The Film Daily (1923)

THE •%2H DAILY Friday, May 25, M Many Delegates Turn Against Cohei Finances a Problem (Continued from Page 1) muddle of excitement and annoyance. The Cohen supporters wore both surprised and puzzled. They did not seem to know what to do. Cohen watched the retreating crowd with an expression of amazement. When asked if he cared to make a statement regarding the movement he said he would issue one later. Compromise Efforts Fail All during the night up to three o'clock efforts were made to straighten out the difficulties. Finally a proposition was made that Ritter could have the support of the Cohen organization providing Cohen was named chairman of the board. This was rejected by the Michigan people who said that if Ritter was to run the organization he must be left independent as to operations and not be hampered by the board of directors in any way. One of the primary purposes of having Ritter elected was to insure the raising of the $100,000 dollar fund. In the Michigan organization are two men who have proven "wizards" at this and it was hoped to have them operate on the floor and raise the money needed. It is important that this be done inasmuch as the national organization is todav in debt to the extent of over $25,000. With the failure of negotiations with Michigan the whole proposition was left up in the air. A meeting was scheduled for ten o'clock yesterday morning in the hope of making an arrangement of some kind but this failed to develop anything. When the convention opened the situation was practically as it stood after the nominations closed Wednesday. The session opened with McWilliams withdrawing his name as a candidate. W. W. Whitson, California also withdraw his name as third vice-president and Woodhull as a nominee for the presidency. This left Cohen the only nominee. He asked for recognition and then made a long address going into the reasons for his candidacy declaring he did not want the office and had no idea of being a candidate until leaders of many states on Tuesday petitioned him to run. He said he had offered to support Ritter of Michigan if he would take the presidency and offered to pay his own expenses and go to Washington and watch the legislation there during the coming session of ( ongress but he said that when the proposition was put up to Ritter that Ritter's demand were such that the result would stultify many of the state leaders. Ritter's Demands After commenting on Theodore Hay's actions an account of which appears elsewhere in this issue, as undiplomatic he read a, letter received from Ritter stating what in the latti r's opinion the new president should i airy out to bring success to the next administration. Ritter asked that not Ir^ than $100,000 be subscribed before the convention closed; that, in addition, $30,000 more be raised to meet the deficit of this year; that a paid organizer at $15,000 work to reorganize and solidify state organizations and that the national body devote all of its efforts except on extroadinary occasions to organization; that an executive secretary be secured and paid $10,000 annually; that the president is to have a salary of not more than $10,000 annually; that the headquarters be moved to a more central point than New York to aid in organization work and that offices for conferences be maintained in New York and that in addition to the named directors that Cohen, Steffes and a Michigan man be added. Row Starts Over Vote This, Cohen commented, was entirely impracticable at this time. He then said that his record during three > ears was his platform and then the excitement started. Joe Hopp, Illinois wanted to question the voting of the Illinois delegation by W. D. Burford to the petition received by Cohen. To this Burford, replied that he signed for himself and associate-, who have over $2,000,000 in property in the state. Hopp demanded the roll call by states on Cohen's election and a row developed because the constitution provides that where there is but one candidate the secretary shall cast the vote of the organization but Cohen urged that the roll call be made. W. W. Whitson, California yelled "never mind the constitution" but Shumway, Ohio wanted the vote cast by the secretary just to save time. Finally, however, tellers were appointed and the states were polled. A number passed voting and others were not on hand but the results gave Cohen 234 votes. Against him were 81 votes but many others did not vote. The other officers are Joe Mogler, Missouri, first vice-president; Martin G. Smith, Ohio, the second vicepresident; W. W. Whitson, California third vice-president; E. XV. Collins, Jonesboro, Ark. fourth vice-president; and William B. Render, Jr.; treasurer. The convention will come to a close this morning. Rule or Ruin ? (By wire to THE FILM DAILY) The Coliseum, Chicago. Is the M. P. T. O. of A wrecked? Supporters of Sydney S. Cohen insist it is not; that it is on a stronger foundation than ever before; this, that despite fully half of the delegates to the national convention walked out and left the raising of funds sufficient to carry on the work of the body to the remainder. Among those who left the financing to be accomplished by Cohen and his cohorts are Michigan, Wisconsin and many others. But let's stick just to Michigan for a moment. Michigan is the best organized state in the union with practically 97% of all Michigan exhibitors enrolled. Michigan paid into the national treasury last year $4,000 of the total of $13,000 collected nationally. Michigan leaders and Wisconsin leaders say they have not withdrawn from the national organization but will not contribute to it under existing conditions. They might better withdraw because they will only stand in the way of what is left of the national body. But while they can function and will, the grave question arises what will the national organization do? Immediately following the walk-out about $25,000 was subscribed by the delegates left to carry on the work. Fine. But what of the coming year and its financial needs? Where will that come from? Everything that has happened is due to nothing but politics and childish, silly, amateurish politics at that. Despite all statements to the contrary everything that has happened could have been avoided. But Cohen listened to his cohorts. The kitchen cabinet got in its work and Cohen fell for it. Cohen's followers insist the Ritter demands were ridiculous. Well, what if they w.ere? Man) of Cohen's actions have been described in the same language by those opposed to him. And this question arises : Did the kitchen cabinet want rule or ruin. If so, why? Could it have been because of the proposed exhibitor distributing companv? DANNY. Parley With Hays Cohen Says One Is Planned — 1h Sees Higher Admissions in the Fall (Staff Correspondence) Chicago — At the banquet at Sherman Wednesday night, Syd S. Cohen announced that at the c of the convention, a committee of national organization would meet \ Will H. Hays and also those indej dents not aligned with the Hays ^anization and make an effori straighten out various existing pi lems. He also announced the possibilit; the M. P. T. O. making one picl to be distributed for the benefit the national organization and s gested that if the organization st cd a bank patterned along the li of the Federation of Labor ba that they could use the deposit mo advanced to companies as a nucl and that this would help fina'nee i ducers and save them from the tortionate rates of money lender Marcus Loew pointed out that so thing must be done this fall rega ing increased admissions in view high operating costs and increa cost of picture production. The question, he said, was what the pul would do. He said the Loew org; zation was now testing this out combined vaudeville and pict houses. There were many other speakei $&ttadei@finl Look BetterandWear Longer "Felix the Cat" By Pat Sullivan M. J. Winkler 220 W. 42nd St., New York, N. \