Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1914)

THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS 23 large laboratories in Washington. Its object is to definitely standardize all canned foods so that the consumer may know exactly what he is buying without opening the can. The association also maintains a test laboratory in Washington owned by its members, who are informed through a monthly bulletin of new and cheaper processes of manufacture. The best service rendered, perhaps, is to keep members informed of the relative demands for different kind's o^' canned goods so that they can govern their planting operations accordingly. Nothing is left to chance. "Any man in the industry," says the Secretary, "can have the benefit of any work done by the association. He doesn't have to ask for it; we hunt him out and thrust it upon him. There is nothing unselfish about this. We simply CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE A POOR SLOVENLY OR INCOMPETENT CAXNER IN THE BUSINESS. ONE CANNER'S OUTPUT OF POOR GOODS IS A KNOCK FOR CANNED FOODS THAT IS FELT THROUGH THE WHOLE INDUSTRY AND IT FOULS THE REPUTATION OF THE WHOLE TRADE. "This association has spent as much as $200 in investigating a single case of alleged poisoning from canned goods. We aim to investigate every such case that is reported in the press. It is true that in most instances we fiiid that the canned food has simply served as the "goat' — but that does not matter. The association is out to locate every canner who is putting unworthy or unwholesome food on the market, whether he is a member of the association or not. "And we shall not be contented until this line of product is the best standardized and the most carefully and intelligently manufactured line offered to the consumer. This work could never be done without a vigorous trade association." jyi R. PRESIDENT, I have said previously that the problems solved by these national trade associations, while differing in name, were at best the same as those which vex the motion picture industry. To prove how true this is, I will just repeat what I have said regarding the work of the National Canners Association, substituting for the name "canner" the words MOTION PICTURE. (Does it.) Are not the cases exactly parallel? Has not the motion picture been too often made the "goat" of the press and public? Still another invaluable field of trade-building is suggested by the systematic work of the National Association of Credit Men in educating the retailer — especially the country merchant — in better bus.ness methods. This association is industriously coaching the retailer — especially in the country — in the right way of figuring costs and profits; in the necessity of charging interest on overdue accounts; in a more simple, consistent and effective system of giving credit; in more careful attention to discount terms and opportunities; and in the advantages of more business-like relations with both his customers and his creditors. Something of the same work is also done by the National Association of Wholesale Grocers, whose effort is especially directed to educating the smaller wholesalers and jobbers in a more accurate system of costkeeping. According to the president of this organization, the only competition to be feared as a menace to the industry as a whole is that of the jobber who does not know his costs and whose business is run ignorantly. instead of intelligently. One of the biggest jobs of the up-to-date business association is that of reducing to black and white the vital history of its kind of manufacturing— gathering, digesting and recording every kind of information of practical value to every man in that line of production, so that it mav be instantly available and understandable to all. Only an association can do this peculiar and invaluable work in a comprehensive way. The individual manufacturer cannot collect the statistics of his competitor's plant, and the outsider is barred for the same reason. The association, organized for the express purpose of serving the good of all, is recognized as the proper agent tor this work— and the association can do it at the minimum of cost to the individual manufactiirer. lyj R. PRESIDENT, these instances are only a very few out of the hundreds of histories I might quote covering the operations of successful trade associations organized on a national, cooperative scale. In the cases I have cited the associations have been organized for from five to fifteen years. Their operations cost their respective trades, annually from $225,000 to $250,000. There is recorded in the secret history of one of them the astounding fact that the dollars and cents value of a single discovery made through its Washington bureau working in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, had more than paid all the expenses of its activities for the seven years of its organized life. Not, mind you, in higher standards of goods, although those had been set; not in better trade ethics although those, too, had been established, but in cold hard dollars. I am convinced, Mr. President and gentlemen, that what has been done 'm other lines of trade, can be done equally well, if not better, by those engaged in the motion picture industry. 1 am unwilling to admit for a moment that an art which has advanced as rapidly and as wonderfully on its technical and artistic sides as has yours, cannot, at the same time, reach a similar degree of helpful, efficient, cooperative development on its business side. From the first crude short-length reel of motion pictures to the magnificent spectacle of "Cabiria" is a far cry. But the advance has been made and the end is not yet. From the first crude business beginnings 9f your art to the great machine for producing, distributing and exhibiting motion pictures which is in existence today, is an even further cry, and, here, too, THE END IS NOT YET. B X, '■^?*°" "^ "^^ ^'''^f 'hat everybody in the business has been so busily occupied in simply filling the demand for the motion picture, that they have had no time for study along co-operative lines, it may be that the man or men who will bring such an organization into being and carry forward its work shall be, techincally speaking, outsiders. Phis has frequently been the case, not alone in the history of the other trade organizations which we have mentioned, but indeed, all history is full of instances of a similar character. Morse, who gave us the telegraph. Field, who gave us the cable; Bell, who gave us the telephone, were all outsiders. Although the work of each was intimately connected with electricity, neither was an electrician nor had either any apprenticeship or training in any electrical profession. Morse was a painter of portraits; Field was a merchant and Bell was a professor of elocution. Carnegie was not a steel maker when he began; he was a railroad official, and originally a telegrapher; Judge Gary, who is to-day the real head of the Steel Trust, was a lawyer. E. H. Harriman, the first and greatest organizer of railroads, was a Wall Street broker; Eastman, the creator of Kodaks was a bank clerk; while Goodwin, who first used a celluloid film in place of a glass plate to make a photographic negative, and to whose genius is due your great industry, was an Episcopal preacher. So I say, Mr. President, that it is entirely possible — nay, more than that — it is almost a certainty that the men who shall bring together all three branches of this great art will be men who are technically outsiders, knowing little of the internal strifes, jealousies and troubles — the birth pains which are inseparable froni every great industry— and who will have only a single concept and purpose — to build an organization which shall have for its motto the one word which is the keynote of all human endeavor today — SERVICE. And when that is done, to paraphrase Holy Writ, you will see the Lion of the Producer lie down with the Lamb of the Exhibitor, and the little child, the distributor, shall lead them. WEDNESDAY was, in point of definite accomplishment, very nearly the high-water mark of the convention: The work of the National Board of Censorship was enthusiastically endorsed ; the delegates bound themselves to urge all exhibitors to refuse all pictures not passed by that board ; and to become associate members of the board. Legalized censorship of all kinds was eiuphatically repudiated. A resolution was tmanimously passed calling upon all manufacturers dealing in regular programs of single and two-reel subjects at regular prices, to discontinue the multiple reels at e.xtra rates. This resolution is as follows : "Resolved: That it is the sense of this convention that the manufacturers furnishing regular single or two-reel service to exhibitors be requested to confine their energies and resources to such regular service at regular prices and refrain from inflicting upon their customers large multiple reels at extra cost, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the manufacturers." The resolution on the poster situation and allied subjects was also unanimously adopted, as reported by the Grievance Committee. Its substance is as follows : That the exhibitors vigorously protest against extra charge for regular release; that the film company should at least collect films in instances when they are to be returned the same night as used. That we are emphatically opposed to crowding out of single reels and replacing same with multiple reel subjects which further has taken the former merit out of single reels. That sufficient leader be put on the beginning and end of films so that the story may be completed. That manufacturers and exchange men should under all conditions remain out of the exhibition business. That the poster situation is possibly one of the worst evils facing us and we believe that the posters should be made part of the film service, booked as we book the reels. That posters advertising a high-grade of amusement should be at all times clean and presentable. That manufacturers should have interest in their products being represented to the public in a manner befitting them. That the exhibitors be given the privilege of sufficient advance advertising. T HE censorship resolution in full is as follows: WHEREAS a measure is now pending before Congress for the establishment of a federal censorship for motion picture films, and the advisability of state censorship is under discussion, and WHEREAS there are at present upon the Statute Books legal safeguards against the exhibition of any improper photoplays, and WHEREAS the establishment of legal censorship will subject the entire motion picture industry to the despotism of censors without possibility of appeal or review, and WHEREAS legal censorship of any kind is opposed to the fundamental rights of all citizens freely to express their opinions and sentiments, and the abuse thereof is fully subject to legislative control, and WHEREAS the National Board, through its five years experience in the criticism of motion picture films, has adopted a constructive policy and has endeavored to represent public opinion in a disinterested, fair and skilful way through the adoption of broadminded and intelligent standards of judgment, therefore be it RESOLVED by The International Motion Picture Association, in convention assembled, that the legal censorship of motion picture films is opposed to the best interests of the public, and that no conditions exist requiring such censorship for the protection of the public; and ftirther RESOLVED that this organization declare itself as unalterably opposed to Federal, State or local censorship of motion picture films based upon legal authority, on the ground that censorship of this kind is a restriction of the right of free expression. Be it further RESOLVED that this organization record itself as in favor of the voluntary co-operative criticism and regulation of films as at present conducted by The National Board of Censorship; and. Further, that It be the sense of the exhibitors of the United States, in convention assembled, that as the National Board is a co-operative body, all exhibitors be urged to refuse to exhibit any picture which has not been duly reviewed by that body. This resolution was drawn up Tuesday morning by Sam Bullock, of the Resolution Committee, and although read to the assembled delegates, was not passed upon then. Discussion of this subject was held over until Wednesday morning