AUSTRALIA TO MAKE FILM LEGISLATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18448, 26 April 1928, Page 10

AUSTRALIA TO MAKE FILM LEGISLATION.

COMMISSION’S REPORT ADOPTED IN PART. (United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) CANBERRA, April 24. In the House of Representatives the report of the Royal Commission which inquired into the motion picture industry was tabled. It contains fifty recommendations, but of these Mr IT. E. Pratten, Minister for Trade and Customs, pointed out, only nineteen could be acted upon under the Constitution as it at present stood. Mr Pratten stated, however, that the Government would immediately put into operation a substantial portion of the suggestions made, and would ask for additional constitutional powers to control the industry. The Government would establish a board of three censors for the whole of Australia, one of whom would be a woman, and also a board of appeal for exhibitors. In addition duties of foreign films would be increased from lid to 2d per foot. Films would be classified as for adults and children, and the production of Australian pictures would be encouraged. The Government would call a conference of all States for the purpose of arriving at an agreement by which the Constitution could be directly amended in the direction of giving the Commonwealth the necessary powers to control and regulate the motion picture industry on the lines indicated in the report. Mr Pratten added that there were 1250 picture theatres in Australia, in which £25,000,000 was invested. The annual attendance at these theatres was estimated to exceed 100,000,000 persons.—Australian Press Association.