The Moving picture world (May 1923-June 1923)

May 26, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 299 Candidates' Last Minute Statements By W. A. STEFFES President, Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Minnesota I solicit and invite the support and co-operation of all those who favor a national organization of material strength, functioning constructively in the interest of all of the independent exhibitors of the country. I pledge a firm and unswerving policy against the practice of inserting paid advertisements in pictures leased to exhibitors, to demand better and cleaner pictures, to lower film rentals and curtail picture lengths, to establish a system of credit which will allow theatre owners reasonable time in remitting for films they play, to fight block booking, establish an effective insurance plan, to negotiate a loan with members for $50,000 on notes payable in one year and taxing each theatre $10 and establish avenues of revenue for the financing of the organization, practice strict economy, promulgate an effective constitution and establish a business administration that will be for, of and by the exhibitors exclusively By J. C. RITTER President, Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Michigan I am willing to allow my name to be announced as a candidate provided the exhibitors of the country will give into the hands of a carefully selected board of directors adequate finances for one year, that we can go out and show the exhibitors of the country real beneficial results. I pledge, if elected, to establish an organization that will be free from petty policies and in which personalities play no part. I promise to establish for the exhibitors — with their co-operation — a strictly business organization that will always function in the best interests of the exhibitors, intelligently and constructively, making no promises that cannot be kept, but at all times serving the theatre owners. By MARTIN G. SMITH President, Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Ohio There will be no campaign committee to extol my virtues. Personally, I intend to spend no money to advance my candidacy, and I have requested that my friends do the same. The wolves will not. I have suggested to the members of the Ohio delegation that they not make any commitments prior to their arrival in Chicago on any matters pertaining to the convention, but instead to go into session with an open mind to decide for themselves what is best to protect their investments. And above all let us not forget "it ain't the individual, nor the army as a whole, but the everlasting team work of every blooming soul." this convention and many of -them will go to Chicago with the set purpose of getting action on this matter. 8— Credit system. Exhibitors have been active during the past few months in urging upon distributors the necessity of a credit bureau which theatre owners will seek to make a departmental branch of the national organization. 9— Public service. M. J. O'Toole, in addition to submitting his annual report on the public service division of the M. P. T. O. A., will make a number of suggestions. That the public service scope of the organization be enlarged will be one of the issues of all presidential candidates. A number of co-operative plans also will be presented. -The uniform contract. An old problem, but none the less important in so far as the exhibitors are concerned. Discussion of this question will definitely establish the relationship of the M. P. T. O. A. administration and the Hays organization. 11 -Will Hays. Just what the future at■*■ titudc of the M. P. T. O. A. toward Mr. Hays and his organization will be will be decided at this convention. To date the Cohen administration has been somewhat hostile toward Mr. Hays. However, it is believed that some sort of agreement will be effected at this convention concerning the extent of future co-operative negotiations between exhibitor and producer-distributor organizations. The foregoing are but a few of the vital issues that will come up for consideration. That a "showdown" will be demanded on all those matters is certain. The ultimate election of the next president, unless some political machinery is set to work, will depend largely upon the attitude of the various candidates on those issues. That the next president of the M. P. T. O. A. will be placed under annual salary is possible. Several resolutions are now being made and will be presented at the convention. One resolution provides that the President and General Manager devote all their time to the association at stipulated salaries. The salary of the General Manager in one resolution is fixed at $50,000. while that of the President at a like figure. The finance plan of Mr. Steffes provides for the immediate raising of a loan of $50,000 on notes payable in one year, bearing interest at the rate of six per cent. Further, he purposes to collect a tax of $10 on each theatre represented on the membership list of the M. P. T. O. A. units, payable directly to the national organization, and undertaking to secure the remainder of the necessary revenue through a system of indirect assessment such as percentage on revenue secured from distribution of the organization's official screen publication, commission on insurance premiums, etc. H. M. Richey, business manager of the Michigan organization, wired the following telegram to our chief, "Bob" Welsh: "If report is true that proposition to pay a reduced music tax is to be presented to M. P. T. O. A. at coming convention, Chicago, next week, such a move will have unstinted opposition of James C. Ritter, of Michigan, candidate for national President. "There is no compromise between right and wrong," declared Mr. Ritter, "by making ourselves a party to such an arrangement. We would be admitting tax is just and that at least a portion should be paid. Believe exhibitors of United States are demanding that law be amended or repealed and that such action should be taken by national organization through Congress to make this possible, with, of course, the 100 per cent backing of exhibitors of the country, which, I am confident, such movement would have. In many sections rate of seven and one-half cents a seat is nothing new. Entire tax unfair and should be abolished for motion picture theatres and ought to be placed where playing of taxable music is of benefit to composer and publisher instead of damaging him." President Sydney S. Cohen, Martin J. O'Toole, William A. True, Edward Fay, and many others left for Chicago Wednesday afternoon. May 17, on the Twentieth Century Limited, arriving in the municipality of winds Thursday forenoon. The Board of Directors will have, their meeting Saturday morning, when the business program will be made up. Ben Moeller, business manager of the M. P. T. O. A., has been in Chicago for two weeks completing arrangements for the Picture Progress Pageant, which will be held in conjunction with the exhibitors. Fred S. Meyers, of Hamilton, O., one of the most popular exhibitors in that live State, in a letter to "Bob" Welsh, says that he is for Al Steffes as President. He also atacks the candidacy of Mr. Ritter, charging that his "Michigan record means nothing. What the M. P. T. O. A. needs," he says, "is a 'gogetter'." The following resolution was passed bv the Board of Directors of the M. P. T. O. of Illinois Thursday, May 11, at a meeting in Chicago: "Inasmuch as a number of States have made endorsements of candidates for President of the M. P. T. O. A. and inasmuch as Illinois is one of the great important States . . . the Illinois Motion Picture Theatre Owners endorse W. A. Steffes, President of the Minnesota division, for national President, and we ask the Illinois delegation to cast its vote accordingly." The Colorado M. P. T. O. last week at a meeting passed a resolution urging the convention to act on the following matters: Repeal of the tax on admissions of 25 cents and under, repeal of music tax, definite ruling on non-theatrical exhibition, producer-theatre extension, credit rating to eliminate deposits, public service and excessive film prices. 10