THOSE PICTURE PLUTOCRATS (?)

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2564, 11 September 1915, Page 12

THOSE PICTURE PLUTOCRATS (?)

Sir, —A few years ago Councillor John Fuller was credited with having said at a Municipal Conference at Wellington that "the picture business was not .what it is cracked up to be!" Sonic of the correspondents of Thk Dominion and other nowspapers of this country appenir/to'.think'that ono lias only i.o arrange to screen lilms and dollars fairly lain upon tli« investor, Notv, 1 k«a Jj.eea w li? &lc&u'c share liu%

ness in a country town of about 1500 inhabitants for the past threo or four years, and as I own my own hall, and do my own management and operating, I think I may fairly claim to know more of the inside of the business than the averago scribbler (who would possibly be more profitably occupied in writing to somo of those "Lonely Now Zcalantlers" which aro mentioned in your columns). I show twice weekly —Wednesday and Saturday—and screen between 7GUO and 8000 feet of clean, healthy, selected subjects at tho midweek session, and 'SOOO to !)000 feet of similar material at tho Saturday night sliow. My avorago gross receipts for tho week (two shows) are £7 ss. My expenses are: Film-biro (average), £2 55.; programmes, posters, and hangers, 155.; film and publicity freights, 55.; postages, 6d; advertisements, 7s. 6d. • pianiste, engine-room attendant, tickotsoller, door-keeper, and usher, £1 10s.; carbons, etc., used in operating box, 2s. Gd.; benzine (before duty was imposed) and lubricants 111 engine-room, 10s. Total oxpenses as detailed above, £6 Is. 6d. This leavos mo £1 3s. 6d. for my own remuneration as manager, electrician, and operator for the two nights' shows. Hall lent, depreciation of plant, interest on capital invested, insurances, rates, machinery fees, have also to come out of the £1 3s. 6d., if I manage to get that much of a surplus. Why, then, having now to pay an extra war-tax of 3s. a- week for my benzine, am I to bo asked to pay a special class tax of a halfpenny per head for every person admitted to my picture showp (about 15s. a week), whether I am making a profit or a loss? Let me here say, that prior to my commencing the picture shows in my village, the peoplo of the district had 110 amusement whatever, save an occasional countryside or club dance in the winter months —nothing at all during tho remainder of the year. I may mention my charges for admission are 3d. and 6d. a head. I tried a matineo on Saturday afternoons, but after losing £15—cash out of pocket— in three months, I discontinued it. You are at liberty to submit theso figures to the New Zealand Picture Supplies, Ltd., from whom I have always received overy consideration, to check tlio bona £des of my statement. I enclose my card.—l am, eto., CHRONO.