Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-27
STRIKE OF STAGE HANDS.
They Went Out ut the Academy Of Must,
hut the Play Went On.

They Went Out ut the Academy of Music,
hut the Play Went On.
For some time past trouble has been brewing
between the management Of the Academy Of
Music and their stage hands. Last evening the
matter reached elimination when, at the end
of the first act of 1.-THE Ensign" the stage
hands struck and marched out, leaving the
management to set tine scenery as best ii could.
Fortunately for the audience, the management
was equal to the occasion, and under the lead
ership of Mr.. A W. Dingwall, the manager Of
THE Ensign" company, and Mr.. Harry Rap
ley the ushers and the ticket takers we're put at
the disposal of Mr.. John Muier. the stage car
penter and everything moved along like clock
work.
Among the theatrical mechanics Of the Dis
trfct there is an organization known as the
Theatrical Mechanics Association, 672. K. Of
L." Of which Mr.. Joseph Behrens is the master
workman. The association numbers forty-fve
men. of whom eleven are employed at the Acad-
envy Of Music. In speaking Of the trouble last
night Fairfax Bontz, the master fyman, under
whose direction the strike was inaugurated
said: The most of us who belong to the The
strical Mechanics Association are skilled me
chanics who have trades of our own. We have
been working each night for IS week. and are
paid by the hour for extra work. which falls on
Sundays. What we want and have asked some
weeks ago is a raise to an even dollar per night
and an increase in our pay for hour work A
formal demand was made on the managers Of
the Academy three weeks ago. and they re-
fused TO listen to u.s. We decided tonight to
try a strike.''
In speaking Of the strike Mr. WV. Rapley, the
manager OF the Academy, said: IAN the trouble
that We have had tonight is the result Of q de-
sire on the part Of the mechanics union to step
tafo n u1. nf heat
The demands Of the men in regard to money
are fair in the main and would have no OBJ
lection to granting them, but there are other
things that they demand in the way Of restrict
ing the work Of the stage carpenters, and some
changes In the upper scale Of wages that are
not just. But aside from all that, want to
deal with my men personally and not through
. Walking delegate. There are serious respon-
abilities connected with the management Of a
large theater and the greatest of these Is the ques
non OF panic It does not take fire to start one.
The slightest whisper Of anything wrong be-
hind the scenes is liable to cause a stampede at
any time, with the gravest results. / will not
be placed in Il position where an outsider can
come upon the stage and at a word stop all the
work that is going forward and create confusion
that may be carried to the front Of the house.
I want to be captain OF my own ship, that Is all.
l think that all these differences can DO ar
ranged. but, no matter how that may be, there
will be no trouble about the future perform
ances if we all have TO go back and set the
scenes again az we did tonight"
Mr.. Harry Rapley said this morning that new
men had been hired to fll the places of those
who struck last night and that the perform
ances would be produced without the slightest
hitch He reiterated the statement of his
father which is printed above. He did not an
ticipate any trouble among the stage hands Of
the National.
Mr. Harry Fiske of Albsugh's Theater knew
nothing more of the strike than he had seen in
the press. mo intimation of any such action
on the part Of the stage hands Of this theater
has reached me and do not think there will be
any,"