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

54 : THE FILM RENTER .& MOVING PICTURE NEWS. TS HE meeting called for Tuesday last at the Bull and Royal Hotel, Preston, ‘‘ to elect officers and form a WestLaneashire Branch of the C.E.A.’’ was duly held, but although the proceedings lasted close on three hours, it was decided to leave this business to a further meeting when it was hoped there would be a more representative gathering of members, ee as In attendance at this meeting were Major A. J. Gale, O.B.E., President of the C..A., Alderman Trounson, J.P., T. H. Kaye, Chairman of the Yorkshire Branch, Fred Worswick, Chairman of the North-Western Branch, and W. Gavazzi King, General Secretary. There was a fair attendance of members, and also present were Messrs. A. Wilkinson, L. Knight, and W. H. Huish, who are identified. with the C.P.M.A. Much of the time the meeting occupied was taken up with discussion anent the P.R.S., one of the factors responsible for the breakaway of the West-Lancashire Branch from the Association, and at one period when Mr. Huish was speaking relative to this subject there threatened to be something in the nature of a breeze, but Major Gale handled a very difficult situation with tact. At the outset of the proceedings (Major Gale not having up to that period arrived) the chair was taken by Mr. Thos. Else, who was elected pro tem. chairman at a previous meeting. The President’s Speech. Mr. Else vacated the chair in favour of Major Gale on the latter’s arrival, accompanied by Mr. Gavazzi King. The President said he was delighted to be present in Preston, and also delighted to see present gentlemen who: had been connected at some time or other with the C.E.A. He had been connected with it for many years and believed that as an active member of the Council he was the only founder remaining. It had been his pleasure to attend at Manchester along with others on the Council, and he regretted the loss of officials in that area. He then went on to explain the constitution of the C.E.A., and said that as members of it they were not there for the benefit of their health but to assist cach other, to see they had fair play, and to counteract many things detrimental to their business. They were a democratic body, abiding by the rule of the majority, and he was quite sure that they in that area were prepared to accept the ruling of the majority. They were going through difficult times, he continued. When he became president he made a statement which he was going to make there and at every meeting he attended. He thought one of their difficulties was the prices they had to pay for films. They must consider this particular question and see if they could not obtain their films at more reasonable prices. Provided an exhibitor offered to pay his own price, and if he was satisfied it was a fair price, he should stick to it, and not pay a higher price in an attempt to kill the opposition. The renters were coming to realise that the liquidation of kinemas was not good for business, and the exhibitors were finding out it was not good to kill opposition. These things tended to improve the trade. On the subject of the Entertainments Tax he explained that the Association had been acting with other indoor entertainment bodies, and decided to take a certain policy. For the first time in his experience it could be said that the indoor entertainments were united on this question. He paid tribute to wonderful work by Alderman. Trounson in this. connection. He didn’t know what was going to happen. but hoped they would get something. If they did it would be because, as far as possible, they had had: unity on that particular subject. Referring to the contract he said that to-day they were in the position that they had not got one which had been adopted by the various Associations. They were hoping, however, to form a Trade Council to represent the several sections of the trade to deal with the various matters which affected the trade, and in this connection he mentioned matters of litigation and difficulties with licensing authorites. Many of these could be altered if they could go along and say they had the backing April 28, 1923. | | of an Association which represented the whole country. They wanted unity as far as possible. He could assure them that if they were represented on the Council they would receive the same treatment as any other branch. No body, party, or clique could dominate the Association. Alderman Trounson and the Tax. “Alderman Trounson spoke after the president. He said time had been a great healing factor, and was glad to say that during {he last six months the Association had become more solidified than ever in its history, and one factor in this had been the free lance discussion. It was a stronger body numerically, and also from points of sentiment since he began his connection with it. As one phase of unity he explained the co-operation between the theatres and the kinemas on the subject of the tax, and referring to paragraphs in the newspapers which stated the tax would be removed to benefit the kinemas only, which might convey a wrong impression to their co-workers, wanted to say that they had not inspired those paragraphs. They had no desire to prove unfaithful to those who had helped in a great cause. They, as kinema men, appreciated the sacrifices which the theatre people were prepared to make in this matter. It had been a personal regret to him that men whom he had worked with should find the occasion arise to temporarily (he was sure it was only temporarily) cut themselves adrift from the Association. He would like to say that there was no Trade Union in Great Britain which could show a maintenance of members like the C.E.A. could. He hoped the results of that gathering would be that they would have all their friends back as heretofore. In conclusion, he appealed to those present not to relax their efforts in connection with the Entertainments Tax, und to keep in close touch with their M.P. National Body Essential. Mr. Kaye followed, and remarked that he thought he was the only representative present from Yorkshire. He wanted to assure them of the sympathy of Yorkshire in any movement they established now. He had been a member of the Council for more than thre¢ years, and, undoubtedly, but for the Council the status of the industry would be far worse than it is to-day. They were not a perfect body, however, and breakaways didn’t, or wouldn’t, surprise him. What was good for the North was not alwavs good for the South, and vice versa. Kiven breakaways, however, were useful in many ways. They made the Council think more deeply of the various points of view of branches, and the branches go more into matters and realise there are things they can do for themselves. Still, there were things that the C.I.A. only as a National body could accomplish, and it was essential there should be a National body dealing with these matters. ; ~ West Lancs. Exhib Important Meeting New B VITAL TRADE MA (From our own | |