Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-08
PICTURE INDUSTRY
MAKES HUGE GAIN
Record Shows U. S. Leads
World in Number of
Theater Seats.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.

BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
New York, April SIS the motion
picture industry depresSion-proof? The
record net income of the Paramount
Publix Corporation for the year 1880
would so indicate. so far as one COM
pany is concerned.
For this company. which operates
theaters in 422 cities in the United
States, as we'll as in nearly every other
part of the world, showed net earnings
in 1880 of S18,3S1 900. equal to S6.15 a
share on 2986829 shares, the average
number outstanding in the period. as
against S15,544 900, or $685. share on
2,445, 304, the average number of shares
outstanding in 1929.
And this record figure was reached
alton. Also, another $1,700,OOO was
written of as film exhaustion and
charged to expenses.
How many big-buSiness executives,
wrestling with red figures, wish tney
were in such fortunate position? In
DAYS Of old, the unemployed millions
crowded the saloons. But now they NIL
motion picture houses instead.
Extent of Industry.
Is America notion picture minded to
a greater degree than other countries?
The figures say yes. For there are
more theater seats in the United States
than in the rest of the world combined.
A recent checking shows that the
total seating capacity CT the 2l,2S4
sound and silent theatrical accounts
reaches 1a42, 761-one seat for every
10 persons in the United States
South Carolina is the most unseat-
ed" State in the country, with but one
seat for every 90 persons. Alabama Is
second with Is, and North Carolina
is third with %.
New York State has more theater
seats than any other State IN the Couno
trv-its 1888 theaterS having l,576,980
seats or about one seat for every eight
inhabitants.
Motion pictures, automobiles, radios
these industries unknown 80 years ago
are today giant industries-all OF them
using billions of dollars and millions
Of men.
Home TeIevision.
But what will be the giant industries
80 years from now?
Television for che thing And it will
not take 80 years to make it big IN
dustry.
Only Yesterday Glen F. Wade, presi-
dent of the Western Television CoTpor-
alton of Chicago, announced that Or.
Iloyd P. Garner has worked out new
and more powerful receiving glow lamp.
in connection with the use OF scanning
disk with lenses in the spiral OF aper-
lures in place Of open holes, which
makes '.two-foot television pictures for
home production practical.
ONLY a few months ago, it was an
nounced that television would not pc
practical for home use for years. A
few weeks later, came the announce
ment that televislon pictures lew
inches square might become praCClcal
for the home, but just when nooooy
would say.
Now comes the announcement that
Mr.. Wade and Dr. Garner, using the
same principles through which they
produce the two-foot pictures soon ex-
Ioect to be able to produce 'televlslon
pictures of sufficient dimensions TO NIL
a 10-foot screen"
Yes, television is moving ahead so
rapidly that already thousands OF expert
mental sets are in use in ana around
New York City.
Foreign Loans.
DR. Stephen /. Miller, executive man.
arer of the National Association OF
credit men, wants the United States
to wake up and not continue to carry
on It's foreign trade ION bass OF long
dead debtor nation psychology.
DR., Miller believes a healthy foreign
trade must recognize these four points
THAT Americans are morally and
economically bound to make loans to
other countries. 2-That the United
States must aid in the Sterilization OF
foreign currency systems. 3-That a
sane and stable credit basis for export
business must be organized at the start
4-Americans must sponsor efIectlVe
constructive competition abroad.
I'VE should not demand reciprocal
trade abroad because We have made
foreign loans" DR.. Miller advises
"Credit extension should be made WITH
out any obligation to buy from us, FOL
we must remember that We gain an
indirect advantage at least from foreign
loans"
Just what responsibilities a creditor
nation assumes in the modern world
OF business will be one subject fully
discussed at the forthcoming interna-
ttonal Chamber of Commerce meeting
in Washington in May.
Decline in Stocks.
The stock market. to pvt it mildly
is not doing very we'll Yesterday, II
a turnover of 2,405000, many new
lows were recorded.
Railroad stocks seemed TO be far
ing the worst The following recorC
OF six representative railroad stocks anC
SIX industrial stocks is fair pictur'
of the decline