Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-08
SARRO IS MADE
A MOVIE GEAR
Independent Theater Men
Engage Cooperative Expert
at $500, 900 Yearly.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Cooperative marketing-~the Cool
idge panacca for farm relief--is about
to be applied to the movies. Aaron
Sapiro, Americas foremost authority III
the field Of cooperative distributing
and selling OF agricultural produce. has
| Just been placed at the head OF the
independent" picture-theater owners of
greater New York. in order to graft that
principle onto their problems. Sapio
thus becomes another GEAR of the
movies and at "czar"-like salary
| 100000 q year. The Motion Picture
| Producers and Distributors Of America
pay Will II. Hays $l50.000 a year or
| did. according to last accounts
| Sapiro is to have the same compre-
hensive powers that Hays yields. The
likelihood is that the two GEARS" SOON
er or later may find themselves clash
ing. The Motion Picture Exhibitors
Association of New York. which Sapiro
IS to command. was founded for the
specific purpose of defense against the
| competition of the big chains affiliated
! with the Hays organization. A Nation
wide extension of the New York COM
bination is in the offing.
To Use Buying Power.
! The basic object of the "independ-
entS'" plan is to put the owners OF
> .....c>-e 80 $50 New York ''nelghbor-
! hood" buses in position whereby
/ their combined annual buying power
of s2.50000o will enable them to bring
the newer pictures to their smaller eS-
adjustments comparatively with the big
houses. Sapiro sold" the neighborhood
theaters the idea that, in their case. as
in other fields. there Is strength III
union He made them see that by CO.
operative effort they could secure films
that no single one OF them would be
able to exhibit If he acted as lone
individual
The independents" feel they are now
assured that many OF the latest-and, in
some cases. first run"-pictures can be
flashed on their screens as soon as they
are shown on Broadway and In big
chain houses throughout the country,
Under present conditions. the little the
aters often wait months before getting
a chance at new picture.
Coordination Is Aim.
MFR. Sapiro has convinced the "inde-
pendents" that the problems Of the
small picture house are, in their own
way, identical with those of the small
farmer trying to market his produce
against big capitalistic odds organized
for marketing purposes. "Co-ordina-
ton, not consolidation" Is the aim OF
the exhibitors association which has
now begun to operate under his leader
ship. The linking up Of the small
movies of Manhattan Island appears to
be only the first of Sapiro's activities
along such lines. He has recently ne
gotiated with the laundry owners of
New York City concerning co-opera-
tive organization.
Sapiro warmly espouses the theory
that cooperative buying and selling is
the salvation of many loosely organized
American industries. Some economic
authorities think the scheme with
which Sapiro's name is conspicuously
identified may be the sole hope of small
merchants and producers against the
chain-store idea. which is playing such
havoc with tradeSmen In all lines of
business everywhere in the United
States.
Wins Ford Suit.
1t was Sapiro's activities in agricul-
tural cooperative marketing athat
brought him into conflict with Henry
Ford three years ago. and which re-
suited In the young Californian's tri-
! umph over the motor magnate at the
emo Oh prOlFaCteu regal proceedings In
Detroit last Summer. Sapiro organized
half a dozen different farm industries
in the United States and Canada. He
has his friends and his foes. but men
Ike Senator Capper of Kansas. one OF
the country's recognized agricultural
leaders. call Sapiro "a genius" in the
cooperative marketing realm.
The laws of several Western States,
dealing with that system. were written
by Sapiro at the request OF governors
and Legislatures. He had much TO do
with the organization Of the great Brit
ish OF Columbia wheat pool. which has
been in successful operation for several
years.
II is not generally known that Sapiro
declined TO accept from Ford any cash
damages In the settlement which the
Detroiter volunteered after the with
drawal OF Sapiro's 81 900 900 libel suit
The young economist-lawyer recently
gave up his business and law practice In
Chicago and is now operating from on
ces In New York.
fCoDYright 1881