The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-04-29

gone through this city. II it should, 1t will
bring out an immense amount Of the material
whereof psper is made, and will be Of great
public benefit In bringing down the price Of
that necessary article.
The Lyric stage and the Broadway
stages-Prices UP and Down.
On Monday next Max Maretzek begins new
operatic season with the Huguenots- provided
he can previously subdue q lot Of revolted
ohoristers-and puts his prices up. On the
same day the Broadway stage companies turn
over q new leaf and put their prices down.
There may be some quidnuncs who see In the
failure Of the stage companies to make money
at advanced fares premonition Of the fate Of
the gallant Maretzek; but there is distinction
with difference between the lyric stage and
the Broadway stages and this distinction is
very readily apparent from the consideration
Of few striking facts.
The reduction Of the stage fares to six cents
1s the result Of practical popular protest.
The people declined to ride at ten cents
head, and either bought private carriages for
themselves or improved their health by walk
ing, and developed their muscles by hanging
on to the straps of tho railway cars and pay
ing five cents for the privilege. These pedes-
trian and gymnastic exercises have had pre-
cisely the effect intended, and the stage
managers, finding that the more they charged
the less profits accrued to them, have resolved
to return to the old rates. and get rich more
slowly and surely. The fact is that six cents
is enough for ride In STAGE and the people
know it. In ordinary times, when money is
money, and not paper, six cents is rather more
than enough, and the people know that also.
1t was this knowledge which gave such deter
mination to the popular opposition to increased
fares, and now, that the passengers feel their
consent to pay even six cents for stage ride,
and will not insist that the stages ought to
carry passengers for the same fare as the street
cars Thus it Is that vaulting ambition often
overieaps itself, and an attempt to raise prices
often results In general reduction of the
same. If the stage companies lose money by
the operation let them learn wisdom from their
sad experience, make up their losses from their
past profits, and average" the matter, like
the stock gamblers in Wall street
But rise in operatio prices is az popular a.
rise In omnibus prices is unpopular. This
may be seen by q glance ct the audiences Of
any Of our theatres or visit to any Of our dry
goods stores. Almost all of the theatres have
quietly increased their prices of admission by
adding twenty-five cents here and fifty cents
there to the fees for reserved seats. Yet these
seats are always the 6rst taken at all of the first
class theatres. Indeed, it Is no uncommon thing
to find the dollar seats and the dollar and quar-
tor seats filed and extra camp stools obstruct-
ing the orchestra aisles. while but few people
are in the fifty cent part Of the house, and none
at all in the twenty-five cent gallery So at the
dry goods stores, whore cheap gooas-if any
thing may be called cheap now-a-days-are
suffered to lie unmolested on the shelf like the
canteen Of old John Brown, while the de-
mand for the dearest silks and laces
Is incessant Applying this principle to
the Opera, we deduce the corollarY that the not
extravagant increase in the rates OF the
Academy will prove as agreeable to the public
as we wish them to be remunerative to the
manager. We live in extravagant times, and
are willing to pay extravagant prices for luxu-
ries provided these Injuries be Of the best
quality and the right sort. II Maretzek offered
US bad music at high prices he would fail a.
suddenly as former impressarios have done; but,
since his artists are superb and his manage
ment excellent, We do not hesitate to predict
for him all the success he deserves, and for
tune greater than that which Macmillan hopes
to secure in the Mexican mines. That be may
do this, and that, as a preliminary step, he
may soon bring to reason the rsbellious choris
ters-whc, chock-full of notes, have often
struck for higher wages, and ought now to be
willing to strike up the music without further
bother-is the sincere desire OF the musical
public.