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CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS
Fellow Engineers :
Those of you who missed attendance on the Washington meeting missed much. I know from the spirit shown at that meeting, and from the character of the gentlemen who attended, some of them coming from Chicago, some from New York, from Boston, and Cleveland, that this Society was formed with an honest intent to be of service to the industry at large ; and that the officers and members alike intend to give largely of their time and energy for the promotion of the general good and without thought of financial reward ; and as the engineer stands behind it all, we should feel due responsibility, while taking justifiable pride in our vocation.
The motion picture is making the whole world kin. It speaks the only universal language, understood by the illiterate of every tongue as easily as by the learned, and is rapidly tending toward tolerance in world thought. It not only shows us our distant neighbor, but also shows us ourselves as he sees us. It is making of the world one great family, and soon we will come to feel that we are a friend of the man over yonder, because we know him so well from seeing him in the picture so often.
Every new industry standardizes sooner or later, whether we will it or not. It is our duty, therefore, as engineers, to wisely direct this standardization, to secure best standards of equipment, quality, performance, nomenclature, and, unconsciously, perhaps, a code of ethics. It is entirely a practical and attainable ideal. But we should recognize our responsibility to fix standards with due regard for the interests of all concerned. It is an unselfish exchange of views which will make our gatherings interesting, and the discussions of individual investigation valuable.
Fortunately, one of the factors of our industry is already standard, the film. In this it is unique, for motion picture film is the only thing that is standard the world over. This it is that has given us the world as a selling field, and doubtless accounts very largely for the extraordinary growth of our business.
For that very reason our Society should represent more than just an association. Co-operation is all very well, but may be an entirely selfish bond, though this is sometimes temporarily necessary for self-preservation. But due regard for the rights of others reflects a gentleman in the mirror of our friend's countenance when we meet. Only under such unselfish circumstances can we ever expect to arrive at enduring standards in our art.
Let us, therefore, give of our best as we work at our craft. Let us each be truly American, known the world over as the man who, when's he's out for money doesn't mind work, when he's out for pleasure doesn't mind money, but when he is out for a principle doesn't mind either,
C. Francis Jenkins.