Moving Picture World (Aug 1907)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. 37i Published Every Saturday. - The World Photographic Publishing Company, New YarhV Alftvd B. Saanim. Editor. J. P. Chalmm, AnecUt* Editor and Bu.in.i. M«i»»i«r. m. 1. AUGUST 17th. No. 24. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE : Two dollars a year in advance. 'ostage free to all subscribers in the United States, Canada, Mexico lawaii. Porto Rico and the Phillipine Islands. FOREIGN SUBSCRIPTIONS: Three dollars per year, in dvance, postpaid. TO PREVENT loss or delay of mail, all communications should ! addressed to P. O. Box 450, New York City. ADVERTISING RATES: Whole Page ... t . . • *50.00 Half Page ... . . . . 25.00 Quarter Page ....... 12.50 Single Column (next reading matter) . . 20.00 One-Eighth Page ..... 6.25 One-Sixteenth Page ... . 3.25 One-Thirty-second Page . • . . . 2.00 I MISCELLANEOUS ADVERTISEMENTS will be accepted ;the following rates: SALE OR EXCHANGE, Private, per line :■; minimum. 50c. per issue. Dealers or Manufacturers, 15c. per ne; minimum. $1.00 per issue. HELP WANTED: 10c. a line; toimum, 25c. EMPLOYMENT WANTED: (Operators only) No [ TO ADVERTISERS: The MOVING PICTURE WORLD goes > press Thursday morning of each week. No advertisements can be and no changes can be made in standing ads unless the ' reaches us by 10 A.M., Thursday. / Please remit by express money order, check, P. O. order or reg- :red letter. All cash enclosed with letter is at the risk of sender. EUROPEAN AGENTS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS COMPANY Breams Building, Chancery';Lane. London. E. C. THE FILM RENTER. Our editorial of August 3 on cutting prices has brought many commendatory remarks which tend to show the intense feeling throughout the ranks of film renters. It proves conclusively that we gave a warning word in season to a large and growing industry which seems to be getting a grain, of madness in its composition, and determined to commit suicide, or kill the goose with the golden eggs, in its endeavor to satiate its avariciousness and gain business at any cost. If the present downward drop continues, we shall soon be hearing that nickel- odeons can have film free for the privilege of advertising So-and-so's system. To quote a correspondent: "Your editorial was alright, but, like Dickens's 'Oliver Twist,' I want more of it. You sounded the right note when you struck that key, and I hope you will keep your finger on it till" all the trade, from coast to coast, have heard it, and pull up accordingly. . . . Just to give you a little personal experience. . . . And twelve months ago I reduced these figures to $55.00 for two reels and three changes per week; $30.00 for three changes of one reel per week, and gave every satisfac- tion with clean, up-to-date film direct from the importers and dealers, which no one could censure. My customers were well pleased and all was going well, when along comes '■ and their canvasser, who at once offer my customers to supply them with the same amount of film for $40.00 and $20.00, respectively. What could I do? Reduce my prices to meet the others ? No, sir! I called together the proprietors of the nickelodeons whom I had been treating straightforwardly, and compromised the matter for $47.50 and $25.00. Two of my old customers dropped out and went to , who supplied them with inferior and old films, some of which I had given them three and four months before. Both of them have gone out of business, because the people would not pat r ronize old stuff. . . . Keep on with what you have begun, and don't stop till it is not a question of price, but merit that will tell, and if you keep on ventilating this subject it's bound to have weight, because everybody in the trade reads the Moving Picture World. I travel a circuit of 150 miles and I see it wherever I go." Another film renter says: "Your paper has no axe to grind; it is thoroughly independent and unbiassed; you are under the control of no one. Why don't you call together the film renters in New York, to a meeting in your office, so that we may discuss prices, terms, length of films and other mat- ters of benefit to the trade in general. You could act as chairman,' state what ybu'have learned as'to the opinions