New-York tribune., 1922-04-23
ENsG p"
[ linn Exhibitors
Deny $4,000
Job for " all<e,,
- iterly Absurd They sav
ct Report That Senator Is
offered Presidency of
National Organization
lake Slap AT Producers
Dont Need Any Professional
politicians so Rum Their
Business, They Declare

uo"Shed reports that State Senator
James J. Walker had been tcndero3 +bo
presidency of the Motion Picture Tboa
,eT Owners Of America at q saIarv or
>'''ooo' and with an authority second
only to that Of VIII II. Hays. director
general OF the industry. were denied
iaSt night by ali concerned
In statement issued hv tho oxcon..
1--WE committee Of the theater owners
;; was declared that Senator Walker
was not offered the presidency Of the
organization by any one authorized 70
MAKE such an offer, since the only
way the national president of the body
can he elected is by the delegates to
the national convention. Any suppos:-
j'on to the contrary was said to be
'atterly absurd"
In the second place, says the state
mont. the payment Of any such sal
"ry to The president or any other Of
.cer is impossible because of the bust
ness oppression and the high prices
n3.d TO producers for pictures"
Hays's Aids Make Denial
Equally vigorous denial of the impH
eat'on contained in the report that
@o"ator Walker would aid VIII HAYS i'm
regulating the motion picture industry
was made by members Of Mr.. HayS's
staf, who spoke FOR their absent chief.
Ihere Is no truth in the statement
'a4t senator Walker will be Mr.. Hays's
ass siStant," it was said. "Thrrp has
lc,I H.
0ome position in the exhibitors field
~ that mas nothing TO do with this
office, which confines itself to pro
,ucine and distributing"
Incidentally, the reputation of the
Story about the offer to Walker
brought to light the feelings of the
theatcr owners toward Mr.. Hays and
h, producing end Of the industry In
their statement is included an asser-
zion that Mr. Hayss salary La
brought down upon the entire industry
".tae deserved censure of leading
United States Senator'S and members
Of Congress" and that since then they
mad been kept busy explaining that they
mad no connections or relations with
oim and were in no sense parties to
the payment of "his inflated salary. ex-
cent that eventually it would be eougcd
olt Of them by high prices tor pic
lures"
If the producers want TO hire a pro-
eesional politician 20 run their affairs
or them that is their business" say the
owners, adding that the Theater Own
ers have brains Of their own and are
not obliged to sit at the feet of any
politician or to take "mental pre-
scription from any rank outsider
Walker Ousted RS Counsel
As for the regard for Senator Walker,
which was supposed 10 have dictated
the reputed offer to him of the presi-
deacy of the Theater Owners, that or
ganization has this to say: "Senstor
Walker has been our national counsel,
bUt his position was only that of an
engaged attorney. After it became man
fest that he could not or would not
perform the services for which he was
crGageq, members Of the executive
committee definitely terminated his
connection with our organization and
notified him to that effect. He was
not authorized TO make any statement
for this body for the last five months.
and any statements he may have made
We're representative solely OF his own
Vows"
Senator Walker denied last night
that he had had direct offer of the
presidency of the Motion Picture The