The New York herald., 1876-11-18
Ticket Speculate


invite calamity.
Ticket Spectators.
The theatre ticket spectators are like the
curbstone brokers in Wall street-they have
no local habitation and little responsibility,
and hang upon the outskirts of business.
This season, ns in ali scnsons, many COM
plants aro made Of tho monopoly they
secure of the best seats and the high prices
they charge. Certainly the public is plum
dered and the theatres aro ultimately
injured by o system which compels the
thcatrcgoer to pay two dollars for seat
which is adverti:ed at dollar and half !;
but the evil is not one to bo easily removed.
The speculator depends upon crowded
houses and the curiosity of the public to see
popular play. When q gentleman invites
a lady to the theatre, and finds that all the
good seats are sold at tho box Office, he
naturally falls an easy prey to the Spectator
on the street, and, rather than disappoint
the lady, submits to the extortion. Our
correspondents have insisted upon a reform,
and Mr.. McVicker, who desires to protect
Mr. Booth at the Lyceum, has undertaken
the herculean task of driving the specu-
lators out Of New York, as st. Patrick ban
ished the snakes from Erin. He proposes
an ordinance creating unauthorized peddling
of theatre tickets misdemeanor. The
passage of such an act is doubtful and,
were it passed, to enforce it would be diff
cult. All respectable managers would re-
joice to have the speculative system abol-
ished and would join in any combination
for the protection of their own interests.
hut they need the assistance of the public.
So long as people will pay premium for
the best seats in the theatre SO long will
the spectators have them on sale. The
laws of trade control the sale Of theatre
tickets rs they do that of grentor CON-
modities, and the only consolation the
public has for the evil is that the more
extortionate the premium the better is the
play and the performance.
Plans for Relieving tho Water Famine.
The water supply continues to excite the
greatest interest among the citizens of New
York, and we daily receive many communi-
cations bearing on the subject which prove
how diametrically opposed are the opinions
of the writer's. Thus, some advocate the
adoption of the meter as the only remedy that
can be successfully applied for the relief of
the city, while others defend the salt water
scheme as best calculated to economize our
present supply of Croton. In support of
the use of meters it is argued that we are
using or rather wasting recklcssly large
percentage of the water, and that if the con-
sumers were limited MS to the quantity
served to them and made to pay for the extra
consumption they would appreciate its
value highly. Other cities consume less
water and do not suffer any inconvenience
on that account, and why should not New
York be satisfied with reasonable quantity !?
1t is, perhaps, forgotten b. the advocates Of
the meter and n limited supply that no safe
comparison can be instituted between the
wants of New York and those of other, and
especially European, cities. The climatic
conditions nre SO different in the cases of
New York and London or Paris that no
parallel can be said to exist between their
respective requirements with regard to
water. The annual rainfall Of London is
much greater than that of this city; conse-
quently the necessity for the artificial flush
ing Of the sewers is not as great thore MS
here. The sewer system of London is more
perfect than ours and, therefore, is more
independents of cleansing operations. The
houses of London and Paris bear no COM
parison to those of New York in the matter of
water distribution throughout the structures,
and for one water tap that is found in the
houses Of either European city we have i've or
six at least in ours. We must not, therefore,
measure our own necessities by those Of
people who neither know nor desire m ex-
traordinary supply, and it is absurd to i'm
agne that the people of New York can be
brought to accept water ration that would
be deemed ample by the Londoners or
Parisians. With urprcsent system of sewer
age, which is about as bad as it can be.
nothing has saved New York from epi-
denies but copious and what the meterites
call n superabundant water supply. The
experiment of limiting this is too dangerous
for trial, and one which we hope will not be
attempted. By securing nm adequate source
Of supply, supplemented if necessary by
steam pumps in order to meet extraordinary
demands. it will cost as little to give the city
plenty Of water as a small quantity. The cost
of meters will foot up into the millions. Why
not spend this money on increasing our sup
ply instead of diminishing it? With regard
already suggested thorough investigation
OF the question, and if it proves both prac-