Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

July 22, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 397 Rembusch and Ochs Both Advocate a Trade Association Bulletin Advocating Election of Ochs Points to His Work as President of the New York Branch and His Fight Defeating Censorship in the Empire State— Rembusch Issues Statement Outhning His Views on Organization, Membership, Price of Film Service and the General Relation Between Exhibitor and Manufacturer ON the eve of the National Convention in Chicago both Lee A. Ochs, of New York, and F. J. Rembusch, of Shelbyville, Ind., have issued statements that should give every delegate at the convention food for profound thought. Mr. Ochs' explanation to the exhibitors of the proposed workings of the Association of the Motion Picture Industry, in the preliminary meetings of which he has played an important part, is especially significant. Thinking along the same Hnes, Mr. Rembusch has outlined exhaustively a body of the same nature, the details of which cannot fail to be of the utmost interest, not only to the exhibitors, but to every member of the trade whose thoughts have traveled in organization channels during the past weeks. Mr. Ochs has called the attention of the industry to the full and complete recognition secured for the exhibitors by the new plan. "The plan provides," said Mr. Ochs, just before leaving for the Chicago Convention, " that every member of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of America becomes, automatically through his membership in the league, a member of the National Association. Our class, No. 2 in the schedule, is given ten directors which we ourselves elect and these ten are equal to the combined representation of manufacturers and distributors." New Association a Federation of Film Interests " The new Association may be regarded as a Federation of all the interests in the industry. We as exhibitors keep our own organization intact, and the new association gives us practical aid in strengthening our league and in making membership in the league not only advisable but highly desirable for every exhibitor in the United States." " I want to call the attention of those who have constructive platforms to suggest at the Chicago convention that we have provided in advance of the convention the most far reaching, the most desirable and the most effective piece of constructive work that our organization has ever known. " Never before has the exhibitor received such full, complete and unqualified recognition with a voice in the affairs of the entire industry. We are not asked to merge ourselves with the new association but we are called upon to help manage it, to sit in at its council table, to have as great a voice as the manufacturers and distributors combined, and we, as exhibitors, helped to draw up the entire plan by which this highly desirable arrangement can be made effective. It is pointed out by those who are urging the election of Mr. Ochs as National president that he has carried his constructive work in behalf of the exhibitor organization right up to the very eve of the convention and has left the work of electioneering to the other aspirants for the National presidency. The newest bulletin in the Ochs campaign reads as follows : " The election of Lee A. Ochs as National President is urged for the following reasons : Ochs built up the New York organization to a position of strength never before reached in its history. " Ochs led the fight which defeated censorship in New York after the bill had passed both branches of the legislature. " Ochs secured recognition for the exhibitors, complete and absolute, at the time of the Grand Central Palace Exposition. " Ochs has led and not bossed his fellow exhibitors. " Ochs is on the right side of every question which affects the exhibitors' welfare. " Ochs has the respect of all branches of the industry and it was as his guests that the real factors in the industry began to formulate a harmony program. " Ochs has proved himself more than a successful fighter in behalf of the exhibitor organization. He has shown the way for all branches of the industry to co-operate on questions that affect the industry as a whole and has preserved the integrity and the status of the exhibitors' organization intact. " Under Lee Ochs the exhibitor organization stands out as the one big successful, harmonious, constructive organization in the entire industry." The entire New York delegation has approved heartily of the National Association plan. Rembusch Sets Forth Principles Under the caption, "Shall We Grasp Opportunity?" Mr. Rembusch sets forth the details of his recommendations. ■' A convention or exposition is the periodic expression of the progress of a business. We have had many conventions and expositions of motion picture art in the past but no past convention equals in importance, or has greater opportunities to make true progress possible and enduring as the present convention in Chicago," declares Mr. Rembusch. " The Motion Picture Exhibitors League is at the present time the only form of national organization in existence in the motion picture business. Therefore responsibility lies most heavily upon the procedure of this convention that permanent and constructive plans be instituted to relieve the present depreciating condition of our business. " It is the history of any new business to expand and continue expanding until it reaches the crest when further expansion produces over-production, over-reaching, after which chaos and disaster follow. The present depressing conditions have been brought about because the manufacturer and exhibitor have estimated too highly the earning possibilities of the motion picture business. " Past experience has proven that an organization of the manufacturer alone, or an organization that is purely an exhibitor organization, will not do the big things so urgently needed at the present time. The interests of the exhibitor and manufacturer are identical because in the last analysis the success of our business depends upon its continued popularity with the most people. " It therefore follows that there must be an organization of the exhibitor and manufacturer with equal power and representation, who by close co-operation and sympathetic adjustment, held together with a binding, practical working agreement, will be able to bring this industry back to a sound, commercial basis and this basis must be planned on the possible earnings of the industry. " I ask the manufacturer and exhibitor to consider the following: _ " Organization. — Exhibitor and manufacturer to organize as an association, corporation, or Chamber of Commerce, with a name appropriately expressing its object. Both exhibitor and manufacturer shall have equal voice and power. All things being equal, its members shall give preference to those belonging to the organization. The association shall collect data after the best interests of the trade and perform all of those acts which naturally come to an organization representing the whole industry. It shall standardize prices, terms and agreements of the trade; establish credit lists and adjust differences between the exhibitor and the manufacturer. It shall take up questions such as legalized censorship, etc., and secure a united effort on the part of the manufacturer and the exhibitor to combat outside evils against the industry. I An Executive Committee of Three Proposed | " Memhership. — Each and every theatre, film exchange, film company, or anyone in the allied trade shall take out membership and dues and admission fees shall be on a proportionate basis to the amount of interest involved and value of the organization to them. " Control. — An executive committee of three members shall direct the affairs, adjust differences, etc. It shall be composed of