EMPIRE FILMS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 9, 8 December 1926, Page 8

EMPIRE FILMS.

The British proposals for the encouragement of the film industry in the Motherland and the Empire generally appear to have been drafted on a very modest scale—too modest in. fact, since it is cabled from London that the Government is drafting a Bill “to prevent blind and block booking” and “to provide a compulsory quota beginning with five per cent.” New Zealand is doing considerably better than that, as something like 13 per cent, of the pictures shown in this, country to-day are of British origin and manufacture, and the pictures that are shown compare more than favourably with the American films, the latter being more or less melodramatic in nature. It is more than unfortunate that the American corporations should have secured such a stranglehold of the film industry during the war, and that the characterisation of British life, customs, and manners should have fallen so largely into American hands. Not content with the very large field of operations they have covered, both in Great Britain and in the Dominion, the American film magnates were reported the other day to be aiming at eliminating all competitors out of the picture world altogether. Although they were supposed to hold something like eighty-five per cent, of the trade, they declared they would not be content until they obtained the full hundred per cent. The British Bill ufortunately gives them another twelve months in which they may attain, their objective, as it is not to be operative until 12 months have elapsed, and, in any event, it seems to assure them of the opportunity of acquiring, if they do not already hold, ninety-five per cent, of the British picture trade. So extensive have their operations been in the Mother Country that (as we stated some time ago) they already control, either by direct ownership or on lease, a majority of.*the picture theatres) in Great Britain. With their “blind and block booking” tactics, they have been able to practically squeeze out their Britisli competitors iu Great Britain itself. The quota the Government is insisting upon, beginning at five per cent., is altogether inadequate to the needs of the situation. There are of course difficulties in the way of insisting upon a larger proportion of British pictures being shown until the first twelve months are over, as it would seem the British film producers will require time to make even that proportion of British pictures available; still, with Australia and Canada in the field, and with the possible development of the film industry in other of the Dominions, including New Zealand, it ought not to be a difficult matter for _ the British picture theatre proprietors to arrange a quota of at least ten per cent, of Empire films to be included in their programme for the year, and it should not be left at that. Given proper encouragement there is no reason why British pictures should not be shown on a fifty-fifty basis with American and German films, and it would be all to the good if the British quota could be increased to seventy-five per cent. We are being made far too dependent upon America both for our films and our literature, and it is time both were replaced by British productions.

The 4.50 evening train from Dannevirke to Palmerston North was inaugurated on Monday, leaving Dannevirke with only half a dozen passengers, states the News. Three or four intending travellers missed the train. When the new service is more widely known, it will probably be well patronised. • '

A carpenter who was being examined in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland before Mr W. R. McKean, S.M., complained that ho could not pay his debt as he lost £1 in wages every day it was wet. Thereupon the magistrate remarked, “If you lose £1 for every wet day in Auckland, you can’t earn much.”

Miss Nancy Eastwood, the Gisborne lady athlete, was honoured by the council of the N.Z.A.A.A. at its meeting at Wellington last night, when that body decided to forward her name to the Olympic Council, as being up to the Olympic Games standard. Mr E. G. Guy, who made the suggestion, 6aid that he considered Miss Eastwood’s recent performance in the Basin Reserve, Wellington, made her the most likely to bring honours to the Dominion at the next games.

At last night’s meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association Council at Wellington the name of Randolph Rose cropped up, it being stated that the expenses incurred on the tour abroad by the New Zealand champion distance runner and Mr. McHolm, his companion, amounted to about £llOO. With interest accrued up till November the council, as a result of the Rose appeal, now had approximately £IO3O in hand. In accordance with the resolution passed by the council this sum is being held in reserve as a fund for sending teams overseas in the future. The residence of Mr C. F. Atmore, in Domain road, Otaki, was broken into last Saturday evening. Mr Atmore, on hearing unsusal sounds in. one of the bedrooms, proceeded to investigate the cause and was just in time to see the intruder rush out of the bedroom door on to a verandah. He caught the man, who was subsequently arrested by Constable Sotherby and taken to the police station. It was subsequently ascertained that a gold ring and a small amount of cash had been stolen. The man, who turned out to be an old offender, and who was on his way from Auckland to Wellington, will be formally charged with breaking and entering at the next Court sitting.

The construction of the Fergusson community camp, which a party of Hamilton business men is establishing at Okete Falls, near Raglan, was advanced a stage on Friday last, when “a working bee” erected a cookhouse and made preparation for the water supply, which will be completed before Christmas. In connection with the latter scheme, water will be secured from the Okete river and pumped into a tank on the top of a hill half a mile from the camp site, to which it will be gravitated. Already a large number of people have signified their intention of participating in the camp, which will extend over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Mr M. Myers, K.C., of Wellington, who has been in England for the better part of the year, writes to a Wellington paper from London, under date November 1, stating that the Prime Minister of New Zealand (Mr Coates) “seems to have made an excellent impression. At the dinner given at the Guildhall by a number of patriotic societies to the visiting Prime Ministers, at which there were several hundreds present, he made what I think was generally regarded as a very good speech. .He abstained from flag-waving and spoke in simple language on practical issues. He had an exceedingly good reception. The people here, from what I could see and hear, liked his simple, direct, and manly method of saying what he has to say. Ido not think that the people of New Zealand will have any reason to complain of their representative.”

In the course of an address at Timaru on “The Progress of the Maori,” Rev. F. Bennett said it was very regrettable that many Maoris in the district had broken away from the Church and had thrown in their lot with Ratana, who had possessed wonderful influence at the commencement of his campaign. Ratana’s teachings were now on the downward grade, however, and in it religion had been superseded by a material and political organisation. The teachings were commenced on good lines, but unfortunately the religion had gone off. Ratana said the spiritual side was now ever, but in the speaker’s opinion that was just an excuse to go over to materialism. Many of the Church’s former congregation had returned, but there were many who were too ashamed of going away, and did not like to come back.