The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

March 10, 1923. THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. ii MR. T. HERBERT KAYE’S COMPLAINT. C.E.A. Vice-Presidential Election Leads to an Interesting YORKSHIRE CRITICS R. T. HERBERT KAYE was unable to attend the March meeting of the Leeds Branch of the C.E.A., and s0 Mr. Arthur Cunningham, as vice-chairman, occupied the chair. Mr. Kaye, however, sent the following letter : ‘* The members at Leeds will no doubt deeply regret with me the result of the polling for vice-president. I think the figures I received were 185 votes, which was the lowest of the whole lot. This is largely due to two or three reasons. One is that I have undoubtedly been damaged very much through a misunderstanding, and by peuple to whom we ought to have looked for support. If the vote had to be taken to-morrow the results would be very different, but the matter is now at an end, and’I do not desire to go further into it except to say that I consider the fact that a large number of voting papers were sent out before the lega! time, and before I had an opportunity of issuing my election address, undoubtedly prejudiced my chances of being elected. ‘* The thing which troubles me most about it, however, is that less than 900 votes were recorded. This is a very small proportion, and makes one wonder whether, in view.of the fact that exhibitors will not take the trouble to vote, it is worth while spending one’s time doing the work for them in London as the delegates have done these last few years.” The Chairman expressed his regret that Mr. Kaye had not been elected, and his surprise that he had received such a small number of votes, but he knew by experience that the Association was capable of some very strange things. C.E.A.’s Lack of Cohesion. Mr. J. F. Martin (Rothwell) said it seemed to him to emphasise what had long been in his own mind, viz., the loose way in which everything was done in the C.E.A. The Association was not going to be a success unless the members worked together loyally. If they would do that there was no doubt they could be one of the most powerful organised bodies in the whole of the kingdom. Mr. Kaye had complained of getting such a few votes—as a matter of fact he hadn’t received much above a quarter of the votes in Yorkshire alone, let alone other parts of the country—and it seemed to him that if members of the Association wouldn’t take any interest in the selection of their principal officers, there was something radically wrong with the Association. Mr. Martin suggested that a circular letter should be sent to all members in Yorkshire with a view to trying to ascertain what was the matter. He was quite sure that unless they did something of the sort they were going to be in a serious hole. Instead of hanging together, tie Association seemed to him to be distinguished for its lack of cohesion. — Even the Exchange in Leeds was suffering, and not getting anything like the number of trade shows which it ought to have. Exhibitors who went outside for trade shows were not merely robbing themselves as members of the Exchange, but they were assisting the renters to charge higher prices for the films. If Discussion. OF C.E.A. METHODS. they would not work for their own good and help one another, then the sooner the thing was ended the better. It might be a good idea to send out a questionnaire to all members, to tell them that one of the delegates to the General Council would be in attendance at the Exchange in Leeds at least one day per week to discuss matters with them. He was quite sure from his own knowledge that there was dissatisfaction with the C.E.A. A member of the trade recently said to him, ‘* What is the good of the C.E.A.? It never was any good, and you can’t make it so.’’ Well, he disagreed with that opinion. He was quite sure they could make it a sound organisation, but, of course, before that could be done they must get their members thoroughly interested. (Applause.) Axes to Grind. | The Chairman said that it was no new thing that Mr. Martin had complained of; he had seen it for a great many years. As regarded the election of president or vice-president, they usually found there were a great many people with axes to grind, and too often it became a case of ‘* you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.’’ It was undoubtedly the fact that the more straightforward a man was in the C.E.A., the more hatred he would rouse against himself. Personally he was at the moment more particularly interested in the Entertainments Tax, and it seemed to him that if members of the organisation could not be unanimous on that subject it was a great pity. He thought that the suggested Yorkshire Council would be a step in the right direction towards securing greater interest in the C.E.A. and a greater measure of loyalty. Mr. Martin said he had by no means lost faith in the possibilities of the Association. He could clearly see that it could be made really useful and powerful, but at present they were merely frittering away their strength and wasting their energy, and in his opinion there never was a time when there was greater need that they should ke strong and united. A Very Old Trouble. Mr. Jesson (Penistone) said it was a very old trouble. When times were good they didn’t trouble much because they thought that when trade got bad people would soon come in and support the organisation. Times were bad enough now, but still they didn’t come. He thought that they ought to have a conference at least twice a year of all members throughout Yorkshire. The Chairman said he thought that as soon as exhibitors felt chey were in trouble they would display a much more active cnterest in the organisation. Regarding the election for president and vice-president, he was personally strongly opposed to the method of election. To have a contest between three men, all ostensibly pulling in the same boat, wasn’t a good thing. They were supposed to be quite friendly, but personally he did not see how they could be, and he didn’t believe that they were. They ought to select the best possible man to be president, and not put him to the ordeal of a vulgar contest. He knew quite good men in the C.E.A. who had refused to submit themselves to such a thing.