Putnam patriot., 1925-07-03

sensitive distribution ot entertaia- ment for the masses The main points of their objections may be outlined in this manner,
 E 1000 Feet of Film
 The average feature picture con- tains about one thousand feet to the reel and consists of six reels. Tha statef of Connecticut k fseagad hv dhsl tributiRg exchanges. cenoered in New Haven. Each exchange usually car srlss two pr lhree, prints of the same
 picture, thus enabling two or three
 theatres to play the same picture at
 the sane time Occasionally, some
 outstanding feature may have five ar six prints, but this is the excep- ton and not the rule. Connecticut is very small distributing center and the exchanges were established here for the convenience of the ex- hibitoIs. This state could very easily be served out of Boston and New
 York which garry eight to ten prints. and more, on the5 ordinary feature The new law would place. a tax of S10 on each reel of the two or three prints, when they first enter the state, but not on each showing of the pic ture at the theatre. Furthermore. news reels. religious or scientific reels are exempt.
 Borrow Pictures
 However. in order to serve Con- nactieut exhibitors properly. The New iiayen exchanee boiapws frsnn other eXehanees. \ small town exhibitor comes in and demands a certain pie ture within four or five weeks. Most exhibitors book this far aheadl. The larger cities are using all three of the regular prints on that date. Exchanges have been known to hof- TOW q print from g point as far away as Pittsharg er Cleveland ta aeeena- mo8ate aH eXhI Ibifor Thc small town sees this baftiahiae pictuse within a reasonable time after release date With the new law ia operation, the tax on the Thief 0f Bsedad," fur instance. which is in twelve reels would amount 10 S12000 for the use of a borrowed print for one or two days. as the ease might he. This is more money than the small exhibi- tor would take in af the box office during the shaving of the picture. He could not afford 10 pay | Neitfer could the exchange. The ex- hibitor would therefore have tn wait four or five months hefore be could show the film Most of his pictures would thus be set back.
 Little Fellow Bears Brunt
 As nsual, the little fellow suffers most in many ways. The average print has life of about four months. Film is fragile. and must be handled very carefully to preserve it even for that lehgth fof tlsne. The ex- changes receive the Biggest part of their revenue from the large towns. When the print begins to wear out, it would hardly pay an exchange to secure a new print for the sake of the small revenue received from the little fellows. The tax added to the cost of the print would make 1t prohssi tive These little towns. have here tofure Abeen served With borrowed prints Again. the law would make this prohibitive. and many small towns will not have the pleasure of watching good pictures in excellent operat- ing conditions. An exhibitor might have one reel go bad. during the run of the picture He will now have to wait until the damaged reel is repaired. He cannot get n borrow ed print, and might even be forced to close his theatre for the dates on which that picture was booked. One exhibitor was recently forced to shift every booking for an entire month, through no fault of his own. One fourth, Of these ~ehsnges were made with hsrrowed prints. The amount of tax-in- his- -eaSe.-for- -the-naanth of June)r Sbaild i1aVe T been fs4S0-0o. Otherwise, it would have meant the closing of his theatre for seven days out eff tsYenty-six. One can readily see why the exhibitor, and especially the little fellow. fears the breakdown of the present, efficient system of 
 Tyrsnnieal censorship
 But even worse, from a theatre owners viewpoint is fhe censorship angle of the new law. The law, pass ed in the gnise of a revenae=produc- ing measure. is n vieiers. undemocra- tie ard tyrannical eensorsifip instru- ment. One man Is given unlimited power ifl deciding what the screens of this state may show te one and one-hasf million people. There can be no appeal from his decisions. Such power is contrary to the spirit of modern, liberal th0ught. IL is com trary Co expressed desires of voters in all states where the question has been submitted to popular vote. { M massachusetts, rejected censorship, two years ago, by five to one v0tsl. l. is contrary to the spirit of the Unit ed States Canstitution which guaran- tees freedom of thought and speech to everyone, and the screen, today, is a usw nedfnm for the expression