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

EDITORIAL.
EiOR 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 a new tax up
on the poor mans theater, the movie
With every motion picture theater
in the state already burdened to the
limit with taxes, amounting to hun
dreds of dollars per year for even the
smallest, and the public taxed 10 per
cent in addition, proposal comes up
IN the state senate to put another tax
of 5 per cent on gross receipts Of
amusement houses.
The motion picture as a form of
amusement is no longer a luxury.
The movie house is every mans
theater, where he may be amused,
educated, uplifted, and see something
of the rest of the world, for a small
sum, sum which he can afford. 1t
has 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 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 tax
of per cent on admission fees to all
so-called forms of amusement in the
state of Georgia, be working a heavy,
unnecessary, and, in many instances
fatal, hardship upon Georgia indus
try and enterprise.
Not only do We think taxation
of grand opera and CEautauqua en-
terprises largely philanthropic in
their nature and conducted for the
education and illumination of the
pubic-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 business at present en-
ploying thousands of people and dis
tributing daily throughout the state
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 Oh
an ad valorem basis and paying II
censes everywhere. They not only
have not made any money at all in
the last few months, but 80 per cent
of them have lost heavily-and are
losing heavily now.
ITO increase their burden inevita-
bly, will mean the closing of. the doors
of great many of the picture
houses.
ego far as the city of Atlanta is
.concerned-as much as il
thinks it deserves praise and com
mendation for its unselfish establish
ment and support of the grand opera
seasons, and as wholly wrong in the
DRY as it thinks it would be to place
a tax upon the same-The Georgian
and Sunday American feels very sur,
that Atlanta would far rather pay
a tax on grand opera than to see this
wholly unjustifable and unreasona
Bile tax of per cent placed upon tht
moving picture business and the so
raIlads ap,ticapaap+ ap+o7s,,risn,