“THE BOYCOTT BLUDGEON”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1073, 10 September 1930, Page 10

“THE BOYCOTT BLUDGEON”

America and New Zealand LESSONS OF THE “FILM WAR” DURING the past few days there have been statements from several interested sources about what is going- to happen to our picture shows and the industry in general, unless the Government climbs clown and allows the American picture producers, through their Australian agencies, to exhibit American pictures.

I do not claim to know all about the position, says a prominent Auclt- | lander keenly interested in the pres- • ent "film war.” but 1 do know enough | to form a sound judgment and express j a more or less intelligent opinion. Undoubtedly, if the American pro- i ducers do continue the boycott (they | are actually doing so now in as much ( as they refuse to sell any film not I covered by existing contract) it will j be a most serious blow to the New j Zealand exhibitors, who have invested ! many hundreds of thousands of I pounds in this industry, and will j jeopardise much money invested by • the general public. Better that all I should be lost rather than that we ! should submit to dictation by this group of Americans. By The Sun (September S) I see ! that Sir Victor Wilson has arrived but has no statement to make. As part of the propaganda to fool \ and mislead the -world, the American j producers greatly exaggerate the i actual Post of the production of; “talkies.” Everybody is expected to j pay the enormous cost of Hollywood’s ! advertised salaries. We, in New Zea- j land, are expected to pay our propor- I tion according to their estimate of J the American cost of boosting Ameri- i can-stars, plus our proportion of the | Australian Exchange charges, plus ' our proportion of the New Zealand i Exchange charges. The plan adopted by the American ! producers, through their Australian I representatives, is to hire the pic-i tures to the highest bidders in New! Zealand, their representatives here ! having little or no control over prices ! and terms. .. T^ e „Western Electric does not sell ! its talking equipment, but rents it ! changing enormous installation fees i and large amounts for replacement ! and service. Broadly speaking the 1 whole business is controlled bv! America through Australian representatives, the lqcal representatives Practically no say in the matter. • „ history of the picture business in New Zealand since the advent of the American talkie picture and the j necessary equipment has been one of i disaster for the exhibitor. He was I e llcd to pay for enormous quan- : titles of film he could not use. The j American producers refuse to allow j selection of suitable pictures, the exj is compelled to contract to I hire 10, 15, 20 or more pictures without ! f ver having had the privilege of seeing or knowing by description what he I is buying. The contract, which pro- ; tects to the utmost degree the producer, gives the exhibitor no protec- : tion at all. Undoubtedly, there are a number of I high-grade American trading concerns i which do make an honest effort to trade fairly and squarely; which, with out any reservation, accept the tarriff and other taxation on their goods in j the overseas markets, but the mo-tor- , car trade and the picture producing 1 trade are not numbered among them. We remember the threat made by the combined American motor trade on the question of rubber, supported, to some considerable extent hv the U.S.A. Government. Now, we have the American picture producers threatening to boycott us. * It would be well to consider what action America takes toward New Zealand produce; how she protects the American farmer. Not only has America made it, commercially speaking, impossible to export New Zealand butter, but the great United States i Government has banned the free ; entry of New Zealanders into the i United States of America. If you ! or I wished to go and live in the United States, to establish our home or build a business, we must put our names down on the waitiug lfet, just the same as the Chinese. New Zealanders are debarred. It is quite true that the British producers cannot, at the present time, meet the requirements of the New Zealand exhibitors. This is part of the price we paid for our war effort while America forged ahead and England and the Dominions were fighting for very existence. Better far that we go back to flesh and blood shows, face the fnymcial loss and carry on as we did during the war, for years, without their aid and assistance, than that we should agree with the American producers regarding their prices and terms. While the Government is on the job it will be well for them to secure copies of the picture producers’ contracts, and those of the Western Elec trie which are required to be signed by the exhibitors and hirers of the equipment, and hand them over to the Crown Law Department. If the time has come for a show-down let us have a real show-down. There will, undoubtedly, be some movement on behalf of the American producers made by the exhibitors. No doubt deputations will call on the Government to ask it, in the interests of the exhibitors, to reconsider the proposed charges. It is to be sincerely hoped that the Government will net do so. It would be to the ultimate benefit of the exhibitors if the Government turned round and hit hack by prohibiting the importation j of many American lines. I The broad fact of the matter is j that America has declared war on the i Empire. There is no use trying to , deceive ourselves. California is to i take the place of Vancouver. We are j not to be permitted to establish businesses under the control of New Zealanders in America. The importation of our produce or manufactured goods is, commercially speaking, prohibited. The United States has loaned Australia considerable sums of money to enable her the better to dictate terms. Fox, one of the big picture concerns, has secured control of a number of Australian theatres. The same move will be made here, i.e., the American picture producers will endeavour to secure control of a chain of houses, and release pictures only to them. We are fighting today not only one question, that of the American boycott in connection with pictures, but also the effort on the part of America to dictate trading conditions,, not only in j the United States, but throughout thei Empire. The war now is less spee- : tacular, does not raise the same spirit of enthusiasm, of determination, as the Great War did. There are no recruiting stations, no "Win the War”

committees, but it is just as serious. Germany preached a war for world power and control. America is doing likewise—‘America for the Americans.’ “Our home market is our own, and none shall touch it.” “The world market is ours, on our own terms and conditions.” “War!—not only a picture boycott, but a butter boycott.” The code of ethics for America is: “Establish American agencies in the Dominions: lend the Dominions some £.s.d. When the business is well established, send over. America can take control.” Some citizens may say, “Much of the foregoing is exaggerated; even untrue.” Many said the same of the Great War. The present war, the war America lias declared, is even more serious than that last Great War. England is our only safe market. America has openly declared her intention to fight and defeat England, to make it impossible for the English worker to buy Dominion produce, to defeat and ruin England’s shipping and trade. The battleground is the Dominions. Thousands of New Zealanders. rather than deny themselves a few luxuries, have joined the most powerful of our enemies in. this, the greatest world war of all. America for the Americans. The Dominions a dumping ground for American goods, sold by the Americans, controlled by the Americans, to be shipped in American ships, paid for in gold. Fight as you never fought before or, in a few short years, America will win the war.