The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Nov-Dec 1922)

1 _ other. industry in this country. November :13, 1922... THE FILM. RENTER..& MOVING PICTURE NEWS... LIVERPOOL EXHIBITORS LINE UP. Straight Talk on the Tax—The Screen and the . Candidate. | (By our Liverpool Correspondent.) N connection with the national campaign for the total abolition of the Entertainments Tax, a meeting was held in the Law Aesociation Rooms, Liverpool, on Tuesday, October 31, for the purpose of appointing a local committee to interview Parliamentary candidates, ete. Mr. J. .H.. Dovener, chairman of theNorth. Weet Branch, C.£.A., who presided over a representative attendance, explained the object of the meeting, and pointed out that although they were using the organisation of the C.E.A., the Committee that would be appointed that day would not merely be working under the ‘auspices of the. National Committee, but would eeabesee ; every hraneh of the entertainments business. The Converted M.P. Alderman HE. Trounson, President of ‘ies Cc. BA. aid the Entertainments Tax was one which was not imposed on any . It wag a tax on the gross turn. over, and there was no industry in this country or in any other country which gould stand a tax at present of 25 per cent,, plus the Corporation Tax, plus the Income Tax. The whole of. -the enterjainment industry of the country was uniting with the one . cry for. the total abolition of the tax. It was the intention of those carrying on the propaganda to secure abolition very.soon. . They were now able to approach Parliamentary gandidstes. who had freedom of mind as to how they would vote. In their previous effort they had to approach members.of Parliament who were bound to give a party vote. ‘The first plank in their plat© form wae Total: Abolition; the second was that: any ‘relief obtained should be passed on to the public. That would be the great thing to bring about. It was the proper course to be adopted ae mueh in the interest of the public as the entertain. ment industry. A former M.P. who was seeking re-election, when approached by the. alderman in the matter; eaid: refused your request last year, but now I shall vote for total abolition.’’ Another candidate on hearing the claim for aboliHes said ; ‘ I am an abolitionist." No Previous Support from Liverpool. In their previous campaigns they got no support at or from Liverpool. Now the conditions were changed and he hoped that the. members for the great Merseyside eity would have some consideration for the interests of the hundreds of thousands of people who were hit by this tax. Entertainment to-day was not. a luxury. Under the conditions they lived, it was a national and absolute. necessity that the people. should be provided with. cheap entertainment. In this campaign they had no regard for politics. It was a question of life or death for the various forms of enter. tamment. The result of the taxation for this year. would only be about £8,000,000. If prices were dropped to pre-war standard | their income would be increased and the Government would get their share, . A Short and Sharp Fight, To bring home the seriousness of this thing to the people, they had decided: to make use of the kinema screens and thus draw the attention of the forty millions who visited the places: of | entertainment. weekly. They must use their power within the next 10 days, otherwise it would be of little use. The fight would be a short but sharp one. (Applause.) Google ey 3 Difference on a Definite Point. The Chairman said: I want to impress upon you we are up against some etiff problems. A distinct policy has been agreed. upon after a lengthy discussion by the C.E.A. Tax Committee, ~ followed the day after by another lengthy discussion by thé C.E.A. General Council. “Every point of this policy was debated at length and voted upon separately. Different views were expressed on almost every point, but it was agreed that all should accept the decision of the majority in each instance in order to obtain unanimity. The principal points of the policy are: Total abolition of the. tax, Passing on the benefit to the public. No polities but our own. | Use of screens. =! 2 : I will read you an extract from the Press : ‘*I learn that the agitation against the Entertainment Tax is to be renewed by kinemua proprietors, who hope to make this subject prominent at the forthcoming General Election. The screens of the picture theatres will be used to onlist the support of the public. Will they pass it on? So far no effort to abolish. this tax has deserved any sympathy from the kinemagoer because we have had no promise that the public would benefit by a corresponding reduction of prices of admission, and even now I learn that there is a difference within the industry on this point. A definite assurance that the reduction will be passed on is, I think, vital to euceess. ‘* All differences must be sunk, the utmost strength must be pooled, exhibitors, manufacturers, renters and employees must put their backe into it and pull their hardest. All sections must work as one and in one direction, at the call of the leaders, the Entertainments Tax Committco. Requests from headquarters must be regarded as ardere, and every order obeyed without question, and at once.’ By uniting whaleheartedly and speaking with one voice we must show to our enemies that we can forget dissensions and differences, Out of the fog of misunderstanding and of criticism that has been indulged in during the past few wecks, it has at. ‘least crystallised one clear idea that has been adopted prac tically by every branch of the C.E.A. throughout the country, and that is, that the eupport of the public is essential. The: Answer to Critics. Owing to having done a considerable amount of lobbying, I am fairly familiar with the arguments that are advanced against us. Tf the trade is in such a bad way, how do we explain the number of new buildings which have been erected? The answer is: 1.: That the building programs were held up during the war, but that commitmente have been made and the buildings have to be proceeded with. 2. That business was then very good. 3. That there was a definite pledge that the tax was a wartime measure, and a staternent that it would not remain in effect more than a couple of years. The argument that kinemas are doing well is not correct, as can be shown by figures. While admission prices are practically unchanged when the tax is deducted, the cost of electricity, rates, wages, printing, ete., are double, and assessments have been increased. We should raise our aoe to conform to the (Continued on puye 24 a1.