The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-08
The aahita 1airu EAGLE aa1edueslau gore Aprir s. 1886

/
being one-third. But all charge, with
| out exception, for any excess of bag
gage. itself very important item, par
| ticularly with such combinations as
make a specially OF the spectacular.
| think these remarks apply to all the rail
| roads except the Northwestern, over
which we have been doing so much bus
| iness.''
Mr. Arthur Cambridge, so long a the
atrical agent, threw not little light On
the general subject.
He said in part:
1--WE used to get a tWo-third rate for
| theatrical people, whether for few or
more. But this pool business, and es-
| pecially the interstate commerce bill,
has come in to change the situation de-
| cidedly. Latterly, the roads are aw-
fully strict. We used TO have a pass
for the agent; also the business agent
| would have a pass, but now neither gets
anything. Where in the case of very
| numerous troupes, the roads do now
! make rate, the agent goes ahead and
when the company returns home it gets
a rebate on the regular figure, one third
as a maximum. But every last cOndi-
ton has got TO be complied with. To get
| the least shading on the schedule you
| have TO have ten people or more on one
| book; otherwise you don't get a rate.
All railroad companies have their conf
| Dental business; they don't want the
right hand to know what the left hand
| does. You can get more favors from
an Eastern road than from those in the
west, where they are awfully stiff.
With such western roads as the North
western, the Milwaukee and St Paul,
| you can't do thing. 1 know from my
| own theatrical business that they are
exceedingly strict; one practically can
| do nothing with them. / used 10 have
annual passes over al the roads sent
| TO me January l. They used TO come
and solicit theatrical trade; now we
have TO go round and hustle to make
rates.
LAS to any three companies, or other
number, laying off, have no particular
| information; but IL is not infrequent in
holy week for companies to take a
weeks holiday. They quite often lay
| off the week before Christmas week I
| hope the 2 cent rate is not gone for good
Sometimes a special car or even a
| train is chartered, and 1 have known of
| troupes travelling as second class.
IF this drastic news is true, that all
| concessions are to be stopped, there will
| be stiff rules and regula tions for a
time; but the contracts viii be broken.
There is always a loophole somewhere
| to escape.
THE effect Of the new departure, If
! ii really is official, must be destructive
| to some Of the organizations on the
road. The cost of railroad tickets TO
| theatrical people is always a terrible
| item. The fares count up, especially
where there is long jump. The rates
deter great many companies from go
| ing through the country, beyond a linn
| tied circuit. When a manager is even
| doing very well, he says he will not go
| to Denver, for instance, or Omaha and
that country; the railroads drive him
| home. Thus Abbey and Grau, though
| coming to Chicago, said they could not
| afford to carry their people to st. Paul
and Omaha. AS to the effect of railroad
| fares heretofore, they have VIGOROUSLY
| eaten up all the profit of not a few COM
panies, as, for instance, Dave Hender-
sons, who at times had over 100 people
on the road
Manager L. L. Sharpe Of McVicker's
said:
Il don't believe there is to be any pro-
nounced change. Already, and ever
since January, the roads have refused
to carry any excess baggage for the
theatrical people. They have to pay
roundly for every extra pound. They
are also very particular to exact min
imum of people before giving club
rates. Even these in some directions
are not available. l know that on ac-
count Of the transportation difficulties
Manager Bradley cancelled his plans for
coming to this city. Other changes
of plan have no doubt the same cause
if the facts were known
At the Schiller, Mr.. Herman Baker
said, in the absence from town Of Mr.
La Motto:
Il have heard that the railroads form
ed a combination that went into effect
the first of the year. / have not heard
of any theatrical company as yet go
ing out Of the business on account of
that or any later development. Not
unlikely the poor business al some point
which has retired some troupe, has this
important factor about il. The rail-
roads are living right up 10 their agree
ment. 1t is pretty hard TO get a rate
Of any kind; in fact, you cannot get any
rate out Of them; not the slightest re-
duction from the regular rate. A num-
Der of companies that have been here
have made that complaint, that they
have not been able TO get any concession
from the railroads, no matter how many
people they carried. II will hurt the
repertory compaies very much"
At the. Chicago Opera Eousc, SIR
Thomas Fitzpatrick, in the absence of
the manager said:
1T is well settled that the railroads
make concessions only 10 parties, troupes
NUMBERING at least ten people: / have
not heard Of any companies going out
of business on account of the fares of
travel. 1 understand that Katie En-
NETT has just closed, but l don't know
for what reason The roads won't car
~ one pound Of baggage in excess of
the scheduled amount. That is a new
departure of the past three months.
The roads will themselves lose by it"