The New York herald., 1922-04-23
Exhibitors Deny
$4,000 Job Offer
and Criticize Hays
Say Senator Walker Will Not
,f Be President and Decry
Politics.

State Senator James J. Walker will
mo- be the national president OF the
Motion Picture Theater Owners of Amer
lea at $4,000 year. according to an an
nouncement yesterday OF the executive
committee OF the organization. pub
lication to the effect that the offer OF
the presidency had been made to the
Senator and that he had said he would
accept IL the salary was $4,000 brought
an emphatic denial from the offices OF
the organization at 1899 Broadway, in
which the engaging Of VIII Hays by the
Motion Picture Producers and ,Distribu-
tors Association at a salary OF $150000
a year-or is 1t 100000 as recently re-
ported--is condemned ana the charge
made that his appointment was for po-
litical purposes.
The basis OF the report of Senator
Walkers selection for the post was a
meeting of representatives of the Motion
Picture Theater Owners of America at
the Ritz-Carlton last Thursday night, at
which it was said Marcus Loew sug-
gested Walker for the post, that Hays
indorsed the proposal. and that Walker
averred he would accept.
The following statement was given
out last night by the executive com
Owners of America:
Senator Walker was not offered the
presidency of the Motion Pisture The
ater Owners of America by any person
or persons authorized to make such an
offer, as the only way the national pres
ident OF the organization can be elected
is by the delegates to the national con-
vention," runs the official statement.
1T is utterly absurd to assume that any
H. .~ff tIa acfH fHnVn nr
become the president of the Motion Pic
ture Theater Owners of America in any
other way
The announced payment OF s1o0000
a year to Will II. Hays by some pro-
ducers brought upon our etnire industry
the deserved censure of leading United
States Senators and members of Con-
gress. These national legislators were
about convinced by theater owners
pleas of the unjust character of the tax
levies upon our business. when suddenly
they had the red flag Of salary twice
that paid to the President of the United
States flashed before them. They re-
sented 1t and since then our Washing
ton representatives have been busy ex-
planning to our national lawmakers that
Mr.. Hays represented only producer
elements and that the theGter owners
were no part of the group engaging
him. had no connection or relations
with him. and were i'm no sense parties
to the payment of his inflated salary:
save that il would be eventually gouged
out of them by high prices for pictures
II the producers want to hire pro-
fessional politician to run their affairs
for them that is their business If there
Us not enough executive ability within
the ranks of this special group of pro-
ducers to conduct their business with
out gotpg outside and engaging a poll
tician. THAT Is their misfortune.
Then again the screens of the mo-
ton picture theaters. owned by the the
ater owners themselves. cannot be used
for any political or other propaganda. no
matter from what source this may pro-
ceed.
In the motion picture theater owners
of America are men and women OF the
highest type. with executive skill of the
advanced order who own their own the
aters and who know how to conduct
their own business. These theater own
ers are entirely capable OF handling the
business and conducting the affairs OF
the motion picture theater owners of
America.
counsel OF the Motion Picture Theater
owners OF America. Because of polit-
ical and legislative activities Senator
Walker has been unable to give the
necessary attention to the work OF our
organization. despite the fact that his
retainer was $1,000 a month. For fully
five months Senator Walker has done
nothing whatever for our organization
retainer was 81. 900 a month. His con-
nection with the organization has been
terminated.