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16
EXHIBITORS HERALD
July 15, 1922
AN OPE
To the Officers and Members of the MOTION PICTURE THEATRE OWNERS ASSOCIATION, EXHIBITOR'S ORGANIZATIONS, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, Etc.
In the Motion Picture World of May 27th, 1922, appeared an article by Mr. E. C. Mills, entitled "The Other Side of the Music Tax", containing a suggestion relative to the most practicable solution of this matter.
In the Motion Picture News of June 17th, 1922, appeared an editorial under the caption "The Music Tax — Its Stipulations", in which there was again clearly suggested a solution of the differences between exhibitors as a class, and the proprietors of copyrighted music as represented by this Society.
We responded to both of these articles with a paid advertisement headed "An Invitation", addressed to all concerned in this aged controversy. The advertisement contained an invitation to a conference; it was cordial, sincere and well-intentioned.
We have received no response to the invitation. It was extended by us, and printed in two of the trade papers, because of our desire to reach an amicable understanding with the exhibitors and their leaders, based upon justice and right, founded upon law and equity, conceived in a friendly and honorable understanding and recognition of each other's lawful rights.
When exhibitors violate the law which protects our rights, and in defense of them we summon such exhibitors into Court, it is quite the custom to accuse us of having done so without fair warning to the exhibitor; without having given him a chance to inform himself on the subject.
When exhibitors are advised of our rights, and urged not to infringe them; when they are advised that only under certain circumstances and conditions have they a lawful right to publicly perform our compositions, and then when we have, after repeatedly warning them of the consequences of a violation of these rights, sent our inspectors into their theatres and found them violating the law with utter disregard — which, of course, results in the filing of actions to protect our rights — we are accused of unjustly summoning them to Court, of "spying" upon them.
When we state a fee for licenses, fixed at a figure ridiculously low in comparison with the value of the product which we furnish, and WITHOUT WHICH THE MOTION PICTURE THEATRE CANNOT EXIST; when we permit this fee to be paid in installments; when we maintain the fee at the same fixed figure at which it has been placed for years, in the face of advancing costs, we are accused of extortion, and called "robbers."