The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Sep-Oct 1922)

6 THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. WHERE ARE THE October 14, 1922. BALANCE SHEETS? Promoters of Friese Green Fund Appealing for Help which should not be Necessary. WHAT MONEY HAVE THE CINEMATOGRAPH TRADE BENEVOLENT FUND IN HAND ? S we briefly announced in our last week’s issue, the promoters of the Friese Green Fund are appealing for a sum of money to enable them to place a fitting memorial upon the dead inventor’s grave at Finchley, whilst the children are to be taken charge of until they reach the age of sixteen’ by the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund. The question is raised, what hus happened to the Friese Green Fund which last year it was expected would total many thousands of pounds? So far as we can gather no balance sheet has been issued of this Fund, although we believe we are right in stating that the amount collected is very considerably under £1;000, the major portion of which has apparently been expended upon the funeral, and in the purchase of clothes and other necessities for the children. It is doubtful whether any fund has been quite so mishandled as this. It will be remembered that in the autumn of last year the dead inventor of kinematography expired at a big meeting held by Lord Beaverbrook, and literally with his dying breath appealed for unity in the trade. At the time each and every member of the trade present was quite sincere in his desire not only to see that Friese Green received a fitting burial, but when the news became known of the straitened circumstances in which he lived, that his widow and children should henceforward live in circumstances befitting the dependants of the man who had made this industry possible. Articles appeared in the Press, and without doubt the whole of the trade and the lay Press were anxious to do appropriate honour to the man who invented kinematography. A committee was formed and what was the result? The Fund died through sheer inanition. Nobody did anvthing. Not one of the members of the committee, who protested so much, attempted to make any use of the publicity that well known publicists were anxious to undertake, and prominent members of this trade, who were only too anxious to further the efforts of the committee to get as much money in as possible, resigned when they saw that no attempt was being made by the chief promoters to make use of their services. The one man who, it is only fair to say, worked like a trojan, and did take care of the wife and children, was Mr. Will Day, whose heart and soul was bound up in the furtherance of this Fund. Now, after twelve months have elapsed, we hear that a paltry £700 has been collected, and promoters are trying hole and corner methods to get a few pounds in some way, so that they may complete the headstone and make the grave look a little more presentable. The Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund has, we understand, Google undertaken to be responsible for the children’s welfare until they reach the age of sixteen, but the whole of the trade is entitled to know why the Friese Green Fund should have been so hopelessly mishandled. Why is it that no attempt during all this long time has been made to take advantage of the generous offer of Lord Beaverbrook, Lord Ashfield, Sir William Jury, and other prominent members of the industry, who at the meeti signified their desire to help the off-springs of the deat inventor with monetary assistance. It seems incredible that such an obvious duty of the trade has been neglected in this manner. The position also brings to our mind what is being done with the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund. Here is another instance where the balance sheet is not published, and the trade has but the foggiest notion of what funds they have in hand and how they are being disseminated. Mr. Fred Goodwin, undoubtedly, must have a large income coming in regularly for this Fund as a percentage of the takings at Sunday performances go to swell the Trade Benevolent Fund. In addition, at many of the carnivals held during the past few years, large sums have been forthcoming for the Fund, and the trade is entitled to see how these monies are being spent. We make no reflection whatever upon Mr. Goodwin, who is treasurer of the Fund, and whom we know to be a man of absolute integrity, ‘but many members of this trade are asking in what way does this Benevolent Fund function? At the present moment there are dozens of real genuine cases of men who have been in this industry for years and who are now pitifully in want, and the object of the Fund should be to help these men to secure some grant to tide them over the bad time they are having. Both the Friese Green Fund and the Benevolent Fund should, without any further delay, publish their balance sheets so that the trade who have subseribed the money can see where it is being spent. In the case of the former, it has been apparently so mishandled that its funds have dried up and it ig a tremendous pity that on an occasion when the trade would have been only too pleased to have contributed to a fitting memorial to the dead inventor, that more advantage was not taken of its generosity. A committee of the trade might with advantage look into both these funds and acquaint the industry with news of what is being done. As far ag we can see there is far too great a desire on the part of certain gentlemen to talk of the Benevolent Fund as ‘‘ my fund,”? whereas it is money collected by the whole fie and should be known accordingly.