FILM INDUSTRY

Southland Times, Issue 21219, 21 October 1930, Page 4

FILM INDUSTRY

RENTAL TAX CONSIDERED A "CON-

FISCATION.”

ATTITUDE OF DISTRIBUTORS.

(Per United Press Association.)

Auckland, October 20.

“The film rental tax is considered a confiscation,” said Dr Rayner, head of a chain of picture theatres in Auckland City and province, on his return to-day from Sydney. « "It is quite apparent, from the conversations I have had with. the head offices of the distributing firms that they are determined to resist, the tax by declining to do business with New Zealand. It means that there will be a great shortage of American pictures and I think that about 80 per cent, of the Dominion’s theatres will go into liquidation during the next six months unless, of course, the Government comes to some arrangement with the film renters.”

Dr Rayner added that New Zealand supplies are controlled largely from Australia and the instructions from New York were very definite. If the principal American producers continued to hold out it would mean a calamity as approximately £10,000,000 was invested and 5,000 persons employed in the industry in New Zealand.