OBJECT OF INQUIRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26776, 20 May 1948, Page 8

OBJECT OF INQUIRY

MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY

OPPOSITION MEMBERS’ CURIOSITY

P.A. WELLINGTON, May 19. Curiosity- as to what had prompted the decision to hold an inquiry into the motion picture industry by a Parliamentary Committee was expressed yesterday by two Opposition members of tne committee, Messrs W. J. Broadfoot tWaitomo) and T. L. Macdonald ('Wallace). Mr Broadfoot asked for what purpose had the inquiry been called. He had expected that Mr R. Hardie Boys, counsel for the Crown, would have directed the committee to matters it had to consider. Mr R. M. Macfarlane, chairman of the committee, said that Mr Boys had set out what these questions were. The order of reference contained 13 clauses, but it might be possible to narrow them down. Mr Broadfoot said that Mr tioys had referred to monopoly and licensing, and he presumed the committee had to deal with those questions. Mr Macdonald said it would be interesting to know exactly what had prompted the inquiry. Mr R. GirlingButcher, late chief inspector of films, had stated that the amenities in New Zealand theatres were higher and prices lower than in other countries. Mr Girling-Butcher had also stated that the information available did not disclose any outstanding evils in the chain operator-independent situation. It did seem that the present inquiry was somewhat different from the one in 1934, for that inquiry arose out of a series of disagreements between exhibitors and film exchanges. He thought the position would be clarified if they knew who had asked for the inquix-y. Mr Girling-Butcher said there had been certain representations regarding public safety in theatres, and representations had also been made from time to time by certain independent exhibitors who had a fear of what might happen in the way of monopoly rather than of what had happened. Mr Macdonald: From whom came the representations about public safety? Mr Girling-Butcher said that they had been made by certain trade unions.