PONDERS TAFT-HARTLEY WAL

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would
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Wat«rbury,
1 Middle.'iex
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Heduced Clearances
[Asked by Markoffs
NEW HAVEN—Thcocioie and Joseph Miir-
Koff. doing business as the Moodus Tlieatie.
ind East Hampton Theatre. East Hampton,
have filed with Oliver Bishop, secretary of
|ihe American Arbitration Ass'n here, reluestinp
a ceiling of 30 days after first run
!n Hartford be set for the theatres. Rcpondonts
are the five majors.
The two theatres claim a hardship in booking
due to the lateness in booking and buying
by Middletown Theatres, operated by
Enterprises, Inc.. of which Morris
Pouzzner is the principal. Complainants say
:hey are forced to play pictures from 60 to
150 days old and older under the present setup,
and feel a 30-day ceiling after Hartford
relieve this situation.
Roger Mahan has intervened for the Carroll
Theatre. Waterbury. in the Alhambra.
complaint against the majors,
asking a 50-day ceiling after first run for the
theatre. The complaint
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awaits agreement
on hearing date. The Rivoli. Hartford, complaint
also has hit a snag on hearing date
agreement, because of summer vacations.
Interveners Appeal Award
In Anchor Theatre
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Case
BOSTON—New England Theatres, Inc.. and
Publix Netoco Theatres Corp. have appealed
the arbitration board's decision in a clearance
complaint brought by Anchor Theatre
Corp. Anchor named the Big Five in its
original complaint. New England and Netoco
p were interveners. Anchor operates the
Anchor Theatre, Kennebunk, Me.
The arbitrator granted the complainant a
clearance of 63 days after the Strand. Empire,
State and Civic theatres in Portland. The
State is operated by Publix Netoco. The
I award also granted the City and Central
theatres in Biddeford 44 days clearance over
the complainant's houses.
Rhode Islanders Rename
Stanzler as President
PROVIDENCE — Independent
Theatre
Owners of Rhode Island. Inc., meeting at
Hot«l Biltmore. re-elected all officers, including
Meyer Stanzler, president: Chester
Currie and Lon Vail, vice-presidents: Henry
Sperling, treasurer: Joseph Stanzler, recording
secretary: Theodore Rosenblatt, financial
secretary, and Ray E. Feeley, business
manager.
The executive committee includes the officers
and Maurice Safner. chairman: Henry
Annotti. Joseph CaroUo. P. J. Crowley. William
Deitch, John Findlay, Fred Greene, AI
Gould, Walton Harmon, Harry Horgas, P. J.
Marget. Fred Parker, Leonard Richter. Melvin
Safner. Charles Tobey and Henry Tobin.
ITO of Rhode Island is an affiliate of Independent
Exhibitors, Inc.. of New England.
which in turn is a member of National Allied.
The Rhode Island group was formed
about a year ago.
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Hartford Central PTA Tieup
To Go Into Third Season
HARTFORD—Hugh Campbell, manager of
i.he Central, will start its third consecutive
reason of Saturday morning Kiddy shows.
sponsored in conjunction with the PTA of
West Hartford, in September. Campbell has
ijeen playing Children's Film library pictures
in addition to films of general interest
to youngsters.
5^/3^ J^^ /^ Voted Out
Of Bay State Tax Bill
HONOR VETERAN—Benn Rosenwald,
MOM Boston manager, pins a 20-Year
service pin on Edward Dorkin, head of
maintenance in the Boston office.
Work Is Rushed in Dalton;
Drive-In to Open in July
DALTON. MASS.—The Briggs Open Air
Theatre, the first auto theatre in Berkshire
county, will open here during the first week
of July. It will be operated by a six-man
corporation now being formed.
A parking area to accommodate 500 cars
is being leveled and graded. Concession
booths are imder construction on the lot, and
toilets with running water are being in-
.stalled. Projection equipment has already
been obtained by the management and is
ready for immediate installation. The screen
is large enough to show a 30 by 40 toot picture.
The necessary permits have been obtained,
including permission to show on Sunday.
Principal stockholders in the corporation
are Edgar Briggs and his son Gordon. Other
corporation members are Marshall Briggs
and Charles Zdanis. Nicholas E, Krichenbar
and Alfred Boryta, Pittsfield.
Candy Is Back to 5 Cents
At Three Daly Theatres
HARTFORD—Joe DiLorenzo of the Daly
Theatre Corp. reports candy prices have been
dropped from six cents to five cents at the
Daly. Hartford: Plainfield. Plaiiifield. and
Capitol, Lowell. Mass. DiLorenzo. back from
a Westbrook, Conn., vacation, adds that a
new kiddy deal has been set for the above
three theatres, with roller skates to be given
away over a period of several weeks. Skate
deal was set through L. A. Kahn of New York.
Kahn has also scheduled similar giveaways
with Howard Richardson of State Theatre,
New Britain.
William Mortensen Named
Hartford Chamber Director
HARTFORD—Wiliam H. Morten.sen, managing
director of the Bu.shnell Memorial, has
been elected a director of the Hartford
Chamber of Commerce.
BOSTON—The ways and means committee
late Monday night i23i recommended only
enough revenue to balance the .state budget
and eliminated the proposed 2 per cent general
.sales tax. The new recommendations
do not affect admissions on places of public
amusement and if pas.sed by the house and
senate will place additional burden on liquors,
ale, horse and dog racing and corporate income.
Governor Bradford's omnibus tax bill providing
for $59,000,000 was overwhelmingly defeated,
and the ways and means committee by
refusing to report the .sales tax bill asked by
Bradford made it practically impossible for
.such legislation to be considered at this session
of the general assembly.
It was not decided whether the general sales
tax would have affected theatre admissions.
The recommendations of the ways and
means committee followed the submission to
it of a taxation program by the legislative
committee calling for a total of $194,200,000.
Western Massachusetts To'wns
Pace Property Tax Increases
SPRINGFIELD, MASS.—More tax rate
boosts for western Massachusetts and Connecticut
have been announced by various
communities, spelling higher costs for theatre
owners. The property tax increases, following
a general trend in Springfield and
other major cities, are dictated in the main
by generally rising costs for operating municipal
governments. Biggest chunks involved
in the higher rates, officials say, are
increased costs for municipal workers.
In Westfield, a $2 boost per each $1,000
valuation has pushed the 1947 tax rate up to
$39. Westfield is a major western Massachusetts
community.
One of the biggest jumps on record for the
area occurred at Wendell, where the 1947 tax
rate skyrocketed $9 a $1,000 valuation, pushing
this year's figure to the all-time high of
$45.
At New Marlborough, the assessors set a
rate of $35, as compared with the 1946 rate
of $32.60.
Also up sharply for 1947 was the tax rate
set at Leyden, where this year's figure came
to $45—an increase of $8 per thousand. Montague
shows a tax rate this year of $40,
marking a five dollar increase over last year.
In Bloomfield. Conn., a tax rate of 28 mills
on each $1 valuation was set, marking an
increase of two mills over 1946, while Rocky
HUl, Conn., set a 23-mill tax rate— the same
as last year.
Only reduction effected thus far in the
area occurred at Chesterfield, where the assessors
announced they had set the 1947 tax
rate at $43—a drop of $3 from the 1946 rate:
The rate reduction, however, was made possible
by the increase in property valuation
of approximately 17 per cent throughout the
town.
Harold W. Hall Appointed
District Deputy for K. C.
WORCESTER—Harold W. Hall, manager
of the Orpheum and Uptown in Gardner, has
been appointed district deputy for the
Knights of Columbus with supervision of
councils in Fitchburg, Athol, Orange, Winchendon.
Otter River and Gardner. He has
been grand knight of the Gardner council
three years.
BOXOFFICE :: June 28, 1947 NE 93