Show World (May 1909)

4 THE SHOW WORLD May 15, 1909, THE INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGN IN NEW ENGLAND A highly successful campaign against the licensed exchange men is being waged, single handed in New England, by W. E. Greene, of Boston. Mr. Greene, who does one of the lar¬ gest, if not the largest picture ex¬ change business in New England, has been one of the most ardent cham¬ pions of the Independents’ cause since March 1, 1908. When interviewed by a representa¬ tive of THE SHOW WORLD, Mr. Greene was fresh from a conference with J. J. Murdock, in Chicago, to whom he had given the highly satis¬ factory news that, “Not in many years has the outlook in the moving picture field been so promising. The Inde¬ pendent movement is gaining tre¬ mendous impetus in our section of the country, not only because of the the heavy advertising done by the Inde¬ pendents, but also because of the more important fact that they are in a position to deliver the goods. I look forward to one of the most profitable seasons that my house has ever known.” - To the representative of THE SHOW WORLD, Mr. Greene spoke at length. “I have been with the In¬ dependents from the first,” he said. “When the Trust movement began I made a thorough canvass of the ex¬ hibitors to whom I had been furnish¬ ing films and I soon discovered that they were heartily in accord with the movement of the Independent ex¬ change men and opposed to the domi¬ neering and imposition to which they would be subjected if they should be¬ come users of the Trust films. It was a case of the fair deal winning and the fair deal was with the Independ- W. E. Greene Finds Loyal Support Among Exhibitors—Calls “Trust” Mandate Senseless—Urges Strong Organization. No “Trust” Protection. “So far as the Trust was concerned the only thing which it offered to the exhibitor was the privilege of paying from two dollars per week up and for something which the Independents gave to them without cost. There was no protection. But there was always the possibility that, if the exhibitor enrolled with the Trust, he might find his license taken away from him and his business closed up by the appear¬ ance of a more favored exhibitor in the field.” “I thoroughly believe,” Mr. Greene continued, “that if the Trust were al¬ lowed to carry out its plans, there would soon be a state of affairs reached where there would be no ex¬ change men doing business. There would simply be agencies operated by employees of the Trust. The exhib¬ itor would be at the mercy of an oc¬ topus far more powerful in its own field than any monopoly now in exist- “The effect of a Successful carrying out of the Trust policies is one which it is difficult to compass in a hurried survey of the situation. It is not be¬ yond the limit of probability, how¬ ever, to assume that it would eventu¬ ally mean a restricted existence for the motion picture form of amuse¬ ment.” “Stifling competition in the manner adopted by the Trust cannot fail to be self destructive if it is carried through to the end. Exhibitors can¬ not get the business unless they have the goods to offer to the public. Ex¬ change houses cannot carry on their rental business unless they have the films to offer to the exhibitors. And the policy of the combine would speedily result in such a dearth of fresh, new and attractive films that all interest in picture houses would die out. “It is essential, particularly essen¬ tial, to the moving picture houses that there be good, strong, healthy compe¬ tition with all the manufacturers of films striving to put out the best films. Campaign of Quality. “The Independents cannot make their campaign against the trust one of price. It must be one of quality of goods offered and standard of service maintained. The exchange man who can get his choice of the films manu¬ factured and who can offer to the ex¬ hibitors, whom he furnishes with films the pictures that he knows they want, is willing to pay for the oppor¬ tunity, and the exhibitor is willing to reimburse the exchange house for the trouble and expense to which he has been to procure such films. “In the Internatioanl Projecting and Producing Company, under the Sble guidance of J. J. Murdock, lies the whole solution of the problem. With practically unlimited capital to finance it, with the hearty co-opera¬ tion of the great majority of the European manufacturers who look to the company as a clearing house for their films, and with a business policy behind it which appeals to every ex¬ change house, this company cannot fail to do all and more than is ex¬ pected of it. “Under the Trust regime there would be a total abrogation of busi¬ ness freedom. Every exchange house was required to have a standing order with each manufacturer from whom it took films. It must take one each of every film manufactured by that company. If such an order was not placed, the price set on single reels was sufficient to cut down all hopes of a profit. Many of the films manu¬ factured by the different houses could not be used by the exchanges or by some of the exchanges. There was a consequent and always imminent dan¬ ger of an overstock which would eat up the capital of the exchange man or which would eventually force him to raise his price dangerously high to the exhibitor. “With the large number of films forced on his hands the exchange man was limited to a field of customers selected for him by the Trust. These customers he was obliged to furnish with the class of films turned out by the houses of the combine and all hopes of giving an extended and sat¬ isfactory service was killed. Exchange Men Choose Film. “Under Mr. Murdock’s policy all this is to be changed. Each exchange man will be required to take only such films, as in his opinion, will suit his line of exhibitors, and he will be al¬ lowed to build up his business in such a manner as may be best adapted to his own field of action. “You know we are only looking for a third of the picture business,” he went on amusedly, “but if we get one exhibitor out of three to avail himself of our service we can promise the other two the greatest run for their money that they have ever had. We can give the Independent exhibit¬ or his pick of the reels turned out from many times the number of man¬ ufacturers comprised in the trust. We can give him stuff that is of necessity new while the trust houses will be using the same reels perhaps in the same week or within a few weeks of each other. “The exhibitors know this and they are with us now and to a man in many places. “When the movement first began they were sceptical in a great many cases where I made a personal inves¬ tigation and I purposely held back from accepting new customers until I knew that I could supply them with all the films and all the variety of sub¬ jects they wanted. At first I could not. Neither could any independent exchange, but in the extremely short time in which we have prepared our defence we have put ourselves in a position where we can furnish every moving picture theater in the United States with reels if it becomes neces- forth by the combine was impossible to the exchange man. “The agreement propounded by the Trust placed the exchange man com¬ pletely at the mercy of the will of the ■ combine. In an instant the thousands of dollars which he had placed in films could be taken from him and this on the slightest pretext and en¬ tirely without explanation by the Trust for its action. A Dangerous Situation. “The signing of the agreement was the signing away of all control of his affairs and at one instant the business which he had built up could be ren¬ dered valueless. He could no longer exercise his own judgment in select¬ ing his customers. He must submit any new name to the Trust and re¬ ceive its sanction before he could open negotiations. He must contract to use only such reels as the compara¬ tively small number of manufacturers in the Trust should turn out; he must tax such of his customers as he was allowed to keep, under the Trust mandate, for something which was al¬ ready their property, and, in many cases where small exhibitors were concerned, he would, in order to keep their trade, have to pay the tax from his own pocket. It was a decree which, in a minute, took away all his business liberty and individuality. It was an agreement not only impossi¬ ble of fulfillment, but also one which was senseless in the restrictions it placed on the exchange. “The men who are conducting pro¬ fitable exchanges do not care to find themselves mere agents of a combine with practically no voice in the man¬ agement of the business which they have been building up for years. The men who are conducting moving pic¬ ture theaters cannot fail to be roused from any spirit of apathy, which may now obsess some of them, to fight against any combination of trade and of manufacturers which will curtail their business and prevent them from giving the very best service to their patrons. “The extensive advertising done by the Independents, the liberal patron¬ age which they have given to the trade papers, the high standard of service which they can and are main¬ taining, is making its influence felt markedly and there is coming to be an organized movement of the Inde¬ pendents which cannot fail of its ul¬ timate purpose; to give a moving pic¬ ture service which will satisfy all con¬ cerned and which will be fair in every respect to every person concerned. Necessity of Organization. “There cannot be perfect freedom without a perfect organization and the organization of the Independent exchanges with the centre of atten¬ tion and industry focussed in the In¬ ternational Projecting and Producing Company under the able directorship of J. J. Murdock will assure perfect business liberty and guarantee the highest service. “It is highly satisfactory, Mr. SHOW WORLD Man, to note the support which the picture magazines are giv¬ ing the Independent movement. Through them and especially through THE SHOW WORLD the true sta¬ tus of affairs in the Trust and with the Independents is being clearly and vividly brought to the attention of all who are interested or concerned. “Such loyal support cannot fail to show where the right of the difficulty The sham Independent, who builds up a trade only to make himself a val liable acquisition to the ranks of the Trust must be guarded against The who uses inferior films and rep- resents them as coming from mam,, facturers associated with : the Inde- pendent movement, the man who wit- tingly or unwittingly makes a ‘duper of himself must be accorded the treat¬ ment which he deserves. ■Such laws as are made for the protection of the him exchange man must be enforced and will be enforced if the proper support is given to the International Projecting and Producing (MK “The Trust heads have egotisticallv predicted a speedy downfall of the Independent movement. In place of the expected decrease of support there has been a marked and steady increase and men who'jhave beeii prominently associated j with i the houses affiliated with the t rapidly becoming the i Independents. There i„ ring to the statements ofl say, ‘I have been drawn into ... of the Trust’s restraint of e tion long enough. I am come numbered among the i ents.’ ” Proud of His Position. To the question, “Then firmly convinced that tH] your business lies in the movement?” Mr. Greene ily: “If I did not think sol would hardly be in the p<fl in at present. As I have at first I had to curtail my busines- for the reason that .1 was Wpefed by a shortage of films. I to sacrifice the quality c was giving and so I had crease the amount of business I might have been doing. “1 do not feel the existence:pf the trust in any way except jn a mori sense. It is to me an array facturing interests comt^^ der to restrain trade and which it is up to every frei| business man, handling lure films, to crush out, And it is more than poi highly probable that the ‘ ray of finance and of n the Independents are addingueven day will overcome the octopus and m allow the motion picture remain what it has been „ is now, one of the nirfst marvelous business propositions of the pres® age. lies. “Analysis of the situation will quickly show why the proposition set “The Independents cannot be too careful,” Mr. Greene continued, “in closely watching any movement of the Trust which is made with intent to encourage legislative action harm¬ ful to the interests of the Independ¬ ents. The question of duty on films imported from foreign manufacturers is one which must be closely watched. H. Ascher, manager for Mr. Greene, said in brief: “I have little orr ing to add to what Mr. Greene just told you. We are al of business for what it. We cannot get the_ most, less we put the most in most I mean not only time, but a constant endeavor^jj our customers what they what will satisfy their pafl Will Remain Indepei “It is plainly to be seen cannot do this if we selves with the trust movement. nj are unalterably opposed which the combine has adopt and vinced that wc wm a the exchanges in New England: because we have stuck pendent ranks. ' “I could not afford myself with a losing v * ntu T re therefore I do not %1 \ ever be induced to champto If cause of the trust. ■, iJL - “There is no ‘between the devJb| the deep sea’ about the movement as opposed to tne The Independents have the of the right and they are ci being recruited from the wea« ranks of the followers ofj “That is about all, WORLD Man. and will always remain v