The phonoscope (Nov 1896-Dec 1899)

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THE PHONOSCOPE 11 Cannot Stop Exhibits The Commissioners Without Power to Control the Slot Machines Attorney Duvall submitted an opinion to the Commissioners recently on the question of taxing exhibitions of moving pictures in Washington, D. C, in which he held that the exhibitions in question could not be taxed under the existing laws of the District. The matter was brought to the attention of the Commissioners through a letter which stated that the character of some of the exhibitions in the slot machines were not such as should be exhibited in public places. The complaint was addressed to Commissioner Ross, and received immediate attention. A letter was addressed to Major Sylvester requesting that a policeman in citizens' clothing be detailed to visit the place where one of these moving picture machines was being shown and report on the character of the exhibition. Detective McNamee was detailed to watch the place and make a report on the show. McNamee submitted his report to the inspector. The detective stated that he viewed five of the scenes presented and did not see anything that was out of the ordinary. The pictures shown, he reported, were productions from life, and were such as are seen at the theatres in the city at any time. In commenting on the report Inspector Boardman said that the place in question maintains slot-machines, each machine having a series of pictures, and five cents must be dropped in the slot before the machine will operate. In concluding his report, the inspector states : "It is a very difficult matter to decide whether or not the exhibition is a violation of the law, .cs it entirely depends upon what construction one puts on the pictures. As McNamee says, he has seen similar exhibitions on the stage." The question was then as to whether or not the pictures were of an obscene nature, but in forwarding the reports of his subordinates Major Sylvester makes the following statement : "It has been construed that when an obscene picture is placed or exhibited where it must be observed by the public, it comes under the law, but when so situated that persons must seek it or pay a price to observe it, the law does not apply. The law is deficient, also, in defining an obscene picture. This exhibition appears to me to be an exhibition for gain, and, in my opinion, a license might be required for the same of $5 per view." When the papers were returned to Commis sioner Ross he recommended that they be referred to the Attorney for the District for an opinion as to the power of the Commissioners to require such a license, and the recommendation was approved by the other Commissioners. As stated, the opinion of the Attorney was submitted, and is entirely in favor of allowing the managers of such exhibitions the right to show their pictures without tax when shown in a slot machine. The Attorney said : "The law imposing licenses on trades and business, etc., in the District is an act of the late Legislative Assembly, approved August 23, 1871. The only provision therein which could be held to be applicable to the exhibitions under consideration is in the seventeenth paragraph of section 21, viz : The managers of concerts, exhibitions, and balls, for gain, not otherwise enumerated, or games of any kind, when an admission fee is charged, shall pay for each day $5. "In point of fact, however, no admission fee is charged for these exhibitions, and consequently it is not within the purview of this section. "If the process or scheme by which the fee or charge is collected was a mere subterfuge, invented or intended to evade the license law, the courts would doubtless sustain the authorities in requiring a license and exacting a tax therefor, but the 'slot machine' is not such a subterfuge." It is probable that the Commissioners will appeal to Congress for power to prevent these exhibitions. IHew (Corporations Colorado Mutoscope Company, of Denver; leasing biographs, etc. Capital, $7,000. American Phonograph Company, of New York City. Mining and milling business. Capital, $[,500,000. Incorporators : E. C. Miles, of Roselle, N. J. ; C. Miles, of New York City ; G. D. Synder, A. Francom, G. H. Redman, all of Brooklyn. Concert Phonograph Record Company, of Dover, N. J. Manufacturing and sell Phonographs and talking-machines. Capital, $100,000. Incorporators: F. R. Fast, of Hillsdale, N. J.; C. C. Clark, of Westwood, N. J.; C. H. Lary, of Newburgh ; J. Virdin, of Dover, N. J. The Wells Phonograph and Cycle Supplies Company of Camden, N. J., with a capital of $50,000. John A. Wells and Carrie A. Hobart, of Huntington Valley, Pa.; Louis Bushn, of Philadelphia, Pa.; Jonah G. Reeves, of Camden, N. J., and William T. Smith, of Philadelphia, Pa., are the incorporators. Certificate of incorporation has been filed in the office of the county clerk by the American Vitagraph Company, the incorporators of which are Howard Cox, Herman Meyer and Stephen J. Cox, all Jof Cranford, at which place the company's principal office will be located. The objects for which the company is formed is making, acquiring, advertising and disposing of machinery, tools, scientific and other apparatus. The capital stock of the company is $6,000, divided into 240 shares, the par value of each being $25. ©ur Correspondents Portland, Oregon, January 25, 1900. To the Editor : — Perhaps a few words from the Pacific North-west would not be out of place. There seems to be no one in communication with you from "this nick of woods" except myself, and I have not written for so long that I presume an affidavit will have to be provided before we can be recognized. For myself, would say that business has improved. We never took so much money through the tubes, in our five years in the business as we have since getting the Concertograph. (This is my word ; it is to distinguish it from the small machines. ) ' I have a letter from the Edison Company congratulating me on the word. My Christmas business for five days, ending Christmas night was best I ever had yet in five years, great Phonograph men told me that the business was played out. I expect this is the reason I started into it. After getting the big Concert, I proposed to try it on the 400 ; we tried it and it worked. My engagement was in the Marquam Grand Opera House of this city, the largest and nicest theatre in the Pacific Northwest ; played to a full house, the proceeds amounting to $400. The entertainment lasted one hour and forty minutes, during which time twenty-five selections were rendered, not a soul leaving the house, applause followed every number, shaking the very roof. We have been asked to play this house again on a per cent. Since that performance, have been on the road and played several theatres and churches. One church, only five blocks from the Marquam Grand, we played to over 700 people, collecting $175. In the line of making records, we report a business very much improved. Last week in one day we filled orders for Toronto, Canada ; Adelaide, Australia ; a city in Northern New York, and an order from Sioux City, Iowa. This is certainly somewhat scattered, but it is pleasant to know that it had good "money of the realm" in it. Our machine was the first and long the only Concertograph in Oregon. Now there are probably thirty in operation in the State. Mr. Peter Bacigalupi, of San Francisco, sj ent a couple of weeks with us in October. He had been as far north as Victoria, B. C, and was working his way back. He said he made good sales in all the coast cities from Victoria down. Mr. Bacigalupi is the pioneer in the Phonograph business on this coast. He does a good business with South America, Australia and the Phillipines, and his trade in these ports extends from Mexico on the south to Alaska in the frozen north . Mr. J. Wilson, with his projecting machine, is tearing off good money at 272 Morrison St., only a few doors from the place where he was in 1897. Mr. Wilson is one of the few on this coast who have made any money with the moving pictures. J. Monroe. Notable among the visitors during the past week to the factory of the American Graphophone Company were Messrs. Chas. J. Bell and Chas. G. Glover, well-known financiers, and S. H. Kauffman, President of the Evening Star Newspaper Company, all of Washington City. These gentlemen were the guests of Mr. E; D. Easton, President of the Graphophone Company, and made a tour of inspection through the immense manufacturing plant, examining the various interesting processes necessary to produce the finished talking-machine, such as the cutting and polishing sapphire points and setting them in the delicate recording and reproducing diaphragms, and the mixing, melting and moulding of the blanks which store up the melodious harmonies reproduced by the instruments, the making of the records themselves and many other unique operations. As they were about to leave, these gentlemen each dictated into the Graphophone Grand impressions of his visit, all agreeing that they previously had no conception of the immensity of the plant nor the magnitude of the industry. They expressed their amazement that so many buildings, so much machinery, such a large number of men and women should be required in order to turn out sufficient product to meet the market demand for these instruments. The plant of the American Graphophone Company is one of the largest manufactories of talkingmachines in the world. It is located at Bridgeport, Conn., the principal manufacturing city in Connecticut where skilled labor is plentiful. Over 1,000 men and women are employed. Four acres of floor space are occupied in buildings each 400 feet long and 60 feet wide. From this factory Graphophones are sent out to all portions of this hemisphere, as well as to Europe, Asia and Africa and every quarter of the globe. Original reord makers are experiencing great difficulty in securing small blanks which hinders their filling orders considerably.