FILM HIRE TAX.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 255, 23 September 1930, Page 6

FILM HIRE TAX.

ACTING PREMIER’S STATEMENT,

REPLY BY DISTRIBUTOR

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 22. Replying to the acting Prime Minister’s statement concerning the film hire tax, Sir Victor Wilson, chairman of the Associated Film Distributors, said that Hon. E. A. Ransom had published the text of that part of the cablegram from British Dominion Films, he said he had referred to in his statement to the Press last week. The acting Prime Minister had contrasted the action of British Dominion Films in regard to the proposed taxation with that of the American producers with the clear intention of leading the public to assume that the British distributors did not resist the tax. “A fair paraphrase of that cablegram,” continued Sir Victor Wilson, “is as follows; ‘We will continue to operate as before, having reason to believe the Government will alter their taxation in order to show a desire to help the British film industry and not to destroy it as would be done if their present taxation proposals were persisted in.’ ” “Is this cable an admission by British Dominion Films that the proposed taxation will not ruin them,” said Sir Victor, “or a clear indication that the Government will realise that it will ruin the British film industry in New Zealand and therefore will not persist in it? . “The cablegram sent to the Prime Minister by British Dominions Films which I had in mind when I made my rejoinder to the acting Prime Minister reads as follows: “As the only absolutely British company in the Dominions handling British films exclusively and having lost more than £20,000 last year in our strenuous pioneer work on behalf of British films we respectfully but strongly urge that the proposed taxation on British films will have most disastrous results in regard to British films. We appreciate the necessity of your Government obtaining revenue, but would respectfully suggest that a revenue tariff of increased duty on foreign films should be substituted. —Turnbull, managing-direc-tor, British Dominion Films, Melbourne.” “The acting Prime Minister has had this cablegram before him,” continued Sir Victor. “It’s meaning is clear. Does the latter cablegram show a change of opinion on the part of British Dominion Films? Do not both cables mean that the proposed taxation will ruin the British film industry? And does not either mean: ‘Go on with this taxation and you will kill the business which has been set up to foster British films?’ ”