SOUND FILMS

Southland Times, Issue 21194, 22 September 1930, Page 7

SOUND FILMS

TAX ON INDUSTRY MR RANSOM’S RECENT STATEMENT. SIR VICTOR WILSON’S CHALLENGE (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, September 20. A reply to the acting-Prime Minister’s statement,on the crisis which has arisen through the new tax on sound picture films, has been made by Sir Victor Wilson, president of the Motion Picture Distributors’ Association. “I want to say,” said Sir Victor, “that the acting-Prime Minister struck a peculiar note when he said that he did not intend to allow any American corporation to interfere with the domestic affairs of this country.’ Surely he is not really serious. If he is, I would remind him to look up the files and ascertain exactly what the position was when Mr Forbes was here, when he stated that he would not attempt to go further by way of taxing the industry than the £30,000 he had budgeted for. As for the remaining eight months of the financial year our figures were accepted and that £30,000 became Government policy to which I subscribed. Mr Forbes is now in Canada, saying that unless the Canadian Government takes the duty off butter New Zealand cannot trade with her. That does not sound so absurdly illogical. It is actually analogous to our case. Unless the New Zealand Government is reasonable in the matter of taxation we cannot trade here.” Sir Victor challenges the Minister to prove that he made misleading statements and objects to Mr Ransom’s use of the word “lockout.” ‘

In conclusion, Sir Victor states: “In a recent statement Mr Ransom went so far as to say the British people offered no objection and were prepared to go on labouring under this confiscatory tax. I challenge Mr Ransom to consult the files of the Department and produce the cablegram sent to him by the managing-director of British Dominion Films. That cablegram was most emphatic in tone and as a statement has been made to strengthen the case of the Government, I ask Mr Ransom to publish it. If he does not I will, as a copy was sent to me in Australia by the managing-director of that company, knowing as he does the interest I have always taken in the development of British films. With regard to all facts and figures they have been submitted to leading auditors in this country in substantiation of our appeal for fair play. Surely the Government cannot treat them lightly.”