The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Jan-Feb 1923)

January 27, 1923. THE FILM RENTER é& MOVING PICTURE NEWS. 7 Choose the Best Man. in the Exhibitors’ Association circles at the moment is the question of the Presidency and Vice-Presidency for the ensuing year. With regard to the Presidency there is, indeed, little to be said, as Alderman Trounson, having very rightly declined to be nominated for a further term of office, the incoming President will automatically be Mr. A. J. Gale, who will make a very worthy head of the Association. Mr. Gale has the peculiar advantage of being an excellent business man, and can be relied upon to state the case for the Association with a clarity of viewpoint which is admirable. He is likely to make a very sound President, and the members of the C.E.A. are to be congratulated upon their selection. Bearing in mind the arrangement arrived at a year ago that the Vice-President automatically becomes President for the following year, the contest for this position is of great importance to exhibitors to-day. So far as can be ascertained there are five nominations. They are Mr. J. H. Dovenor, Mr. IT. Herbert Kaye, Mr. F. E. Adams, Mr. H. V. Davis, and Mr. T. Ormiston. With five such well-known personalities to choose from members of the C.E.A. have no mean task before them. The contest will, I imagine, narrow itself down to three of the above-named gentlemen, a8 Mr. Ormiston, who is nominated by the Scottish branch, -will inevitably lose a certain amount of support owing to his having renting interests. Mr. Ormiston is a very capable man, and has very sound opinions, which are listened to in the General Council with great respect, but it is idle to deny the fact that exhibitors to-day would prefer their Vice-President to be a man who has no direct interest in any renting concern. Mr. F. E. Adams may not be prepared to stand, even if he is nominated, but in any case it is doubtful if he would be supported to any appreciable extent, as his impulsive nature hardly befits him for the dignified position of eventual President of the Association. O NE of the most important matters looming large. The contest will, therefore, I imagine, narrow down to either one of the three following gentlemen, viz., Mr. Dovenor, Mr. Kaye, or Mr. H. V. Davis being elected, and, after very careful consideration, I cannot imagine any better choice than Mr. Dovenor, the chairman of the Liverpool branch. Mr. J. H. Dovenor is a Lancashire man who has a sound and very substantial stake in the business. He has been chairman and delegate of his branch for many years, and has never missed a meeting. He is a man who never seeks the limelight, but who is passionately wrapped up in the welfare of the kinematograph industry, and never loses an opportunity of putting every effort forward in its defence. The Liverpool branch under his chairmanship have accomplished wonderful work. ‘hey have no meddling interference from municipal authorities, but if there is any encroachment upon their licences Mr. Dovenor and his colleagues are now in a position whereby they meet the local Watch Committee and police, and thrash the matter out before it ever gets into public. Mr. J. H. Dovenor has a very big stake in this business. He is a director of no fewer than ten picture houses, and kas no interest in any shape or form in any renting concern. His work on behalf of the abolition of the tax has been excellent, because . it has been admirably restrained, and members of Parliament with whom he has come in touch have recognised the soundness of his arguments, and also that he is a business man who does not exaggerate. He states plain facts, and is prepared to substantiate everything he says. It would be difficult to find a better man for the vicepresidency than Mr. J. H. Dovenor, and exhibitors can with confidence vote for his election, knowing full well that in placing him in such an onerous position they are putting in a man who can command the respect of every governing authority with whom he is brought into touch. ‘A great deal of the work of the C.E.A. during the next year will involve conferénces with men in high positions in Government circles, and for that purpose it is far better to be represented by a man who, whilst not attempting to shine as an orator, can convince the powersthat-be with plain business facts that are unassailable. Mr. T. Herbert Kaye and Mr. H. V. Davis are both worthy of the consideration of exhibitors in this country, but it is not belittling. either of these gentlemen to say that neither has the same personal stake in the business as Mr. Dovenor, nor is eitner likely to make as good a president as would the Liverpool representative. Mr. H. V. Davis is an excellent orator, and in that respect he soars far and away above any other delegate to the C.K.A., but, after all, do we need wonderful oratory? I have listened on many -occasions to the silver-toned oratcr from South Wales, but I am still convinced that when. it comes down to a real conference where plain and straightforward business only is to be discussed, then a solid man of Mr. Dovenor’s standing would achieve a great deal more and win far bigger victories for this trade than would the elect of South Wales. Mr. Kaye is somewhat akin to Mr. Dovenor, inasmuch as he has a big interest in the exhibiting side of this industry, and his ability on the General Council is well known. The task of selection is not an easy one, and exhibitors should ponder well before they finally come to a decision. It is to be hoped that each of the candidates for election will lose no opportunity in putting forward their program, and showing what they are prepared to do in the ensuing year. There are many grave and vital issues to be tackled. At the present moment the one great question is the removal of the tax, but that is likely to be settled one way or the other within a month or two at most. There are other equally important matters, such as the adoption of a real business contract which will remove a great deal of bad feeling now existing towards renters. The new vice-president can be a tower of strength if he so proposes, and it would help exhibitors greatly if each of the nominated candidates were to issue a kind of electicn address, putting forward in business terms exactly what they consider should be done if they were ultimately elected. ao on