Motography (Jul-Sep 1916)

July 8, 1916. MOTOGRAPHY 61 the exhibitors and to contribute to the exhibitors 50 per cent of the proceeds of that show. Rumors, unauthenticated, reaching this office would tend to show that there was a large deficit rather than any credit balance after the balance sheet was made up on the New York gathering. Mr. Ochs also has declared himself as emphatically opposed to any form of the deposit system in the renting of films. In this stand he will find that he is radically opposed by numerous exhibitors throughout the country, many of whom look upon the deposit system as one of the best methods to keep down unhealthy competition. He also will find many exhibitors who feel as he does about the matter. But it is generally believed that the deposit system is something outside of League business and when the League as a body attempts to dictate to the manufacturer as to whether he will or will not demand a deposit for the fulfillment of contracts, the League is skating on very thin legal ice. In other words, as a combination it is attempting to dictate the rules of another man's business methods. But Mr. Ochs is an avowed candidate and as such will stand on the platform he has built, which head literally is "exhibitors first, last and all the time." Fred J. Herrington, president of the League and a candidate for re-election, has said nothing regarding his platform. He stands on his record made since his election at San Francisco one year ago. His record speaks for itself. He has had his trial. If he has been successful and can so shape his course in the next year as to follow the desires of the League members, no doubt he will be re-elected. If the league members feel that his record does not justify re-election, after the coming convention he will be known as "a former president of the Motion Picture League of America." The constitution at present provides that the president of the league shall receive a salary of $300 a year and necessary traveling expenses. It has been proposed to eliminate this salary and to make the presidency of the League such an honorable office that the leading men of the business will seek it. To the leading men of the business the $300 is of no consequence. But in lieu of paying this small salary to the president the present plan is to appoint an executive secretary who shall be in charge of the League's headquarters and who shall receive a living salary. It has not been decided finally whether the office of executive secretary will be appointive or elective. It may be that the leaders of the movement will leave this appointment to the president but this is not thought to be wise, as the consensus of opinion appears to be that the executive secretaryship should be an office for a term of years and should not change with each administration. Sweeney Has Clear Track The only name mentioned for executive secretary is that of William J. Sweeney of Chicago. Mr. Sweeney is known wherever films are exhibited. He also is known wherever they are made. He is one of the pioneers of the business. He is one of the old showmen who forsook the saw-dust ring for the lure of the animated pictures. He forsook the motion pictures for the purpose of putting some organization in the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of America. He was with it at the start and he will be with it at the finish, whether he is executive secretary or just a worker in the ranks. He is one man who can negotiate with the exhibitor and the manufacturer. He has the confidence of both. He will fight for the rights of the exhibitor and recognize the rights of the manufacturer. He remains with the business because he likes it. He is not a promoter. He is essentially a motion picture industry organizer. Another and equally important question to be settled at the coming convention is the place of holding future annual meetings and annual motion picture shows. The present plan of holding the annual meetings in different cities is conceded to be an error. In giving consideration to this question Chicago again must be placed in the spot light. It is the one city in the country easy of access to all motion picture showmen. It is easier for the Atlantic coast showmen to journey to Chicago than it is for the western coast showmen to journey to New York City. And those showmen who desire to see how motion pictures are made have the same advantages in Chicago as they would have on the western coast. There are many other questions to come before the convention, so many in fact that it is impossible to enumerate them. Numerous of the non-thinking showmen of the business have written headquarters that they propose to attempt to infuse certain strictures in the manufacturing end of the industry that apparently have no place in the annual convention of the League. Any of these attempts will be killed in their infancy as "Harmony" is to be the watchword. While the show to be held in connection with the annual convention is of secondary importance in so far as the industry itself is concerned, it is of primary importance to the manufacturer. It is at this show that the executives of the manufacturing companies will have an opportunity to become personally acquainted with the exhibitors. It is at this show that the manufacturers will show their wares and will prove that they are willing to do their share in behalf of the industry at large. Big Manufacturers' Exhibit Nearly every manufacturer of any importance in the country has contracted for space at the show to be held at the Coliseum, Chicago, July 12 to 18, inclusive. Many of them have spent thousands of dollars arranging a program that will attract exhibitors to their releases. Essanay is arranging a National Exhibitors' Day, to be held Tuesday, July 11, at the plant of the Essanay Company in Chicago and the company has arranged to bring nearly every one of its stars from far distant points to greet the exhibitors. Paramount, Metro and Vitagraph each will have a day set aside for them during show week. The plans of these companies are being carefully guarded but it is predicted that each will endeavor to outdo the other in calling attention to their respective products. The entertainment committee has arranged to hold dancing each day in the Coliseum annex and it is planned now that some of the rabid motion picture fans of the country will be given an opportunity to dance with their motion picture idols in exchange for a small fee which ultimately will find its way to the treasury of the League. Another innovation is to place the Chicago committee in charge of the show in special suits. These suits are now being built on the very latest lines. They will be of the most prominent tiger stripe, in order that the committee members may be seen from any distance on the horizon. If the plans to unite the entire industry in two sections of the League is consummated, at future shows only members of the manufacturing section will be al