Moving Picture World (Feb 1917)

February 10, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 825' New York Exhibitors] Meet at Albany m s b a b b b Annual Convention Elects L. A. Buettner, Of [frs through the State three cents a seat as yearly dues to the State treasury. John Manheimer objeeted on the ground COnOeS, President, and Sam Trigger it would place the burden of funds on the larger centers, mr ,. i it-. r» •• « Mr. Milanthy objected, because it would encourage legis JSatlOnal VlCe-PreSldent lators to tax them, if they taxed themselves. ■' Charles Steiner suggested that each theater pay ten dollars a year to the State treasury of the league. William Brandt indorsed the suggestion. Sydney Cohen moved an amendment that each theater pay ten dollars the first year and five dollars every succeeding year. This was seconded and carried. A resolution was adopted that the convention vote in favor of Sunday pictures. It was voted to pay the State Secretary $1,000 a year salary. A resolution in opposition to high-priced stars, blaming upon them the high cost of features, was adopted. The deposits committee offered a resolution to bring a bill before the legislature to place under financial laws exchanges which insisted upon deposits to protect exhibitors' moneys. It was further resolved that all exhibitors or a commiteee of exhibitors see all pictures to be released by exchanges that they may pass opinion upon them. A committee was appointed to call upon exchanges to give accounting of their finances and show what has been done with the exhibitors' deposit moneys. The convention went on record to the effect that the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of New York is opposed to all forms of deposit. Louis Blumenthal offered a suggestion to eliminate deposits by a mutually satisfactory contract to exhibitors and distributors. President Ochs opposed all bonds. He said: "Get together and refuse service offered on the deposit plan." Mr. Blumenthal's suggestion to bond exhibitors through a surety company was recommended to be embodied in the deposit resolution. The resolution with this embodiment was adopted as read. Mr. Blumenthal's suggestion was to the effect that every exhibitor of the league be bonded with a surety company, thus insuring the exhibitor's responsibility when he asked credit from an exchange. During the discussion of the deposit system, Charles Streamer, of the Green and Modern Features Company, sent in word that his company waived all deposits on films. A vote of thanks was returned Mr. Streimer for this announcement. A bill on Sunday pictures was read by Grant Anson, chairman of the laws and legislation committee. It was unanimously adopted. The bill itself is in the form of an amendment to Section 2152 of the Penal Code, which prohibits public exhibitions of prize fighting or public theatrical performances on Sunday, and is in the form of the following paragraph: "Nothing herein contained, however, shall prohibit or apply to the exhibition or showing of moving pictures on said day of the week." L. A. Buettner, of Cohoes, was elected president. The other officers were: John Manheimer, Brooklyyn, first vicepresident; David Cohen, Binghamton, second vice-president; Charles Steiner, New York, treasurer; Samuel Trigger, New York, national vice-president; Thomas Howard, Brooklyn, secretary; William Hilkemeier, Brooklyn, sergeant. Samuel H. Trigger was a favored candidate for president by the New York City delegates and other members, but realizing that it was for the best interests of the league to have an upstate president, he magnanimously nominated Mr. Buettner. The convention adjourned to meet for its concluding session on Thursday at 11 a. m. On Wednesday evening a banquet was held in the Pink Room of the Ten Eyck, for the members and guests of the league. One hundred sat down to a most enjoyable meal and a feast of wit and conviviality. W. Stephen Bush acted as toastmaster. The speakers were L. A. Buettner, Lee A. Ochs, Sam Trigger, John Manheimer, Sam Spedon, Sydney Ascher, Charles Steiner, Sydney Cohen, Grant Anson, Tom Howard, W. H. Linton and V. W. Hubbard. Thursday's Session. The final meeting of the convention was held on Thursday at 11 A. M. The committee on resolutions again read its resolution, THE annual convention of the New York State branch of the Motion Picture Exhibitor League of America was called to order at the Ten Eyck Hotel, Albany, by Lee A. Ochs, state president, at 3 p. m., on Tuesday, January 23. The appointment of the following committees was then made: Legislative and Bill Drafting — G. W. Anson, New York, chairman. Every member of the State organization who is a member of the State bar was automatically appointed a member of this committee. This committee will be intrusted with the measures which the association will place before the Legislature and has been granted the power to draft bills which the association will advocate and which will be introduced in each house of the Legislature. Resolutions — William A. Fait, Jr., Utica; Samuel S. Suckno, Albany; L. A. Buettner, Cohoes; Sidney Cohen, Bronx; Willis C. Hubbard, Rochester. Grievances— Walter Zeyser, Schenectady, chairman; E. Manheimer, Brooklyn; George Cohen, Poughkeepsie; Walter H. Seeley, Rochester; W. H. Linton, Utica. Deposit System Committee — Samuel Trigger, New York; William Brandt, Brooklyn; Ira M. Mosher, Buffalo; William P. Donlin, Utica. These committees immediately went into executive session, after a motion to adjourn the convention until the following day was made, and the committees were instructed to present their reports to the convention at that time. Wednesday's Session. On Wednesday, January 24, the convention was promptly called to order at 2 p. m. Mr. Fait, chairman of the Resolution committee, submitted a resolution that the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of the State of New York, as a body, denounce the Universal Film Company's statement in its house organ, that sixty per cent, of the exhibitors wanted smutty pictures. He asked that a committee be appointed to call on the Universal and demand a retraction of the statement. It recommended that the Universal be excluded from the privileges of the Chicago Exposition next summer if it refused to retract the statement. Rudolph Sanders moved it be adopted as read. L. A. Levine opposed it in its entirety. President Ochs was in favor of its adoption. He said: "The Universal's article, 'A Swift Jolt,' is being used in one million circulars distributed by those in favor of censorship." Copies of the circular were distributed to the exhibitors present to prove his statement. "It is essential to our interests that the Exhibitors' Convention of the State of New York denounce the article reflecting on the decency of the exhibitors," added Mr. Ochs. John Manheimer objected to the denunciation of the Universal when Mr. Laemmle knew nothing of his publicity department issuing the article. Louis Blumenthal wanted embodied in the resolution a demand from the league to the National Association that P. A. Powers be withdrawn from the Motion Picture Art League, which stands for clean pictures. L. A. Levine took exception to Blumenthal's suggestion. Mr. Billman, of Albany, sustained Levine's exceptions and said: "The exhibitors are assembled in Albany to fight their own battles and not differences between trade papers and producers." Immediately cries from all parts of the room were heard that it was a matter casting bad repute upon the exhibitors and it was their business to denounce it most emphatically. Sam Trigger said: "See D. W. Griffith and request him to ask Mr. Powers to withdraw. No doubt Mr. Powers had been placed in the Motion Picture Art League because with his voice and money he had always opposed censorship." A motion was made to refer the resolution back to the committee. It was carried. The second resolution submitted was to assess all thea