The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-11-27

To the Skowhegan Public:
Pictures have grown to be very
important in the life OF any communi-
ty. You cannot name anything else
in which you have such universal
interest This will be a long story,
but we want you to settle down pa
tiently to read it through.
Seven years ago we were conduct
ing. as individual propositions. the
Biiou and Star Theatres. We con
ceiyed ii to be very much to the bene
fit of Skowhegan, and we hoped it
might prove advantageous to US, to
unite these two establishments. All
sorts of economies We're believed to
be possible and to a great extent this
belief has been realized. We know,
beyond question. we have been able
to give better service on account Of
the change then made.
To carry out the idea we had to
dispose of our separate properties at
serious sacrifice. Chairs, booths
machines and all equipment had to be
put on the market at the used price.
Having made the necessary busi-
hess arrangements We came to an
agreement with the town of SkoWhe-
gan. The matter was publicly dis
cussed tor some months and finally
il Was voted in an open meeting to
approve of only one license for NOV
ing pictures in this community. The
contract. under the one license con-
dition. was open for bids, and at least
five beside ourselves participated in
the bidding. These bids came from
widely distributed points throughout
Maine. Our figures were $500 higher
than the next lowest. Most of the
items in the contract were determined
by taking the average costs at the
Opera House for the preceding five
years. For example The cost of
coal for that five year period had been
$500. This gave us a yearly aver
age OF 800, and this figure went into
our contract. Other items were ar
rived at in the same manner. Pre-
vious to our contract the town had
been under the expense of janitor ser
vice, disinfectants. toilet paper. fuel
and electric lights. all of which had
cost them $1,000 year. We assumed
these expenses and became obligated
to pay the town 500 annually in cash
No further statement is needed to
show that we pay. and the town re-
ceives. S2700 year.
You must bear in mind that since
this contract was made, all costs
nave gone skyward at an appalling
rate. We should not. nor would any
one else, at present day prices. enter
into a contract as favorable to the
town as We at that time had the cour-
age To make. Many another con-
Germ making IA contract in that day,
mas been unable to carry the burden
of increasing prices and has gone to
the wall
The fact that the town had Joined
with us in the idea OF single picture
house, with it's possibility as to econo-
my and efficient service, Was an I'M
portant factor in our ability to make
the contract we did This situation
was recognized in the contract itself
by a clause which provided that,
should another moving picture estab-
lshment come into tho Skowhegan
field. our rent WAS to be automatically
reduced from $4,000 to $1,000
This particular feature is of inter
est 10 every man, woman and child in
Skowhcgan If we continue under
continue TO make the annual payment
of $270O; if another theatre starts.
the town will receive instead but
$1,000 per annum
When we made that contract. the
occupancy OF the Municipal Building.
other than ourselves, was carefully
considered. 1t was represented to
us and we had right To expect. that
it would remain much as il had been
in proceeding years, No one intend
ed 10 deceive us about it, but the use
OF the building is greatly increased.
We do not state this in fault finding
way The building is there for the
benefit of all Skowhegan and evegy-
body ought to be glad that it is made
use of to the limit II is only Just
to us. however. that the public under
stand that the Farm Bureau. the Red
Cross. kindergarten, the local militia
and the band, which had made little
or no previous use OF the building,
have established regular headquarters
ard use ii constantly We knew that
other societies had made an occasion
al use of the Municipal Court room
and other rooms hut even this use
has increased by leaps and bounds.
until about every room is occupied
every night. This increases in an
important degree the cost of janitor
service. fuel and lights all of which
is borne by us. and which was not
contemplated when our lease was
made
People are little shy of exclusive
rights anywhere and perhaps YOU have
the idea that Skowhegan is peculiar
IN this respect You should under
stand that both the Opera House and
the Haines Theatre in Waterville are
under one management. There are
TWO theatres in Augusta and both are
also under one management There
are five in Lewiston, four OF which are
under one management and the other
running only part of the time. Very
much the same situation exists in
Bangor. We show pictures here for
ten and twenty cents for which you
pay IL cents to 35 cents in the cities
lust mentioned They are OF the
same grade and as new We show
pictures fran Famous Players, known
as Paramount Fox Films, First Ma
tional. Universal. Warner Brothers,
Metro and Goldwyn Ii you know