§ Mr. KELLYI beg to move, in page 5, to leave out from the word " effect," in line 21, to the end of line 26. 778 This Clause deals with the correction of the register either because the length of the film has been altered or because of some inaccuracy at the time of registration. The Clause gives the power to alter the certificate. Sub-section (2) says that on the issue of an amended certificate the former certificate shall cease to have effect. We ask in our Amendment that the Sub-section should stop there. There is no need for the words which follow:
except that the Board of Trade may in any particular case allow the film to be counted for the purposes of the provisions of Part III of this Act relating to renters' and exhibitors' quotas as being of the length originally registered, or as a British film, as the case may be.It does not appear to us that there is any justification for giving the Board of Trade the power of altering the certificate and then of counting this particular film in its original form as complying with the quota. This appeared to us at one stage as a matter in which the Board of Trade might well have consulted the advisory committee, but they have not seen fit to provide for that, and we hold that it is quite sufficient to have the words down to the word "effect."
§ Colonel DAYI beg to second the Amendment.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI do not think the hon. Gentleman has apprehended what his Amendment would do or what is the object of the words which he proposes to omit. The object is that a renter or exhibitor who has bona fide taken a film as being of a given length or character shall not be prejudiced. That, surely, is right. The renter or exhibitor could not know that the film was of a different length from the registered length. He could not know that it was not a British film, though registered as such. The object of the words is that anybody who, in good faith, has entered into a transaction, basing himself upon the registered character of the film, shall be able to maintain his position and shall be able to count the film for quota in spite of the fact that it differs from the original. If I were to accept the Amendment it would mean that, although the exhibitor or renter had taken the film in good faith, he would no longer be able to count it for quota.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODThere is a great deal of sound sense in what the right hon. Gentleman has said, but it does not apply to the words in the Bill. We think that when a renter or exhibitor finds that the film he has bought is not the right thing he ought not to be accounted a criminal because his quota is not reached for that reason. If the right hon. Gentleman reads these words he will find that it will depend on the Board of Trade as to whether such a person is accounted a criminal or not. It is all very well for the right hon. Gentleman to say that he means to exempt every man who has made a bona fide mistake—every innocent person—but why should he state in the Bill that every innocent person is to escape? What we object to is leaving matters which may lead to criminal prosecutions, which, in fact, ought to lead to criminal prosecutions, absolutely to the discretion of the right hon. Gentleman. I understand he is going to make a considerable concession later on by no longer counting changes in film lengths of less than 10 per cent., so that there will not be many alterations in the lengths of films requiring a correction of the register. But there will still be a few alterations. Supposing there is a case where the renter has bought from the producer a film which ought to be 6,000 feet but when it is actually sold to him it turns out to be 5,000 feet. He bona fide bought it at 6,000 feet, but finds it is only 5,000 feet, and the right hon. Gentleman says that that man ought, as a bona fide purchaser, to be relieved of the criminal prosecution which should ensue. That is only one case, unfortunately. I am thinking of the small exhibitor who takes the second or third run of a film. Films, I am told, which started at 2,000 feet often enough come to the third or fourth man at something like 1,200 feet. They have been cut down
§ and cut down till the people who look at the film hardly see there is any sequence in it. That is the worst of seeing a film on its fourth run.
Captain A. EVANSBefore that process is put into operation, the film is returned to the renting company, re-edited, and sent out again.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODThe exhibitor has bought it for, say, 2,000 feet from the renter, and long before it gets to him it turns out to be a much shorter film. There, too, the man is damnified if he cannot get relief. If he has counted 2,000 feet for his quota, and it turns out that it is only 1,200 feet, if he cannot get relief, he is liable to all the pains and penalties under this Bill. The right hon. Gentleman in such a case would say: " I have no intention whatever of bullying such a man as that or of running him in." Then why allow all these risks, and make the only exceptions to people who can get to the Board of Trade and persuade them that they ought not to be prosecuted 1 It is easy for the big man with a 6,000 feet super-film to get to the Board of Trade, and to get excused, but it is the small man of whom I am thinking. There are numbers of them, and I believe that they should have a right and not a charity given from the Board of Trade. We want to leave out these words, because the relaxation of the rule is left to the personal decision of the President of the Board of Trade. I object to that, and I believe that these people ought not to be injured in what they bought for quota by the fact that when it does turn up it is less in length than it ought to be.
§ Question put, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Bill."
§ The House divided: Ayes, 245; Noes, 119.
783| Division No. 331.] | AYES. | [10.44 p.m. |
| Acland-Troyte, Lieut.-Colonel | Bethel, A. | Bullock, Captain M. |
| Agg-Gardner, Rt. Hon. Sir James T. | Betterton, Henry B. | Cadogan, Major Hon. Edward |
| Albery, Irving James | Birchall, Major J. Dearman | Calne, Gordon Hall |
| Alexander, E. E. (Leyton) | Bird, E. R. (Yorks, W. R., Skipton) | Campbell, E. T. |
| Allen, J. Sandeman (L'pool, W. Derby) | Bird, Sir R. B. (Wolverhampton, W.) | Cassels, J. D. |
| Applin, Colonel R. V. K. | Bourne, Captain Robert Croft | Cautley, Sir Henry S. |
| Apsley, Lord | Bridgeman, Rt. Hon. William Clive | Cayzer, Sir C. (Chester, City) |
| Astor, Maj. Hn. John J. (Kent, Dover) | Briggs, J. Harold | Cayzer, Maj. Sir Herbt, R.(Prtsmth, S.) |
| Balfour, George (Hampstead) | Brittain, Sir Harry | Cazalet, Captain Victor A. |
| Barclay-Harvey, C. M. | Brocklebank, C. E. R. | Cecil, Rt. Hon. Sir Evelyn (Aston) |
| Barnston, Major Sir Harry | Broun-Lindsay, Major H. | Chadwick, Sir Robert Burton |
| Beamish, Rear-Admiral T. P. H. | Brown, Brig.-Gen. H.C. (Berks, Newb'y) | Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. N. (Ladywood) |
| Bellairs, Commander Carlyon W. | Buchan, John | Chapman, Sir S. |
| Bentinck, Lord Henry Cavendish- | Buckingham, Sir H. | Charteris, Brigadier-General J. |
| Clayton, G. C. | Hoare, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir S. J. G. | Rawson, Sir Cooper |
| Cobb, Sir Cyril | Hogg, Rt. Hon. Sir D.(St. Marylebone) | Reid, D. D. (County Down) |
| Cochrane, Commander Hon. A. D. | Hope, Capt. A. O. J. (Warw'k, Nun.) | Rhys, Hon. C. A. U. |
| Cockerill, Brig.-General Sir George | Hope. Sir Harry (Forfar) | Richardson, Sir P. W. (Sur'y, Ch'ts'y) |
| Conway, Sir W. Martin | Hopkins, J. W. W. | Roberts, E. H. G. (Flint) |
| Cope, Major William | Howard-Bury, Colonel C. K. | Ropner, Major L. |
| Couper, J. B. | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) | Ruggles-Brise, Lieut.-Colonel E. A. |
| Crooke, J. Smedley (Deritend) | Hume, Sir G. H. | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) |
| Crookshank, Col. C. de W. (Berwick) | Huntingfield, Lord | Salmon, Major I. |
| Crookshank, Cpt. H. (Lindsey, Galnsbro) | Hurd, Percy A. | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) |
| Cunliffe, Sir Herbert | Iliffe, Sir Edward M. | Sandeman, N. Stewart |
| Curzon, Captain Viscount | Inskip, Sir Thomas Walker H. | Sanderson, Sir Frank |
| Dalkeith, Earl of | Jones, G. W. H. (Stoke Newington) | Sandon, Lord |
| Davidson, Major-General Sir John H. | Kennedy, A. R. (Preston) | Sassoon, Sir Philip Albert Gustave D. |
| Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovl') | Kidd, J. (Linlithgow) | Savery, S. S. |
| Davies, Dr. Vernon | Kindersley, Major Guy M. | Shaw, R. G. (Yorks, W.R., Sowerby) |
| Dawson, Sir Philip | King, Commodore Henry Douglas | Sheffield, Sir Berkeley |
| Dean, Arthur Wellesley | Kinloch Cooke, Sir Clement | Shepperson, E. W. |
| Drewe, C. | Knox, Sir Alfred | Skelton, A. N. |
| Eden, Captain Anthony | Lamb, J. Q. | Slaney, Major P. Kenyon |
| Edmondson, Major A. J. | Lane Fox, Col. Rt. Hon. George R. | Smith, R. W. (Aberd'n & Kinc'dine, C.) |
| Elliot, Major Walter E. | Lister, Cunliffe-, Rt. Hon. Sir Philip | Smith-Carington, Neville W. |
| Erskine, Lord (Somerset, Weston-s.-M.) | Little, Dr. E. Graham | Smithers, Waldron |
| Erskine, James Malcolm Monteith | Locker-Lampson, G. (Wood Green) | Somerville, A. A. (Windsor) |
| Evans, Captain A. (Cardiff, South) | Loder, J. de V. | Spender-Clay, Colonel H. |
| Everard, W. Lindsay | Long, Major Eric | Sprot, Sir Alexander |
| Fairfax, Captain J. G. | Lucas-Tooth, Sir Hugh Vere | Stanley, Lieut.-Colonel Rt. Hon. G. F. |
| Falle, Sir Bertram G. | Luce, Major-Gen. Sir Richard Harman | Stanley, Lord (Fylde) |
| Fanshawe, Captain G. D. | Lumley, L. R. | Stanley, Hon. O. F. G. (Westm'eland) |
| Fermoy, Lord | MacAndrew, Major Charles Glen | Steel, Major Samuel Strang |
| Ford, Sir P. J. | Macdonald, Capt. P. D. (I. of W.) | Stott, Lieut.-Colonel W. H. |
| Forrest, W. | Macdonald, R. (Glasgow, Cathcart) | Streatfeild, Captain S. R. |
| Foxcroft, Captain C. T. | MacIntyre, Ian | Stuart, Crichton-, Lord C. |
| Fraser, Captain Ian | McLean, Major A. | Stuart, Hon. J. (Moray and Nairn) |
| Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. | Macmillan, Captain H. | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Murray Fraser |
| Galbraith, J. F. W. | Macnaghten, Hon. Sir Malcolm | Sugden, Sir Wilfrid |
| Ganzoni, Sir John. | Macquisten, F. A. | Thom, Lt.-Col. J. G. (Dumbarton) |
| Gates, Percy | Mac Robert, Alexander M. | Thompson, Luke (Sunderland) |
| Gibbs, Col. Rt. Hon. George Abraham | Maltland, Sir Arthur D. Steel- | Thomson, Rt. Hon. Sir W. Mitchell |
| Gilmour, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir John | Makins, Brigadier-General E. | Titchfield, Major the Marquess of |
| Goff, Sir Park | Manningham-Buller, Sir Mervyn | Tryon, Rt. Hon. George Clement |
| Gower, Sir Robert | Margesson, Captain D. | Vaughan-Morgan, Col. K. P. |
| Grace, John | Marriott, Sir J. A. R. | Ward, Lt.-Col. A.L.(Kingston-on-Hull) |
| Graham, Fergus (Cumberland, N.) | Meller, R. J. | Warner, Brigadier-General W. W. |
| Grattan-Doyle, Sir N. | Merriman, F. B. | Warrender, Sir Victor |
| Greaves-Lord, Sir Walter | Milne, J. S. Wardlaw- | Waterhouse, Captain Charles |
| Greene, W. P. Crawford | Mitchell, S. (Lanark, Lanark) | Watson, Rt. Hon. W. (Carlisle) |
| Grenfell, Edward C. (City of London) | Mitchell, W. Foot (Saffron Walden) | Watts, Dr. T. |
| Grotrian, H. Brent | Moore, Sir Newton J. | Wells, S. R. |
| Guinness, Rt. Hon. Walter E. | Moore-Brabazon, Lieut.-Col. J. T. C. | White, Lieut.-Col Sir G. Dalrymple |
| Gunston, Captain D. W. | Morden, Colonel Walter Grant | Wiggins, William Martin |
| Hacking. Captain Douglas H. | Moreing, Captain A. H. | Williams, A. M. (Cornwall, Northern) |
| Hall, Lieut.-Colonel Sir F. (Dulwich) | Morrison, H. (Wilts, Salisbury) | Williams, Com. C. (Devon, Torquay) |
| Hall, Capt. W. D'A. (Brecon & Rad.) | Murchison, Sir Kenneth | Williams, Herbert G, (Reading) |
| Hammersley, S. S. | Nail, Colonel Sir Joseph | Wilson, R. R. (Stafford, Lichfield) |
| Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Nelson, Sir Frank | Winby, Colonel L. P. |
| Harmsworth, Hon. E. C. (Kent) | Nicholson, O. (Westminster) | Windsor-Clive, Lieut.-Colonel George |
| Harrison, G. J. C. | Oakley, T. | Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl |
| Hartington, Marquess of | O'Connor, T. J. (Bedford, Luton) | Withers, John James |
| Harvey, G. (Lambeth, Kennington) | Ormsby-Gore, Rt. Hon. William | Wolmer, Viscount |
| Hawke, John Anthony | Penny, Frederick George | Womersley, W. J. |
| Headlam, Lieut.-Colonel C. M. | Percy, Lord Eustace (Hastings) | Wood, B. C. (Somerset, Bridgwater) |
| Henderson, Capt. R. R. (Oxf'd, Henley) | Perkins, Colonel E. K. | Wood, E. (Chest'r, Stalyb'ge & Hyde) |
| Henderson, Lt.-Col. Sir V. L. (Bootle) | Philipson, Mabel | Wood, Sir Kingsley (Woolwich, W.) |
| Heneage, Lieut.-Colonel Arthur P. | Pilcher, G. | Yerburgh, Major Robert D. T. |
| Henn, Sir Sydney H. | Power, Sir John Cecil | |
| Hennessy, Major Sir G. R. J. | Price, Major C. W. M. | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Herbert, Dennis (Hertford, Watford) | Raine, Sir Walter | Capt. Bowyer and Mr. F. C. |
| Hilton, Cecil | Ramsden, E. | Thomson. |
| NOES. | ||
| Adamson, Rt. Hon. W. (Fife, West) | Bromley, J. | Duncan, C. |
| Adamson, W. M. (Staff., Cannock) | Brown, Ernest (Leith) | Dunnico, H. |
| Alexander, A. V. (Sheffield, Hilllsbro') | Brown, James (Ayr and Bute) | Garro-Jones, Captain G. M. |
| Baker, J. (Wolverhampton, Bilston) | Buchanan, G. | Gibbins, Joseph |
| Baker, Walter | Buxton, Rt. Hon. Noel | Gillett, George M. |
| Barker, G. (Monmouth, Abertillery) | Cape, Thomas | Gosling, Harry |
| Barnes, A. | Charleton, H. C. | Graham, D. M. (Lanark, Hamilton) |
| Batey, Joseph | Cluse, W. S. | Graham, Rt. Hon. Wm. (Edin., Cent.) |
| Bondfield, Margaret | Connolly, M. | Greenall, T. |
| Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Dalton, Hugh | Greenwood, A. (Nelson and Colne) |
| Broad, F. A. | Day, Colonel Harry | Grenfell, D. R. (Glamorgan) |
| Bromfield, William | Dennison, R. | Griffiths, T. (Monmouth, Pontypool) |
| Groves, T. | Montague, Frederick | Sullivan, J |
| Grundy, T. W. | Morrison, R. C. (Tottenham, N.) | Sutton, J. E. |
| Hall, F. (York, W.R., Normanton) | Murnin, H. | Thomas, Rt. Hon. James H. (Derby) |
| Hall, G. H. (Merthyr Tydvll) | Naylor, T. E. | Thomson, Trevelyan (Middlesbro, W.) |
| Hardle, George D. | Oliver, George Harold | Thurtle, Ernest |
| Hartshorn, Rt. Hon. Vernon | Owen, Major G. | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Hayday, Arthur | Palln, John Henry | Townend, A. E. |
| Hayes, John Henry | Paling, W. | Varley, Frank B. |
| Henderson, Right Hon. A. (Burnley) | Parkinson, John Allen (Wigan) | Vlant, S. P. |
| Hirst, G. H. | Pethick-Lawrence, F. W. | Watson, W. M. (Dunfermline) |
| Hirst, W. (Bradford, South) | Potts, John S. | Watts-Morgan, Lt.-Col. D. (Rhondda) |
| Jenkins, W. (Glamorgan, Neath) | Riley, Ben | Wedgwood, Rt. Hon. Josiah |
| John, William (Rhondda, West) | Ritson, J. | Wellock, Wilfred |
| Jones, Henry Haydn (Merioneth) | Robinson, W. C. (Yorks, W. R., Elland) | Welsh, J. C. |
| Jones, J. J. (West Ham, Slivertown) | Rose, Frank H. | Westwood, J. |
| Kelly, W. T. | Salter, Dr. Alfred | Wheatley, Rt. Hon. J. |
| Kennedy, T. | Scrymgeour, E. | Whiteley, W. |
| Kenworthy, Lt.-Com. Hon. Joseph M. | Scurr, John | Wilkinson, Ellen C. |
| Kirkwood. D | Shaw, Rt. Hon. Thomas (Preston) | Williams, C. P. (Denbigh, Wrexham) |
| Lansbury, George | Short, Alfred (Wednesbury) | Williams, David (Swansea, East) |
| Lawrence, Susan | Sitch, Charles H. | Williams, T. (York, Don Valley) |
| Lawson, John James | Smith, Ben (Bermondsey, Rotherhithe) | Wilson, C. H. (Sheffield, Attercliffe) |
| Lowth, T. | Smith, H. B. Lees- (Keighley) | Wilson, R. J. (Jarrow) |
| Lunn, William | Snell, Harry | Wright, W. |
| Mac Donald, Rt. Hon. J. R. (Aberavon) | Snowden, Rt. Hon. Philip | Young, Robert (Lancaster, Newton) |
| MacLaren, Andrew | Spoor, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Charles | |
| Maclean, Nell (Glasgow, Govan) | Stamford, T. W. | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| March, S. | Stephen, Campbell | Mr. Charles Edwards and Mr. T. |
| Maxton, James | Strauss, E. A. | Henderson. |
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cc783-5
- CLAUSE 9.—(Power to require reference to High Court.) 878 words cc785-94
- HONOURS (SALE). 3,202 words