IN BARN OR THEATRE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 976, 20 May 1930, Page 14

IN BARN OR THEATRE

PUBLIC WANTS THE GOODS PICTURE MAN’S OPINION “We are not building any more theatres in Australia at the present time. It is a question of giving them the goods, whether it is in a theatre or a barn.” Thus Mr. Leon S. Snider, one of the executives of Hoyt’s Theatres in Australia on the present developments in the motion picture business in Australia. Mr. Snider arrived in Auckland by the Maunganui this morning. The Plaza, built on the Spanish style and holding 2,000 people, was the last Hoyt theatre built in Sydney, said Mr. Snider. People seeking entertainment now go about it in the same spirit as they go shopping he said. “The public in Australia has to watch its pence, and it seeks the best it can at the cheapest price.” A duty of sixpence a foot on all films coming into the country made it very hard for the exhibitors, added Mr. Snider. PROSPERITY DELAYED In his opinion the trouble with Australia at the present time was that it was suffering from a delayed period of prosperity. For many years Australia and Sydney with its big export trade particularly, had had very prosperous times. Then when the expert trade declined and harder times set in many people were forced to reduce their mortgages and in the realisation fictitious land values fell with a bump. “Sydney did not feel the after-war depression to any great extent,” said Mr.. Snider. “If it had the present position would never have arisen. Melbourne which had been feeling the depression for the last two years was not so badly affected now.. In Melbourne the bankers had been more conservative and expenditure generally had been more closely watched. Perth and Brisbane, also, had been more lightly visited by the present depression. “The bigger the cities, naturally the more they are affected,” he added. That New Zealand should watch Australian conditions with the closest interest was the opinion expressed by Mr. Snider. In many respects the conditions of the two countries were very similar. “Australian industry was being crippled by high wages which prevented the country from competing on favourable terms with European countries,” said Mr. Snider. “New Zealand should see that it did not hamper its industries by euch excessive production costs. Mr. Snider, who is accompanied by Mrs. Snider, will be in New Zealand for three weeks. He will then return to Australia on his way to America.