The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (May-Jun 1923)

PR TOTTUT EELS OTT OEON VETOED ETRE POT EDTE OL OEEPTRELCGDOETER STEED CEEDG SEDGE ODEO EDGE DCEO CAE CET OEEE DET OEE CED ECE CO CEDSTY EEE OE CETTE EIST DETRACT PCPA OT EE PED OC 1 £4 The Film Renter and . Moving Picture News ETT AAA AATEADATT AARNE ATA TASTE TATE TETTAT LONDON Phone: Regent, 1468-9. Telegraphic AdJress: FATT ““Wrightads, Westcent, London,” Ek? Sa Be oe i l OUTTEAUARATEQAT UATE AAA l MANCHESTER Phone: City, 5207. SATURDAY, MAY 5, 1923. SIXPENCE. Charity Begins at Home. the wake of Leeds and emphatically turned down the Ited Cross benevolent scheme after a full discussion at their meeting. It would appear that northcountry exhibitors with eminently sound’ reasoning are by no mens convinced that this scheme provides anything like sn adequate return to the kinematograph industry for the labours entailed, and quite rightly think it is time they began to work for themselves and to raise money for unfortunate members of the industry rather than for other people. One member of the Newcastle branch of the C.B.A. went even further and said that ‘ ab the present time the kinema industry was primarily a tax collecting community. If the charitable organiations got their way they would become secondly charity organisations «und thirdly bankrupt,” and very. sensibly pointed out that money spent in purchasing ballot tickets would be so much money diverted from the kinemas. With this view the majority of exhibitors present at the meeting concurred, with the result that Newcastle have decided, in conjunction with Leeds, that the time was inopportune for such a scheme and it could not be entértnined. In face of this decision it is hardly likely that the matter will be proceeded with, as naturally no scheme of this character could possibly go forward to success unless it received the whole-hearted co-operation of the entire kinema trade in this country; but at the same time it is to be hoped that a benevolent scheme for members of the industry only will be propounded in the very near future. N EWCASTLE and Huddersfield have followed in This industry is continually being exploited by charitable organisations, and it is high time that a stop was put to all the demands made upon us, and that we did as Mr. Arthur Cunningham very sensibly pointed out at Leeds the other day; settled down to brass tacks and evolved a scheme which the kinematograph industry conld work itself and of which the full benefits would go {o our own benevolent fund. The Red Cross scheme is an utterly unworkable affair which should not for a single moment be entertained by this trade. The paltry sum that is held out to them, viz., £5,000, is really a joke when we consider the work that would have to be put in and the money that would unquestionably be diverted from the box-office. As a matter of fact, there was in the first place far too great consideration given by the C.E.A. to this project when it was mooted, and the branches are stating in unmistakable words exactly what they think of the whole proposal. The time is not opportune for proposals of this character, and we fail to see why this industry should be expected, with all the sympathy in the world, to work a benevolent scheme for a paltry return of an infinitesimal amount of the money that will be taken. Whilst the Red Cross scheme will certainly not enlist the support of the great number of exhibitors in this country, vet it really is high time that this industry bestirred itself and evolved a benevolent fund which could operate locally on sound lines, so that every member of the trade falling on bad days could be helped. At the present moment there are several benevolent funds in existence,. none of which can ,be said to give any very great satisfaction.. Most of them in. the provinces have very little cash balance and are, consequently, unable to do much in the way of real help; whilst the main henevolent fund in London is so little heard of that one has little means of judging the amount of benefit that it ig capable of doing. No balance sheets are published and the great majority of the trade are in complete ignorance of how the fund is worked. ‘What is wanted is a national benevolent fund for the whole of the industry, with branches ‘in each important centre, and we have little doubt that if a scheme is brought forward, then exhibitors will support it to the utmost. After all, what we have to recognise is that charity begins at home, and schemes promising little return which do not operate in this industry should not receive the blessings of the exhibiting section of the industry in this country.