Publix Opinion (May 16, 1930)

PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF MAY 1l6ru, 1930 SECOND SESSION ROUSES ENTHUSIASM CAUTION BRINGS REDUCTION Screen Influence MR. CHATKIN SAYS RESULTS © OF INSURANCE COSTS AND EFFECTS DEFINITE SAVINGS Insurance costs are classified as fixed charges, but they are by no means fixed, district managers at the home office session were told by Henry Anderson, Paramount Publix insurance department head. They are constantly being lowered, as a result of activity in both home office and the field. » The types of insurance which a large corporation should carry are decidedly limited. The problem of a large corporation is entirely different from that of an individual, While an individual might well be justified in insuring every plate of glass in his premises, carrying insurance against the cracking of his boilers, against rain, against the burning out of ‘electric motors, and some of these forms of insurance might still be proper for the smaller single eorporation operating ; H. Anderson 2 in.a single city, the large corpor ation should not insure against minor risks of this nature, the accepted purpose of insurance being to indemnify us against losses which cannot be sustained without financial hardship. Cost Controlled The insurance department can, therefore, control the insurance cost by making an _ intelligent study of the losses and deciding which type of losses should and which should not be covered :by insurance. Many thousands of dollars might trickle away by failure to watch this sort of expense, small in the individual case but large in the aggregate. There are certain forms of insurance, such as boiler insurance and elevator insurance which many large corporations carry, not because they need the insurance itself, but because at a moderate price they get the benefit of inspections by experts in the employ of insurance companies. These inspections have proved helpful to us in many cases where men of this type: have found defects which we could not reasonably expect our own employees to detect. Experience Basis Certain forms of insurance, such as compensation insurance and safe burglary and holdup insurance are written on what is known as an experience basis. If the experience is good, the rate is low. If it is bad, the rate is raised in proportion. In some cases, our experience has allowed us to obtain credits of 60 per cent or more. In other cases, we have been charged over 100 per cent more than standard rates. The costs of insurance of this type are entirely within the control of the management. Care, proper operation, prevention of losses by each manager may mean many thousands of dollars saved to the Company. One serious accident may affect our insurance cost very substantially. As to fire insurance, the cost is within certain limits very definitely under our control. The fire insurance rating schedules provide for charges for certain defects and credits for certain superior conditions. We are sometimes charged a substantial sum in our insurance rates for failure to keep our extinguishers filled. A charge is sometimes introduced for defective housekeeping, not always in our premises but those of our tenants as well. Failure to keep fire doors or motion picture booth devices and other fire equipment in operating condition may also increase our rates. Saving of $7,000 We had one recent interesting example at the Codman Square Theatre, Dorchester, Massachusetts. Certain alterations costing $750 and ‘including the installation of automatic sprinklers in the basement of the store of one of our tenants resulted in a saving in insurance costs of $7,000 in three years. In the past few weeks, a fire occurred during the night in the basement of one our tenants and was extinguished by one of the sprinklers which we installed. Anderson pointed out that while the insurance companies are very prompt in increasing the rates for defective conditions, they are not so alert as to reducing the rates and the manager should, therefore, let the insurance department know of any improvements which it thinks might affect the rate favWe had an example of orably. this recently in Minnesota where one of the theatres was complete ly gone over and the insurance rate reduced from $4.25 to .27. Our Public Liability policies insure us against our liability to the public only but do not provide accident insurance for the person who is unfortunate enough to trip or fall in one of our theatres. Liability. Cases It should be clearly understood that in practically all cases we have little actual responsibility, for we have no doubt taken every reasonable precaution in the way of: providing lights, proper carpets, etc., and the person who tripped in our theatre might equally well have fallen on the street, in the home or elsewhere. Dwelling on public liability cases, Anderson stated that all policies require prompt notifi| cation that accidents have occurred. Failure to report same may void the policy. No accident is too trivial to be reported. ‘Trivial accidents may have serious developments, and. often give rise to fake cases. When the patron is injured, according to Anderson, under our policies we may offer first aid and if necessary, a physician for the moment only. Transportation to hospital or home is within managers’ discretion, but we must not obligate ourselves further as to the injured person, physicians or hospitals. The managers’ procedure when approached for redress should be to state that the matter has been turned over to the insurance company, giving address of nearest agency. There is no occasion for further discussion or correspondence, save to acknowledge letters courteously and state that they have been forwarded to the insurance company. Safeguarding Cash Safe burglary policies, Anderson stated, cover opening of safes by force and:violence. We are not covered if money is placed in the safe, but not within the inner chest, nor if it is removed by manipulation of the combination. The type of safe now standard cannot be manipulated. Combinations should never be written, should be changed frequently, and known to as few persons as )DOSsible. . Use of night depositories was discussed, and Anderson asked for intelligent co-operation in discouraging holdups. Anyone stepping into a position of trust with this company is automatically bonded, Anderson said. If the assignment is to be permanent, bond application must be Milliken Ex-Governor Oak E. Milliken of Maine, now associated with the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, addressed a special meeting of the District Managers’ Session last week. The usual basis of objection to pictures, Governor Milliken said, is that programs are not suitable for children. The reaction is emotional, not logical, and the objecting parent does not consider his own responsibility of selection. “There is, however,’ the Goyernor said, ‘‘an increasing consciousness that there is more to this than the matter of good and bad pictures. Communities are coming to a realization of their own responsibility for selection and encouragement of good pictures.” There is in each neighborhood or community, he said, a potential group interested in good pictures, but these groups must find out about good pictures before they come to town. Previews everywhere are impractical, and what is needed is a system to provide each group with an opinion of a picture, an opinion which would be like their own were they to see the picture in advance. The International Federation of Catholic Alumnae, Governor Milliken said, was the first organization to realize this and arrange previews, ‘furnishing its members with lists of pictures approved. Since inception of its activity eight years ago, seven other organizations, including the American Federation of Women’s Clubs, have adopted similar plans. Preview group of the Catholic Alumnae now supplies lists of pictures approved for children, and pictures approved for adults but not for children, to 7,000 groups of people all over the world. Lists are broadcast over nine radio stations, as well. List of pictures not approved, with reasons, is furnished the .M. P. P. D. A. only, for guidance of producers. This is good advertising for pictures, Governor Milliken said, because it is disinterested advertising. The industry does two things only; it provides facilities on the coast and in the East for previews, and circulates the opinions and lists issued. Preview activities of these organizations, he said, are an attempt to organize word-of mouth advertising of good pictures on a national scale. There are three ways of reaping the benefits of this publicity, Governor Milliken said; getting behind endorsed pictures, booking suitable pictures for the days children usually attend theatres, and arranging special children’s matinees. Latter can best be done with the cooperation of interested local groups. Utilization of these aids in developing juvenile patronage, with accompanying adult patronage, is important, Governor Milliken said, because these children are our adult patrons of tomorrow. made. Insurance covering damage to patrons’ clothing is not carried, and adjustments are within managers’ discretion. Where injury of any sort accompanies such damage, even if only a scratch, it becomes a liability case. ‘ When. purchase of a company car is made, the insurance department should be notified, giving engine number, make, model and purchase price. Public liability insurance is carried on company ears. Anderson stated that the company is automatically protected against public liability when ears are hired, used by employees or borrowed, but that the owner of the car is not. On tie-up involving cars, Publix is protected but the dealer is not. Discussed by OF HOME OFFICE CONFERENCE ARE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL Field executives attending the Second District Managers’ Session were speeded on their way to their respective territories by Mr. David J. Chatkin, who attended the final ia of the session. “Home office executives have talked to you continuously for two weeks, ” Mr. Chatkin told them, “so I am going to reverse the order of things at this meeting, and let you do most of the talking. “T do not believe that it is possible for me to add anything to what has been said, but I would like to hear from each of and learn Much Enthusiasm District man “session, and occupied the better part of two hours in discus sing with Messrs. Chatkin and Barry its results and their plans for applying its benefits to their theatres. Following expression of their individual reactions, Mr. Chatkin detailed plans for future series of conferences with home 200 BRENKERT COMBINATIONS _ AVAILABLE Projection department now has in stock about 200 positive and negative effect designs for use in the Brenkert F-7, Harry Rubin told the district managers’ group last week. Advice sheets on new designs are sent regularly to division, district and theatre managers, and a catalog of the entire list may be obtained on request. Where magnascopic screens are not installed, Rubin suggested use of a draw curtain which will take projection of effects. He pointed out successful use of effects on scrim, with live talent. In order to rehearse effects in advance, without ‘disturbing setup of the current show, he suggested. rehearsal for colors only, not registration, knowing that the latter can be secured later. Magnascope, Rubin said, is intended to create an illusion of spaciousness by a gradual enlargement of the picture. If titles or close-ups in a newsreel, for instance, are used on the big screen, it will destroy this illusion. Long shots should be selected whenever possible. New remote control for magnascope screens, which permits operation from the booth in all-sound houses without stage hands, was discussed. “Most of this meeting has been devoted to effects,’’ Rubin said, “but effects only dress up a show. The main thing is the proper projection and sound reproduction of the show itself. Orderliness and cleanliness in the booth not only improve sound reproduction, but make emergency repairs quicker and easier, too. Dirt can be heard now as well as seen, if it is tol D. J. Chatkin office department heads. By the end of this year, he stated, all district managers will have been. afforded the opportuninty to broaden their knowledge of the organization by spending two weeks at similar sessions in New York. “In these sessions with you men, we too learn many things about which we should be thinking,”’ Mr, Chatkin said. ‘“‘These meetings are bringing the home office closer to the field as well as the field closer to the home office. They are bound to result in a more perfect understanding of mutual problems. New Viewpoints ‘As you enter one of your theatres now, I am sure you are going to look at it from an entirely dif— ferent viewpoint. You are even going to see some things which are wrong and which you formerly thought were right. “I feel that you are going to approach your jobs as they relate to each town in a definitely organized manner. I know that this will influence your managers to approach their jobs in the same manner. When you have accomplished that, you can rightfully claim that you are developing manpower. Your orderly approach to your own jobs will develop your men towards systematic ‘organization of the details to which they must attend, About Manpower “We are looking to you men to develop other men in your territories who ean step in and take over your jobs at any time. The only way you can do this is to constantly impart every possible bit of information:to:them. Development of our manpower comes first and foremost, for without this development our company cannot erow. “It gives every one of us in the home office sincere satisfaction to see a man advance to a more important position. And because of the better knowledge you have gained of our organization, I am sure you rejoice with me in the fact that Publix promotes from within its ranks. No outsider will ever step into a responsible position with Publix, without first becoming one of.us by steady progress through the ranks.” Audience Dances at a Texarkana Premiere A premiere characterized as “Texarkana’s Biggest Party’ climaxed the campaign on “The Vagabond King” at the Saenger, Texarkana, Texas. Manager E. A. Booth arranged a prologue, utilizing local talent, and gave a dance | on the stage at the conclusion of the showing. erated in projection rooms.” Rubin stressed the importance of systematizing and organizing individual projectionists’ duties, On Wednesday morning the district managers attended a twohour demonstration of effects in the Paramount Theatre. Put on by Harry Rubin and Jesse Hopkins, it included use of positive and negative slides with feature © openings, trailers, organ solos, short subjects and feature sequences. Proper utilization of magnascope for newsreels and fea-. ture sequences was illustrated as well. Thirty-five students of the Mabe ager’s Training School also took in the demonstration.