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THE FILM INDUSTRY
Commission's Activities
Other Nations Interested
Since the Commonwealth
coumnission on the fill industry
in Australia commlenced tatk
lng evidence, its members have
travelled 12,000 miles, have
visited every capital city in the
Cnommonwealth, and have exam
ined 160 witnesses.
Every avenue of enquiry is
being explored, and some idea
of the importance of the work
may be gauged fromn the fact
that £25,000,000 is invested in
the industry in Australia, and
Sthe box office receipts lunout
to £5,000,000 aunually. Tile
weekly attendance is 2,500,0000.
Australia pays America
£800,000 annually for film hire.
The members of the commission, Mr.
WV. Mt. Marks, M.P.. (chairman), Sena
tor VW. L. Duncan, MIr. F. Ml. ,:Porde,
M.P., and Senator H1. Gregory, arrived
at Launceston last night, and wvilt com
mence taking evidence at the Customs
House at 10 o'clock this morning.'Ml ss
J. Adams and Messrs. 1-i. Povenll (Ma
jestic Theatre) and Mr. F. B. Mason
(Princess Theatre) will appear before
the commission; and its members invite
evidenooe from any persons interested in
educational work, motion picture exhi
bition, or any phase of public n elfare.
The commission has been appointed
to enquire into and report on the mo
tion picture industry In Australia, par
ticularly into the importation, produc
tion, distribution, and exhibition of
moving picture films; the incidence and
effect of the Customs tariff uaon the
importation of such films: whether
American combines are detrimental to
tile position inr Australia;, 'whether a
national studio should be established;
the'sulficiency or otherwise of the exist
ing income tax law of the Common
wealth in relation to the industry; also
the income, profit, expenditure, and
losses of persons, firms, and companies
in connection with the industry, and
the amount of capital Invested in it.
•VELL-INFORMED CHAIRMAN
In order to make himself conversant
with the subject, the chairman (Mr.
Walter Marks, I:P.), has visited Holly
wood four times; also France, Ger
many, and Japan. Commenting on the
work of the commission last night, Mr.
Marks said that with an attendance of
150,000,000 annually throughout Aus
tralia in a population of 6,000,000, the
importance of the film industry as a
means of propaganda and in moulding
the life of the nation could be full:y
realised. In America, the film indus
try was considered the third or fourth
most important industry in tae country,
between £400,000,000 and £500,000,000
-being invested.
Alter taking evidence in Launceston,
the commission will again take evi
dence in Melbourne and Sydney until
Parliamnent meets on September S.
When the evidence in those two icties
is finalised,, the commdttee will set
about preparing its report.
REPORT AWAITED
From information recelved privately
by Mr. Marks, this report has beedt
anxiously awaited not only in Aus
tralia, but in America, Germany, and
France, the three most Important film
,producing nations of the wor,d.
"it might be said, therefore," said
Isr. Marks. in commenting on this
fact," that this report may be one of
the most important that the Common
wvealth has yet received."
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