FILM QUOTA BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 172, 23 July 1928, Page 19

FILM QUOTA BILL.

ALTERATIONS DESIRED

PERIOD CONSIDERED TOO LONG

(Br Telegraph.-— Special to "Star.")

WELLINGTON, this dav

The universal opinion of the film exhibitors, wlio are preparing a memorial to the Prime Minister on the subject of the Film Quota Bill, is that the term of years fur which the quota i- proposed is tiid lone, and that the 1- year- ,-iiould be reduced to ](.», as wat done in England. Further, they consider thai if tic Act does not show results inside live yearit should, be dropped overboard. Other alterations in the provision-; of the hill are desired by the exhibitor-. The provision for registration 'i«-ioie censorship, it is considered, thoiihl Inchanged to allow registration and een-sor.-iiip to be combined in one operation, and the provision for fines in the event of lion-compliance with Government requirements concerning regi-tration and the keeping of records is thought to be of small value.

The majority of exhibitors do not fear the quota at all, but are of opinion that if the same results could he obtained without all the machinery which the bill proposes to create it would, be much better for everybody. At the same time, tho-e with an intimate knowledge of the business state that exhibitors who get into financial difficulties almost invariably do so because of their failure to keep proper business records, particularlv as far as their contracts for supplies of film are concerned. Thus the provision for some form of compulsory bookkeeping will be for their benefit.