New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-13

DECISION or LAWSUIT WHICH DE-
CLARES AGAINST HIRED APPLAUSE.
From The Pail Mall Gazette

CLARES AGAINST HIRED ~ ''-'
From The Pail Mall Gazette.
An action for breach Of contract brought ny OH
of the leaders OF the Paris caque agnSt r a'
rector of the theatre with when NJ WdS -,
some little CONSERVATION among the class wmoni
II chiefly concerns The contract wa ~ oromnd
that hired applause is contrary TO pupc 0iGTi nd
good manners binders ne eXRTcsSon nf OF b paIns
pnblic This seems to be excellent cominon-srriilS'
and might well be- laH Ho lor he an .atters SO
differently I'm France that the decision VI ~, ,n
rinn Srritunai has an the charm OF the unexpected
The Paris caquc is much more thah " rt'.V! ,n,
Institution; il il not merely tolerated OF ot
quarters of a century IT has been a cqtnpifttbeE
9ersanized system regarded unassailaby withn
the boundaries OF law ana otu"i % lion II,
Judgment is in curious contrast WIN on Ell tI,r
Vienna on a cognate question not long slnce iirn
the fiscal authorities imposeG new an nr Pu npr
some the chef de claque oi lh G 'ou',
House That functionary app'alru 10 u, ,roins.
pointed legal tribunal hH' lnr ,,rfs being
marketable commodity. was legally suuJe'l 10
Il was in 1870 that he Paris claquers first be-
came amenab bic to anything like a general control,
for the purpose of systcma tzing the loose methods
10y which paid professona appauI, had hl,ngfno
That shrewd entreprencur not only, raised re-
cruits for the service. but trained mn mn for
Which thew We're destined. The manager Of a
theatre devoted 70 comedy, farce or N1uu,, ,y
had but 10 notify his requirements 10 the centr3l
ofice when he was duly supplied win sultaD"
contingent Of rcurs TRACED ana and ana
reqIiiirI Eilled observation-disclosures womcn-were
at h nn rea ahd TO 10 bstov The tribute Of their
cenary tears upon the wrongs ana sutirrlrss oi ue
core we're held in reserve for operas ana conceiis'
while to the commissaires and chatouillers was III.
trusted "A larger discretionary power III thr way Oi
leading applause according to the particular CIR
cumstances Of time and occasion Inc la(tor weIe
also charged with the unenNlSbt 4u.y os tr
oring TO suppress any manifestations OF llscQn-
tent among an audience and to stem the rising tlde
of disapproyal task calling or no si,a' ",nonasl
Of tact and experience. ana not always success-
During the seventy-hve years which have sine
elapsed. the claque system mas ungrfGont niig
modi0ca lions and has been re-csta bliShed ON an
9 ,b9 ,nrios forms Of dramatic Entertainment
and esncciallv the Increase In the number of the
Paris theatres. made the old methods cumbersome
and finally unworkable. For some years past the
been intrusted 10 few well-knOwn leaders. each
Of whom is responsible to certain number OF thea
piause There arr thus some haf-dozen groups
OF theatres. the director OF each nous, heIohslhS
10 one group severally contracting with th" same
chef de caque The 6nsn"f IS !, MOI an o9pr0nt1
bic one though AL engaged IN II are nor OF cOut7',
equally successful one OF the most rcmuncratiye
leadership- was held hy the lalf rGufneT ~H2
a million francs This gentleman had supplied and
for the Opera. Odeon. B0uii"S Anblsu folts
Dramatiques. and Menus Plaslrs-l"rhapS one "i
A. might perhaps BE- expected from it, position
and traditions the Theatre Francaise holds aloof
from these arrangements. Not that It's director
Rnep if entraIy within his personal control As
consequence the system finds It's expression I'm this
house in its least aggressive form The salary At
tached 10 the post OF chef d. claque at the Fran
caise Is small one. having been some time ago
reduced from about 1900 aunum TO half that
figure. The leader receives however for his free
disposal twenty free eats every night, which
amounts to a considerable augmentation OF his
salary. He attends the final rehearsals OF
plays, and makes notes Of the speeches and situa-
tions which the author ana stage manager wish
TO be applauded. But his functions are limited TO
leading" the public instead of cOercing them. Al
the Theatre Franchise also recalls left entirely
In the hands of the public. though the claquers
hre eXpected 70 suppOrl lhrm WHOM mAde.