Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-08-08

National Advertising Representatives, FROST
lands & KOHN, Brunswick Bldg, New York
Peoples Gas Bldg, Chicago.
EDITORIAL.
E,'0R foolish and unjust proposals
no place appears to surpass the
Georgia legislature. On the heels of
the effort to tax grand opera out of
existence in Georgia grand opera
which is maintained purely in the in
terests of education and art-comes
the proposition to heap new tax up
on the poor mans 1heater, the movie.
With every motion picture theater
in the state already burdened to the
limit with taxes, amounting to hum
dreds of dollars per year for even the
smallest, and the public taxed ! 0 per
cent in addition, a proposal comes up
in the state senate to put another tax
of~5 per cent on gross receipts Of
amusement houses.
Tbs motion picture as a form of
amusef&ast is no longer a luxury
The MOVIE house is every mans
theater, Where he may be amused,
edsuplifted, and see something
of the MIST of the world, for a small
(, suntSa sum which he can afford. 1t
lNhas2 become a great factor in his life,
factor that helps take away the
hum-drum of existence as it once
was when all work and no relaxation
or play made life for Jack dull But
with taxes piled up SO that it costs
much more than it once did to visit
the movies, the legislature comes
to the front with a new tax that
would tend to take away from many
a poor man and his family what little
fun there is left in life for them in
these uncertain times,
THE Atlanta Georgian sees the pro-
posal in a bit different light, and
one that is important, viewing it from
the aspect of disastrous effect on an
important industry in Georgia. The
Georgian is entirely right in its con
illusions when it says:
'"The Georgian and Sunday Ameri-
can is most sincerely of the opinion
that the Legislature will, if it adj
heres to its present proposal of a tax
of 5 per cent ON admission fees to all
so-called forms of amusement in the
state of Georgia, be working a heavy,
unnecessary, ana, in many Instances
fatal, hardship anon Georgia indus
try and enterprise
Not only do Ne think taxation
of grand opera ard CEautauqu& en-
terprises- largely philanthropie in
their nature and conducted for the
education and illumination of the
public wrong in theory and practice,
but we know that the moving picture
industry, to cite one large business
activity in Georgia, is utterly and en-
tirely unable to exist, even in its
present handicapped and crippled
condition, if an additional burden is
put upon it.
If this tax is insisted upon, it will
reach out into the remotest corners of
the state and interfere in the carry
ing on Of a business at present EN-
ploying thousands Of people and dis
fributing daily throughout the state a
great deal Of money by way of wages
and pay to employees.
THE moving picture industry and
its owners in Georgia already are car
rying their full burden of taxation on
an ad valorem basis and paying Ii
censes everywhere. They not only
have not made any money at all ii
the last few months, but 90 per CEN
of them have lost heayily-and ar,
losing heavily now.
''To increase their burden inevita
bly, will mean the closing Of the door
of a great many of the pictur,
houses.
ego far as the city of Atlanta i
concerned-as much as
thinks it deserves praise and com
mendation for its unselfsh establish
ment and support Of the grand oper
seasons, and as wholly wrong in the
DRY as it thinks it would be to plac
q tax upon the same-The Georgia
and Sunday American feels very sur
that Atlanta would far rather pa
tax on grand opera than to see thi
wholly unjustifable and unreasona
bic tax Of 5 per cent placed upon tn
moving picture business and the sc
called amusement enterprise
throughout the state
''We shall not build up our stat
by tearing down its industries any
where