Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

DON R. EGBERT, Managing Editor HEW YORK OFFICE: 506 LONGACRE BUILDING. Forty-second Street and Broadway Telephone Bryant 7030 CHARLES W BRENNAN, Advertising Manager LOS ANGELES OFFICE: 6035 HOLLYWOOD BLVD., MABEL CONDON, Western Representative NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Changes of advertising copy should reach the office of publication not less than fifteen days in advance of date of Issue. Begular date of issi>» every Saturday. ^77t THE MOTION PICTURE TRADE JOURNAL PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ELECTRICITY MAGAZINE CORPORATION FRED W. SCHWAMB, President and Treasurer PAUL H. WOODRUFF, Secretary and Editor in Chief MONADNOCK BUILDING, CHICAGO, ILL. MERRITT CRAWFORD, Managing Director, 1476 Broadway, New York Entered at Chicago Post Office as Second Class Mail Matter. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE Per Year $3.00 Canada • Per year $4.00 Foreign Per year 5.00 Single copy .15 NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS Remittances— Remittances should be made by check. New York draft or money order in favor of Motography. Foreign subscriptions may be remitted direct by International Postal Money Order. Change of address— The old address should be given as well as the new. and notice should be received two weeks in advance of the desired change. This publication is free and independent of all business or house connections or control. No manufacturer or supply dealer, or their stockholders or representatives, have any financial inter est in Motography or any voice in its management or policy. Volume XIX CHICAGO, MAY 18, 1918 Number 20 A Seventy -Two Per Cent Tax CANADA, still in the throes of economic adjustment, is aiming another blow at the motion picture industry as the most conspicuously shining mark. It is reported by our correspondent that the dominion government has proposed to increase the duty on films imported from the United States from two cents a foot to five cents a foot. It needs no arithmetician to demonstrate that five cents a foot — fifty dollars a reel — is an extraordinary tax ; and the purpose is to apply it to every foot of positive print that comes across the boundary. Furthermore, the original war taxes amounting approximately to eight dollars a reel would be added to this, making a total of fifty-eight dollars a reel. Since for official purposes the Canadian government appraises all positive film at eighty dollars, the proposed war assessment would amount to seventytwo and one-half per cent of the value. Of course the Canadian exchange men and exhibitors are up in arms in defense of their livelihood. The logical claim is made that the measure will defeat its own purpose by reducing the passage of films from the United States to Canada to a point where the total net tax revenue will actually be less than it is at present. We cannot question that the dominion picture people are doing all they can to preserve the best interests of the industry in their country. There is little apparent way in which the exhibitors of this country can assist them. The question, however, is of direct interest to United States producers, practically all of whom do a Canadian business. We have no definite information as to the specific assessment that might be made against Canadian printing plants operated by United States producers. That, of course, would be the most obvious method of providing Canadian customers with positive prints of negatives made south of the boundary. It would be a comparatively economical method, even with a rental rate sufficiently increased to cover interest on the additional investment, unless the tariff on negatives should be placed at a prohibitive figure. We hope the parliament at Ottawa will realize the drastic quality of the proposed measure, and refuse to pass it. If it does pass, either the motion picture business of Canada is done for or our own Government, observing the success of its sister state's action, is likely to impose a similar tax upon the industry here. If the importing of films by Canada is greatly reduced. the result will be felt here through the diminished number of prints marketed by our producers, the consequent reduction of their revenues, and the necessary support of the increased burden by domestic exhibitors. . The Canadian situation is of vital importance to the exhibitors of the United States. They will do well to take a little time from the consideration of their own tax troubles to prepare against the possible effect of violent legislation up north. MutuaVs President TAMES M. SHELDON, famous among the football ^ fans of a decade ago for his brilliant work on the gridiron under the colors of Chicago University, and who has since gained equal renown in Chicago's field of finance, has assumed direction of the destinies of Mutual Film Corporation. Mutual's new president has taken hold of the complicated task of conducting the big distributing organization with all his old time vigor and esprit of the football field. While, naturally, no details of his plans have yet become available, it may be said that developments of a nature most interesting to the whole motion picture field may be anticipated in the near future. Motography can only add its own good wishes to the deluge of felicitations already received by Mr. Sheldon. * * * Players and the Draft SOME of the big legitimate producers, annoyed by the constant loss of male talent through the demands of the National Army, are considering a sort of embargo against players of draft age. The sudden withdrawal of an important character is serious, of course. That it is any more serious than the same condition in the industrial field may be questioned. In every line of effort the removal of a responsible worker is a hardship ; but it is one which most employers are bearing with a smile along with other natural conditions of patriotism. It is good to know that in the motion picture field, at least, no player will be dismissed for the reason that he is eligible to draft. That is just one more illustration of the reason why players find studio employment better than the stage. P. H. W