re Dr. Sullivan through a query which he found in the "question box," which is a regular feature of the service he holds daily. Whether public liberty is menaced by censorship, was the question asked. In answer to this Dr. Sullivan said: "All censorships, however well intentioned, have to be vigorously watched. There are plenty of ways to destroy liberties if you are not careful. I do not recall any great moral reform that has been legislated successfully into being unless the reform had been manifest in the hearts of the people first." Dr. Sullivan did not confine his opinions about motion picture censorship to motion pictures alone, but included censorships of literature and of the drama as menaces. Cole's Resignation from R-C Announced "Kindly note I have this day come to an arrangement with the R-C Pictures Corporation, Robertson-Cole Distributing Corporation, Robertson-Cole Realty Corporation and Robertson-Cole Studios, Inc., whereby I have tendered my resignation as president from each of these corporations, effective immediately." It has been known for some time that Mr. Cole wished to leave the film business, and his resignation has been expected since P. A. Powers became managing director of R-C. March Taxes Show Decided Increase at Film Theatres Conditions in the theatrical industry are picking up, admission taxes collected during March showing a decided increase over those of February. That this increase is the beginning of an uphill climb on the part of the theatres of the country is the belief of officials in Washington, D. C, who point out that the increase comes at a time when no holiday or special prosperity prevailed to influence the business. Admission taxes collected in March totaled $6,284,528, according to figures just made public by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. This was an increase of more than $400,000 over the $5,867,256 reported for February, although more than $1,500,000 below the $7,863,785 reported for March, 1921. Total collections from this source for the first three-quarters of the current fiscal year were $56,581,636, as compared with $67,795,373 for the corresponding period of last year, a decline of $11,213,737. Seating and Film Tax Collections from the seating tax in March amounted to $18,130, against $18,805 in March of last year, while the bureau also reports that $13,441 was collected under the film tax which was repealed last year. Total tax collections from all sources during the month were $331,730,282, or slightly more than half those of last March, when $644,153,845 was collected. Washington Exhibitors Oppose Steel Curtains Arguments against the issuance of orders requiring Washington, D. C, theatres to install steel curtains were submitted to the district commissioners on May 1 by the theatrical men affected. The theatres were represented by Alexander Wolf and Charles Linkins, whose arguments were reinforced by letters from prominent theatrical men and others experienced in the subject and by the testimony of experts who have studied the matter. Hearing Arranged The hearing was called by the district commissioners for the purpose of getting a start on the question, declared Colonel Keller, engineer commissioner, in opening the meeting. At the present time the building regulations require a steel curtain while the police regulations call for an asbestos curtain. This inconsistency, said the commissioner, will be eliminated in the near future and it is for the purpose of deciding which class of curtain shall be required tJiat the hearing was called. The order requiring a steel curtain applies to every theatre in the District of Columbia using scenery.