The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-11-15
The Msnsgers' Association In Worry Hot
water.

recent attempt to d0mtneer over the indie
pendent press. Their proceedings have fur
nished food for laughter to other people, but
have been very troublesome to themselves.
Every newspaper not in their interest is COM
planning Of stupid performances, bad orches-
tras and q general decentralization Of the
drama. The theatre that most prided itself
upon its stock company has had to adopt the
star system in order to keep up Its houses to
something like the old standard. In private
the managers are uttering curses not loud but
deep against the foolish advisers who seduced
them into adopting course which has made
them ridiculous, and which they heartily
regret We do them the justice to admit that
they had no idea Of the consequences when
they passed the silly resolution against the
press which first brought their association into
conspicuous notice but they now find them
selves in remarkably hot water, and are rather
anxious to got out and apply pain extractor.
Still, much q we pity their selfimposed mis-
fortunes, we do not think that they have SUI
fered sufficiently for their sins, and we shall
not yet play the part Of good Samaritan.
As is usually the case with persons in their
condition, the foes Of the managers are Of their
own households. Two classes Of their employees
are already in revolt against them, and the others
are only awaiting proper opportunity to as
sumo hostile attitude. The musicians have
struck for higher wages, and the ballet girls do
not consider themselves well enough paid.
The scene painters and stage carpenters are ex.
hibiting symptoms of discomfort The stars
are grumbling because they have been cut of
from their customary amount of advertising,
and complain that the people of the provinces
now have no means Of knowing what actors are
playing in New York. The stock actors, being
under contract for the season, can take no overt
for the next season. They hold, and very
justly, that the idea of preventing an actor
from leaving one theatre to 60 to another when
there is no agreement to the contrary, is at
once absurd and tyrannical. In no other pro-
fession or avocation would such q rule be
tolerated for a moment There are associa-
tons in other professions-the Associated
Press for example-but none of them have ever
undertaken to hinder their employees from taking
service wherever they pleased and for the high
est wages they could secure. The associated
managers alone have the hardihood to attempt
to reverse the laws Of nature and of trade; and
while we may admire the zeal and determine
ton with which they started, like DON Quix-
ote, upon their novel crusade against the rest
Of mankind, we cannot but laugh heartily at
the ill-success Of their venture and OF the 0ppo-
sition from their own people that meets them
at every step.
We believe that the Broadway theatre is the
smallest regular dramatic establishment in the
city. Its manager belongs to no association,
and conducts his business in his own way.
While all the other managers have doubled
their prices of admission, and still refuse to
lower them to the old rates, he keeps his prices
ut the ante-rebellion standard. How is 1t that
this manager can afford to pay his musicians |
the reasonable advance in wages they desire,
while the associated managers decline to do
80, and prefer to inHict piano and organ music
upon their audiences ? We hear no boasts
from the manager Of the Broadway about the
immense fortune he is realizing; and yet he
quietly pays better salaries to the artists in his
orchestra than the associated managers are
willing to do, in spite of their declarations
that they are rolling in wealth. We call espe-
cial attention to this astonishing contrast.
Here is the manager Of the Broadway, who
conducts theatre at popular prices and
yet engages good musicians at satisfactory
wages, while the associated managers, who
have larger establishments and charge double
rates of admission, would rather torture the
public ear with orchestras of hand organs and
jewsharps than pay the poor musicians the
half dozen dollars week increase of wages
demanded. There must certainly be some
thing rotten In the theatrical Denmark. At
tending to your own business in your own way
must pay better than permitting an association
to manage your business for you. If at the
highest priced theatres the public find the
worst and the worst paid orchestras-to say
nothing of the other performances-they have
a right to know the reason. When we are
asked why we charge more for advertisements
than some other papers, we point to the fact
that our circulation exceeds that Of any other
four papers combined, and to the obvious in
ference that the HERALD is consequently the
best and cheapest advertising medium. But
the unfortunate managers have no such answer
ready. Their entertainments are the dearest,
but they are not the best. It is easy to see,
therefore, why they should not be popularity
patronized, and why the Managers Association
II now in such very hot water.
The CANADA SoARE.--The latest news from
Canada is that "the Fenian alarm con-
tinues;" that O double line of sentinels,