Reel Life (1916-1917)

FREULER ON THEATRE WAR TAX ■ '^HE war tax measure now before Congress, proposing a tax of 10 per cent on tickets of admission for theatres is, in my opinion, likely to work an un¬ just burden upon the public and the picture industry,” said President John R. Freuler of the Mutual Film Corporation, discussing war legislation at his Chicago office. “At this distance I am not sufficiently informed of the conceptions which actuate the statesmen who drafted this measure to analyze them with assurance. “It seems, however, probable that they conceive the motion picture business to be infinitely more profitable than it really is, in all its branches. I am sure that if they had the real truth before them they would find that a tax of 10 per cent is more than most motion pic¬ ture theatres can bear and yet pay a reasonable profit. “It is my hope and under¬ standing that the purpose of the Congress is not to put any¬ body out of business, but simply to raise war revenue. That being true, I fear that the 10 per cent motion picture thea¬ tre admission tax will fail of its purpose and at the same time strike a serious blow at the most wholesome, lowpriced popular pastime of the people. “I must again turn back to my often repeated declaration that the motion picture is simply a form of publication, an expression of the press, a form of thought transmission, using pictures instead of print¬ ed words. It has long been a Why pick on pictures? Mutual president calls Ten per cent levy unjust theory of the people of these United States that the press was an important public serv¬ ant. Everything possible in the earlier history of our coun¬ try was done to encourage a free press, to encourage the dis¬ semination of news and infor¬ mation as the part of the edu¬ cation of a free people. “It is too often argued that the motion picture is purely an entertainment — it is practically always so treated by the gov¬ ernments, city, state and na¬ tional. It is no more entirely a medium of entertainment than the typical newspaper with its funny columns, its comic cartoons and advice to the lovelorn. “The motion picture serves the people and their govern¬ ment. It should not be a target for every ‘get-the-money’ movement in state and nation. The picture’s rights demand a degree of appreciation and con¬ servation. “I am sure that I am as pa¬ triotic and sincerely in support of the government as any citi¬ zen may be, but I am sure that the government may well con¬ sider a somewhat lighter tax upon the motion picture thea¬ tre, if proportionate justice is to be had.” CONVICT “FILM PIRATE” One more young man looking for easy money says “Howdy” to Judge mmm /AY M \ m* SjsS&m? N O T H E R “film pirate” has been taken in Mutual’s net. Herman Abramovitz, alias Herman Abrams, was convicted be¬ fore Judge Robert E. Crowe, in the criminal court in Chicago May 2, on a charge of film piracy preferred by the Mutual Film Corporation, for having re¬ ceived and sold three stolen Charlie Chaplin comedies. “The Count,” “The Vagabond” and “The Fireman.” These films were abstracted from the vaults of the corpo¬ ration in Chicago last Septem¬ ber and disposed of by Abram¬ ovitz to a film dealer in Omaha, who sold them to McLean and Walters, proprietors of the Ly¬ ric Theatre in Sioux City, la. The property was recovered in October by E. W. Stoddard, assistant general counsel of the Mutual, at Sioux City. Abrams was arrested and bound over to the Cook County grand jury, which indicted him. The campaign against film thieves, launched by the Mutual several months ago, has al¬ ready resulted in several im¬ portant convictions, and the indictment by the federal grand jury of George E. Bran¬ denburg, a former Philadelphia alderman, as well as the convic¬ tion and sentence of Louis Chatteau and other minor offenders who have been har¬ assing the motion picture in¬ dustry. The Mutual has perfected an investigation organization cov¬ ering the entire country which now has in preparation several other important piracy prose¬ cutions. REEL LIFE — Page One