Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

July 22, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 389 The storm center of the 1913 convention was the election of officers. That the dissatisfaction had been growing for some time preceding the arrival of the delegates in Xew York was early apparent. Without going into the details of the situation, the roots of the dissatisfaction were to be found in the attitude of certain groups toward the national administration of the league, and the violent opposition of many exhibitors in every section of the countrj to 'Mr. Neff's censorship propaganda. Ohio exhibitors had already had a taste of state censorship, and there was by no means the unanimity among the exhibitors of the Buckeye state in favor of censorship that had been commonly supposed to exist. Other censorship laws in other states were pending or in passage — that too in states where the hostility to It had been undeniable from the start — and this was traced back to Mr. Neff's agitation. ably they toured the country, and with every resource they possessed strove to kindle organization enthusiasm and leave growing state leagues behind them when they departed. Some success attended their efforts. But the bitterness of feeling in the states that had withdrawn in July did not lessen with the passing months, and in more than one instance it nearly brought to nought the efforts of the national officials. Had funds been plentiful, the result might have been different. But the sinews of a vigorous national campaign, such as only could have saved the situation in its entirety, were lacking, and though Mr. Neff and Mr. Wiley did not hesitate to piece out expense deficiencies from their personal funds, their ability in this direction was necessarily limited. New State Branches Formed During the Year Demand Re-election of Neff The feeling on the subject took concrete form in the demand that Mr. Neff should not be re-elected. The opposition presented J. S. Phillips, of Fort Worth, Texas, as candidate for national president. The tension during the nominations, which ran higher and higher as the balloting proceeded, might have been taken as a forecast of what was coming. It came when the Texas delegation cast its vote. The branches voted in numerical order, Ohio, No. 1, first, and so on. The Texas men, voting eighteenth, were considered by the opposition sure-fire for Phillips, himself a Texas exhibitor. But the eight from the Lone Star State arose and cast their votes solid for Neff. There was dead silence for a moment. Then pandimonium broke loose. A score of men were on their feet at once, demanding the floor. Accusations and counter-accusations were hurled back and forth across the convention hall while the chair in vain strove to bring order out of the babel. At length, at the very height of the furore, a group of delegates arose and started for the door of the hall, while those who remained seated wondered what was to happen next. When the doors finally closed on the bolting delegates, it was found that Indiana, Illinois, New York, Minnesota and W'isconsin had chosen that answer to the certain re-election of the Neff ticket. They represented a membership of approximately 900 members. A majority of Pennsylvania delegates followed in their lead and that state was always considered as one of the bolting states, especially the western portion. The bolting delegates lost no time in calling a convention of their own, in a room in the same building and elected Charles H. Phillips of Milwaukee, president. The new organization took the name of the International Motion Picture Association. The balloting in the league convention was resumed after a brief delay occasioned by the confusion that followed the bolt, and when it was over, Mr. Neff had as colleagues for his third term, George H. Wiley, of Kansas City, Mo., secretary and J. J. Rieder, Jackson, Mich., treasurer. Convention Is a Success, However Notwithstanding the unfortunate outcome of the election, the convention, all things considered, was a distinct success. The attendance of visiting exhibitors was not what it had been at Chicago in 1912, but the public supported the exposition generously with its presence and complaints were gratifyingly few when the affair came to a close. Before the convention was fairly over, the league leaders realized grimly the size and nature of the task cut out for them. They buckled down to it with commendable energy. There was no disposition to concede one iota more of importance to the dissension that had disrupted the New York convention than facts compelled. Certainly there was no pessimism. With full comprehension of the obstacles in their path, President Neff' and Secretary Wiley set out to repair the damage done and strengthen the ranks of the league as in previous years. Indefatig Neverthless, new state branches were formed and new charters issued during the year to New York, Illinois and Wisconsin to replace the branches that had withdrawn. A similar effort was made to reorganize jSIinnesota, but only partial success was obtained, and the attempt was finally abandoned. If the year brought disappointment to the league, it at all events brought some disillusionments to the new association. As time went on. it became increasingly apparent that there was no real reason for two exhibitor bodies, both calling themselves ' national,' to exist in direct rivalry and opposition to each other. It became equally apparent that the newcomer could never exterminate the parent organization, that the dissension had only tended in many instances to entrench many doubting exhibitors in their skepticism toward both organizations, and that matters were practically at a deadlock, so far as expansion bj" either one was concerned. Thus it happened that by the time the date for the holding of the International convention and exposition in New York at the Grand Central Palace — June 6-13, 1914 — had arrived the spirit of mediation was in the air. It was later crj^stallized into action on the floor of that convention. A committee of seven delegates was appointed hy the association to attend the League Convention at Daj-ton in July, assurances having previoush' been received that their coming would be welcomed and they themselves greeted in the spirit in which they came. Power Given Delegates to Weld Dissenting Bodies Power was given the seven men to act without restriction for the consolidation of the two bodies. The men chosen for this important mission were fully capable of discharging it in the highest possible manner. They were William J. Sweeney, of Chicago ; Fred J. Herrington, of Pittsburgh ; Frank Rembusch, of Shelbyville, Ind. ; Samuel H. Trigger, of New York; Judge A. P. Tugwell, of Los Angeles ; Sam Bullock, of Cleveland, O., and President Charles H. Phillips, of Milwaukee. Thomas Furniss, of Duluth, who was to have served on the committee, was prevented from accepting by urgent business matters.^^^ The Fourth National Convention and Third Motion Picture Exposition opened at Dayton July 6, 1914, about a month after the gathering at the Grand Central Palace in New York. The year had been a hard and thorny one for the League. Its membership had fallen nearly fifty per cent during the twelve months of dissension, until only a membership of 1,327 exhibitors was represented by the delegates who took their seats at Da\-ton. The state branch of Maine had withdrawn during the year. Several others had been suspended for non-payment of dues. The branches which were in good standing at the time of the Dayton convention were Ohio, Kansas, Maryland, Oklahoma, California, Nebraska, Kentucky, New York (new charter), Michigan, Iowa, W'isconsin (new charter), Florida, Louisiana, Illinois (new charter), Texas, District of Columbia, Alabama, Arkansas, Virginia, Oregon, North and South Carolina. From forty branches the membership had dwindled to twentytwo, though during the year Oregon was admitted as State Branch No. 41, with seventeen members, and North Carolina as No. 42, with thirty-nine members.