Moving Picture World (Oct 1917)

October 20, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD On the War Tax ■ a ® ® a @ @ #*/ 5am Spedon FOUR, or five months ago there was a wild dash made to Washington by exhibitors and producers to avert, if possible, the imposition of a tax on motion picture theaters and films. We say wild, because there was no co-operative or deliberate action on the part of those so vitally interested. Each and every one of the exhibitors who went to Washington at that time had a different idea. Two or three different briefs were presented to the Senate Committee, who intended a tax of ten per cent, on all theaters, excepting those charging five cents. One brief favored a tax on all theaters and eliminating the tax of one-half a cent a foot on raw film and one-half cent a foot on exposed film or positive prints. Another favored the elimination of all taxes on all theaters charging an admission of five and ten cents. The producers were in favor of the brief eliminating the tax on the films, knowing thev would have to add the tax to the renting price to the exhibitor. In addition to the several briefs presented to the Senate Committee, each and every exhibitor appealed to his Senator and Congressman, while others were sending telegrams or writing letters, all of them different and some inadvisedly worded, giving an impression that there was no unity, head nor tail to the motion picture industry. It appeared everyone was anxious to secure the credit of accomplishing the defeat of the tax, save the industry from its burdens and pose as the benefactor of motion pictures. All this well intended but misdirected effort was expended for naught as far as the tax on admissions was concerned but resulted in getting a fifty per cent, reduction on the film tax. Concentrated Effort. When will those in the industry realize the need, the value of organization and concentration? One year ago the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry was organized and it is rapidly being recognized as the representative body of the industry. Why detract from its Importance by arrogating to ourselves a greater than thou policy and try to make ourselves greater than the whole organization ? Why can't we work together with the National Association and concentrate our action from that center and get down to principles of business organization? When we get down to this basis we can do things that will count, work as a unit and bring a unitized power to bear on the things we wish to accomplish, or know the reason why. Well Meant Effort. We do not wish to discredit the efforts of those who tried to do something at Washington, but we do maintain that their efforts were disconcerted and scattered. They should have emanated from and been directed, after some deliberation, by the National Association and it should have been on the job long before it was. Let us hope that in the future we will all recognize the importance of a national association. Let us hope that the officers of the N. A. M. P. I. will make the changes in its by-laws that will remove all possibility of a recurrence of its past mistakes and let us hope that every one will give it the support and attention it deserves, for the good of our industry. Proper Representation. We expressed our views before on the petty jealousies existing between exhibitors and producers. Willi the National Association as the channel through which differences should be adjusted there is no reason for their existence unless it be that the exhibitors are not represented by those who should make these differences known and bring them in the open for full consideration. The National Association has been organized for that purpose and made that point decidedly clear in its formation. A Mistake. We claim that the National Association has made a grave mistake in recognizing any body of men as the representatives of any branch of the industry. Every man engaged in any branch of the industry, if his record is good, should be admitted to the Association as a member and no branch of the industry should be given a greater number of votes in the board of directors than any other branch. If it relegates to any one branch the balance of power the association will always savor of politics and we must not discount the opinion of those who say they do not wish to be admitted as a body to membership in the National Association. The National Association must be representative of the whole industry and not favor any one branch of it. Good May Come. The war tax on theaters and films has been decided. Let us face the situation as best we can and may we find compensation in some material benefits resulting in the betterment of the industry, the establishment of more harmony and the working out of some safe and sane basis of business operation. Ideas on Tax by Exhibitors. After all that has been said and done, the war tax on films and all admissions to the theaters, excepting those charging five cents, is a fact. There is no use of crossing bridges before we come to them. True we have come to this tax bridge, but just how we will cross it has not been made clear by the government. The tax does not become effective until November 1, 1917. In the meantime we will learn just how the tax on admissions is to be put into effect by the exhibitor to enable him to collect it from the public. While we are waiting for this in formation and to arrive at some decision as to the best way to meet the tax, let us consider these opinions of different exhibitors. Increase Admission Prices. In a talk with an exhibitor of prominence on the war tax, he said: "I will increase my ten cent houses to Fifteen cents, my fifteen cent admission to twenty and my twenty-five to thirty. In this way I can pay the tax." It All Depends. Another exhibitor said: "If the newspapers present the methods by which the public is to pay the tax and educates it to put down its one or two cents extra at the box office to cover the tax, I may not increase my prices." Slight Difference to Producers. We a^ketl an exhibitor if he thought the tax of one fourth of one cent a foot On raw film and one half of a cenl a fool on exposed film would make any great difference in the cost of pictures to the exhibi tors. I le replied: "] do not see hou this tax would