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MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES 1065 Mr. Kearns. There was a statement made here about tlie 350 jobs of the carpenters involved there, made by Mr. Mannix, as you will recall. Mr. Johnston. Yes. Mr. Kearns. I think the testimony wliile we were on the coast cor- rectly 2)roved Ihat Mr. Mannix in making that statement, was thinking of one studio only, namely, ]\Ietro-Goldwyn-Mayer; that there were more carpenters involved in the shift than 350. ]Mr. Johnston'. I don't think so, Mr. Chairman. I believe you are wrong about that. Mr. McCann. I am inclined to agree with Mr. Johnston on that, Mr. Chairman. I believe the over-all suggestion was that 350 men in the industry would lose their jobs. Mr. Kearns. Only 350? Mr. McCann. Yes. Mr. Johnston. That was one of our points at Miami, Mr. Chair- man, when we discussed it with the council. It was the fact that here, you may close down the studios involving 20,000 people, merely over 350 people. It did not seem fair to me that 20,000 people should be thrown out of work merely because somebody could collect dues from 350. In my opinion the jurisdictional problems are the most unfair things in the world . Why thousands of men should lose employment because somebody wants to collect dues from somebody, is a mystery to me. ]\Ir. KearNvS. Going back to your statement, on page 7, the statement about closing the studios or keeping them open, why do you feel the opinion prevailed there that it was the best plan to keep them open? I go along on your premise 100 precent. Mr. Johnston. Well, Mr. Kearns, there is always a difference of judgment between those who have the responsibility and authority and those who do not have it. I am not president of one of these com- panies. I do not have stockholders. I do not have the financial arrangements that are necessary to be made. The motion-picture industry is a peculiar industry, as you know. They have these long-time contracts with stars that run into astronomi- cal figures. These contracts must be paid whether the studios are open or not. If the studios are closed and the theaters are closed, it might mean financial bankruptcy to most of these companies in a relatively short time. Because of that, I think the presidents of the companies involved are taking into consideration the financial responsibilitj'^ that they have. Personally, I would close them. I would close them, because I think the thing would be settled in a relatively short time if they were closed. I think public opinion, ]:)ublic pressure, would make these men get in a room some place, sit doAvn, and get this thing settled. I may be wrong. Maybe public opinion would not do it. And I, with no financial responsibility—it is easy for me to say that I would close them, and I would. That has been ni}- constant, reiterated de- mand almost, to them. I, as I say, have neitlier the financial or moral responsibility for 25,000 employees and to the stockholders, and so on. IVfr. Kearns. It would be more or less your opinion that the industry could stand closing down in the face of the business ?