The Moving picture world (May 1922)

May 20, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 257 small-pox when you got the Sunday opening and deposit law." He mentioned, too, the fact that through him Sunday baseball in New York was possible. He said that the "deposit bill inspired your organization and it was so good Nebraska copied it, I believe." No Detnand For Salary He denied that he had ever made any demand for salary, saying that he had received $15,000 during the time he was counsel, his salary being $1,000 monthly. He had more money coming, but that was not paid, "And you didn't hear me complain. Why, Sydney asked me many times about this money and I said, 'Syd when your organization can pay for it, all right, and if it never pays it, all right, too." Then he said that Cohen had given his brother, George Walker, a check for $3,000. "He made my brother endorse that check with my name," he said. The statement was misunderstood and a slight demonstration followed, but was quickly quieted when Walker made it known that he was making no accusations in this respect, but merely explaining matters. "Now for the producers' candidate," he said, "You know what I think. I believe that if there was a conspiracy among the producers it was a conspiracy to get rid of me. Who gave the producer all the trouble? It was I who attacked Famous Players. Who made the trip to California, to Illinois and everywhere and back to New York, always fighting Famous Players? There was only one who fought for Mrs. Dodge and Schwartz. There was only one man who brought Zukor to the Chamber of Commerce meeting and forced him to make certain admissions." The Senator then said that Mrs. Dodge and Schwartz had received $2,500 each instead of $5,000 each. "I don't know what was deducted or why those amounts were given. That's a problem for you to solve," he said. Said Zukor Will Be Happy 'Won't Zukor be happy when he learns that you have got rid of me ? He won't worry about Cohen because it was Walker who bothered and troubled him. I didn't stop the Interstate Commerce Commission's investigation into Famous Players. Ask your president who did that. Ask your president who stopped the assault against Famous Players? Who was the one who was chasing Zukor? Who was trying to save you? "I'm not the producers' candidate. I'm not the exhibitors' candidate. I am candidate for nothing and nobody. They said I have sold out to the producers. Why, I have nothing to sell. I did have, but I didn't. And I've got nothing now and yet I'm told I have sold out. I never sold out to any man. I have not set a price on my work. I'm not for sale." Then while discussing "Independent's Week," he charged that Cohen was using thirty Famous Players pictures during that period at his New York houses. "Now I want to settle two things," he continued. "There have been two charges made against me. The first was that I didn't answer some letters. That may be true. The second was that I was negligent. Mr. True said that I did not give any time or consideration to a Connecticut case. Well, that's not the case. Mr. True asked my firm for an opinion of the box office tax bill in Connecticut. He wanted to ascertain its constitutionality. After two weeks' hard work my associate. Joseph Warren, ascertained that the bill was constitutional. Cohen Received Opinion "Warren called Cohen at his office, but he was out and his secretary was told that Would Show Pictures Made by Railroad to Defray Expenses WASHINGTON, D. C— The New York Motion Picture Theatre Owners of New York this year will submit a proposition to the officials of the New York Central Railroad whereby the Empire State theatres will show pictures to be made by the latter in return for transportation privileges of officials of the exhibitor organization. It was pointed out by President Charles L. O'Reilly that such an arrangement would save the local organization thousands of dollars annually. It is expected that the national exhibitor organization will effect a like arrangement with other railroads thereby saving the traveling expenses of its officials. It was unofficially estimated here that the amount expended by the officials of national and local organizations in traveling annually constitutes the largest item on the expenditure list of the organizations. Mr. Warren wanted to talk to him. Cohen called later and was given the opinion, which he said he would transmit to True. And now True says we didn't do our work. That isn't true. It looks as if someone was sore. Well, if they are, that's something else. But my firm gave them an honest opinion. Perhaps True didn't want that. But the law hasn't been declared unconstitutional, so we must be right. "About that Nebraska affair. Mr. Pramer said that Goldwyn was trying to upset the deposit law out there. He conferred with me and said that he had engaged able counsel in that State. The case had to be tried in Nebraska with a lawyer admitted to the Nebraska bar to argue it, and I was in New York. So I wasn't negligent there, when Pramer said he had counsel and it was away out in Nebraska." He then said that it was true he had spent time attending to his duties as Senator from New York, and consequently had to stay in Albany, but charged that "it was Cohen who sent me to the hospital because I was forced to go to Washington to work on the five per cent, tax elimination." He discussed that case and told how after a conference with Senator Smoot and others, the Senator assured him the tax would be eliminated. He said that he had talked in Boston while ill and as a result collapsed there under the strain. "Yes," he said, I was in the hospital and Cohen sent me there." Won't Tolerate Deceit He then said he had been forced to come to Washington because he had been assailed and dramatically emphasized again the contention that "the man who said I was a producers' candidate, told an untruth. "If you can tolerate hypocrisy and deceit, go to it," he said. "But I won't. I never forced myself on you and I am not going to force myself on you now. When I leave this hall I am going to divorce myself entirely from the motion picture industry." He referred to the offer of the New York organization to retain him as counsel, but this he turned down. "I will always be a picture fan. There my interest in your industry will start and end. I came to you clean and I am going to leave you clean," he stated. "I want no volunteers. I don't need any, for I am going to volunteer to retire. You don't need a man as a target. If you want a shooting gallery, pick out some fellow who isn't slender. Oh, I had warning of this. Down my way they teach you to stick until the end, but that doesn't always go I have found out. "I should have taken my tip when they tried to get rid of Dr. Holley and I argued against it and succeeded in having him stay." Under Suspicion He told that at the Minneapolis convention he was under suspicion and that because of that and later developments and experience in Milwaukee he sought a contract from Cohen. He referred to cases he tried involving Hallmark, United Pictures and United Productions. He said his firm diagnosed every case brought to its attention, and reports were sent to Cohen. He referred again to the publication of reports that he was a candidate "for anything or any office." Then he confined his remarks to Cohen, saying that he "was up the wrong tree." "You talk about red herring. Say, I believe I'm that red herring thrown across the trail," he said. "I'm no prophet, nor a son of a prophet, but you just watch. You'll get yours before this thing is over and before this convention is over you'll come to me and say, 'Walker you are right'