The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (Oct 1, 1941)

CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TOR Published Semi-Monthly by the INDEPENDENT THEATRES ASSOCIATION HYE BOSSIN Managing Editor Vol.. 7, No: 19; Oct: ‘Ist. 1941, Subscription Rates: Canada and U.S.: $5.00 per annum > 28 Address all communications to The Managing Editor The CANADIAN EXHIBITOR 21 Dundas Square AD. 4318 Toronto, Canada 20th CT Changes Harland Rankin has been made supervisor of Chatham’s two 20th Century houses, the Centre and Park, both new sand outstanding. Harland was manager of the Centre. He is also owner of the Plaza, Tilbury. Harold Horton, former assistant manager of the Vanity, Windsor, has been named temporary house manager of the Park but will move over to the Centre as soon as Ralph Tiede leaves for the Geneva, Orillia. Steve McManus has Horton st the Vanity. replaced The Exhibitor Says Alberta H. G. Stevenson of the Alberta Independent Theatre Exhibitors’ Organization, in a letter to this periodical, makes some pertinent points about the slowdown in the tax fight. Mr. Stevenson’s organization, whose members are mainly rural theatre owners, has felt the full effect of the damaging tax. Joint action on a national scale is necessary if the government is to consider revision. The indifference of exhibitors in towns boomed by war activity to the sufferings of the less fortunate brethren says little for the craft. In fact, they were among the loudest in objections until a turn in business took some of the box-office pains away. Unfortunately there is not in Canada a truly national body of exhibitors to pool and direct action for correction of abuses and ill-fitting legislation. That is something to think about. Writes Mr. Stevenson: “There does not seem to be much aggressive protest in Ontario on this tax and from this distance it is surprising that there is not more action in vigorously fighting the perpetration of such injustice. “Is business so good there that it can stand a 20 per cent tax? Even if it can it would seem to me that they would take a stand to help the other provinces that are feeling this so severely. “Quite a number of small town theatres are already closed here, and there will be many others that will fold up before the winter is out. It would appear that, if we are going to get any just action from the government, we shall have to take a united stand in this matter. “If Ontario and Quebec would throw their weight behind this fight we are sure that we could get something done.” October Ist., 1941. eed USA Exhibs Whack Ascap (Continued from Page 1) by them.” The complaint points out that no theatre has used in one year more than 2500 compositions ‘controlled by Ascap but that “each theatre has been required and compelled ... to purchase the performing rights to at least 25,000 musical works.” Now word comes that the Allied exhibitors adopted a motion at the Philadelphia convention to inves-. tigate their Ascap situation and take action. Also another body, the Independent Theatre Owners Association, has sought an injunction against Ascap. In Canada the Canadian Perlforming Right Society Limited acts for Ascap, an American affiliate. The tax ranges from five cents, to fifteen. Theatres with 800 seats and under pay ten cents per seat if on a six-day schedule, five cents if there are three playing days. The tax increases with the seating capacity of the house. Some years ago Canadian theatres brought the matter to court and the issue was settled with a lower rate. The American rate is from ten cents to twenty. The Canadian seat tax, according to the Society, is based on the right to use any of the organization’s 2,000,000 copyright compositions and the number likely to be used annually. ALBERTA KEEPS UP TAX BATTLE (Continued from Page 1) Propose New Plan For Tax Application up to $20,000 could pay 10 per cent on the cost of film, and over $20,000 a levy up to 20 per cent might be imposed. In this way, you hit the people who can afford to pay it. Under this plan, the administrative expense of collection would be negligible, and what you would lose theoretically would be taken in the form of corporation and excess profits tax, not to speak of the individual income tax. The industry would be able to survive such a levy. Furthermore, it would not be cumbersome to collect, and would not involve additional burdens of office routine, which must be kept at a minimum, and it would be a tax that would be well received by the industry at large, and would, in addition, mean that the tools of our trade would not be confiscated, as the present tax does. ent incentive, and like any other man, he will become careless and even demoralized in the vigor demanded for the successful prosecution of his work. Here in Alberta there is a Provincial tax of 10 per cent which must be added to the 20 per cent demanded by you. We put the question to you straight from the shoulder, since it would seem obvious that no legitimate business can be conducted with a 30 per cent tax hanging over its head. We submit to you the fact that no other branch of enterprise struggles against such a fantastic tax. The glaring lack of consistency here lies in the fact that there are few enterprises so essential to a great democracy as the film industry, and its usefulness is being impaired, and in some cases destroyed, or threatened with destruction by the grab at any possible margin there may be in it for a living for the man responsible for its existence. ‘If the peoples of our democ|; becomes laxation and relief afforded by the information and pleasure afforded by the independent theatre man to his communities, such deprivation might very conceivably break our people up into more factions than already exist, give our enemies more opportunities to create dissension, infiltrate their subtle lies, and in short, prove to be disastrous to our entire nation. “We feel that we not only plead the cause of the small business man, who has just as much right to live as anyone, but the cause of our nation is at stake here just as truly as though the channels for manufacture of our ammunition were throttled. “More important than ammunition is the will and the faith to use it, born of conviction of right and belief in the fairness, consideration of our form of government. How important an enlightened :public consciousness is increasingly apparent and ‘Important to War Effort’ is Claim which, one by one, became easy prey to the enemy. “The motion picture is important to the Dominion war effort. We have contributed most wholeheartedly, and shall continue to do so. There is today no better medium ‘conceivable to reach the large rural populations of Canada than the small town theatre. Furthermore the people of rural communities are entitled to entertainment at moderate prices which the theatre makes possible for them. If we are carrying a torch let it burn brightly for all, for the small man as well as the big. Let us be fair and consistent, and so, little by little, and more and more, build up the heart and soul and strength of our nation so that our enemies may be vanquished and our nation brought up to a new high level of enthusiasm “The tax at present imposed does | racy were to be deprived of the, when you review the fall of the not allow the theatre man suffici unity of thinking and simple re| unenlightened Baltic for the great conceptions and posnations, sibilities of our democracy.”