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

Pla a Bee April 28, 1923. it and the Tax. iReltef for Pubs., None jor i Fatlure to Stir Public tl a Efope.” Our Own Correspondents.) — — The exhibitor in question, Mr. F. G. W. Chamberlain, suggested that they should try to arouse the interest of the public by using two separate tickets, one for the amount of the tax and the other for the amount of the admission charge. This would bring home to the public how much they were paying in taxes. Under the present conditions they paid a certain sum for a seat, and thoy did not know what proportion was for admission and what for tax. He maintained that if they did know they would take a greater interest in the matter. It was put forward at a meeting held in Bristol before the last election to consider the methods to be adopted for the hew campaign, but was turned down as being too cumbersome. DEVON AND CORNWALL. The recent meeting of the Devon and Cornwall C.E.A. (held at Plymouth) discussed the question of the Entertainments Tax, Harry: Harcourt giving a résumé of the proceedings of the General Council and the Joint Entertainments Tax Committee, Whose meetings he had attended. He pointed out that the whole entertainments industry was united in their attempt to obtain concessions. The Labour Party were to move an amendment to the Finanec Bill in favour of abolition of the tax, but it was felt that this could not be sucecssful this year. They therefore decided to concentrate on the amendment moved last year by Sir Walter de Frece, and which would entuil a concession by the Chancellor of £2,000,000. He had, however, budgeted for a surplus cl £1,800,000, and they maintained that the hard hit entertainments industry’ was cntitled to that. He gathered that the feeling in the House was that there was a likelihood of this going through, Major Ellis, who has kinemas at Paignton, Tiverton, and Bovey Traccy, agreed that it was hopeless to continue to agitate for total abolition, As long as they did that they would get nothing. They would have to procced by stages. It was singular that the Government had taken the duty ott minerals, the whole of which could go into the pockets of the manufacturers, whereas to a large extent the public would benefit by the abolition of the Entertainments Tax. It was stated on pretty good authority that the Chancellor had arranged for a revision of the Entertainments Tax down to a week or so before the introduction of the Budget. It was an intcresting subject of speculation what made him alter his plans. THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. 9 R. C. Eady, Plymouth, argued that there was a big difference between the cases cf beer and the kinema. If they took the published figures of the brewing trade they would find they were doing one-seventh of the amount of trade and making oneseventh more profit than they did before the war. That meant that their overhead expenses in producing one-seventh the amount of beer must be only one-seventh of pre-war cost. On the other hand, the kinemas were paying more for their films, more in rates and taxes, more for their electric light, more for their labour and printing, while they were taking less money than in 1914. Yet the Government had taken a penny off some thing that was making a greater profit on a reduced output, while the kincmas, which had to meet all these extra expenses on a smaller income, got nothing. In reply to questicns, Harry Harcourt said the revenue from the Entcrtainments Tax last year was more than was estimated for in the Budget, but that was largely accounted for by increased receipts from football and other outdoor sports and amusements. The fact that it did not come from the kinemas was proved by the decreased revenue in all their balance sheets, If their revenue had been up it would have been shown in their returns of Entertainments Tax. The Secretary, C. H. Rundle, emphasised that the tax had shown a decline for the past two or three years. The increase on the estimated yield was not an actual increase on the yield of the preceding year. They had also to take into consideration the fact that the tax revenue was down the preceding year because during the long period of the miners’ strike the kinemas were open only during certain hours of the .day, and, consequently, the business done was small and the tax down proportionately. Several Devon and Cornwall M.P.’s were reported to have promised their support of a revision of the tax, and the following resolution, moved by R. C. Kady, seconded by J. Binmoré, and supported by W. Farrant Gilley, Torquay, was carried unanimously : ‘‘ That the Devon and Cornwall Branch desire to accord to the Joint Entertainments Tax Committee their very erateful thanks for the work done in endeavouring to obtain some remission of the tax, and in whatever course the Committee choose to adopt in future they have the fullest support of this braneh.’’ This resolution was telegraphed to the general secretary. NEWCASTLE. The Entertainments Tax is hampering the exhibitors considerubly, and the hard times are also having a bad effect on the takings of some of the houses in the territory. One gentleman stated that in some districts the showmen were preparing to close down for the summer rather than face the struggle it would be necessary for them to make even if the Entertainments Tax was removed. AN M.P.’s VIEW. Speaking on the subject of the Budget to his constituents in Macclesfield, Mr. J. R. Remer, M.P., said that he felt very stronely that the Entertainments Tax on all sixpenny seats and under should be abolished. He did not think this would cost the Treasury very much, and it would provide clicaper’ seats, largely occupied by the working ciasses, with some relief,