The morning times., 1896-08-16

| p IA hAl-ss u l<r kAE-D d bNE Is one OI the
| Y welEkDown- men of the profession
- He had something to say the other
day about the new syndicate chain OF
theaters, which includes the Lafayett
| Square and Columbia Theatcrs Of this city
| II have not found" said Mr.. Ryrne, that
| the new syndicate is an attempt at morop-
| oily, except in a s,ren way. OF course, the
| syndicate comprises q great many play
houses, hut there are just es many out
| side of their oontrol-and as good. The
| syndicate Is simply the union OF a number
ofimportant men, who, by coming together,
| may do things in Q more systematic man.
| ner than heretofore. Instead Of opposing
| each other, and thereby rendering terms
| for thefns selves, they will work in Genuine
ton, and probably enhance their fortunes
see no rvaSon why they shouldn't There
| is nothing, after all, rconoro,istic or BROW
beating IN their methods. They are based
| upon simple business propositions We
know-or most people in the theatrical pro-
| fe9sion do-that only within the last three
or four years have things bren brought
down to anyttinS lik kesystem. Hitherto any
| man with few dollars could form a COM
pany, go out on the road, and, il success
| ful, stay out: IL unsuccessful, come hack,
| owing everybody.
"Such Il concern as this syndicate will
| deal with no such managers to begin with.
! Tie members OF the syndicate are AL Hay
man, the T Frnhmans, Nixon Il Zimmerman
hitherto of Philadelphial. Rich & Harris
OF Boston, and Klaw 4 EIlanger. who con-
troll a number of thcaters in the South.
| This enables them to offer a continuous
| tour to any company worth bothering about.
They can, in IA ct. fill an entire season.
But let us Illustrate their methods by
taking such town as Pittsburg for an ex-
ample. Here they have secured the theater
known rs the Alvin-a good EoIse, but
| hardly the best in the town, SO far as draw
ing power in the past can prove that. The
syndicate guarantees the manager Of the
Alvin S75 Il week for his services. Then
they pay the running expenses of the thea
| ter for the year. which. it is computed, win
| amount to $1,000. But they do not pre-.
tend solely and only by themselves what
| Pittsburg must take or what Pittsburg may
want.
They submit to the managers a listof, say
fifty attractions, and from these he can
choose the ones he likes and reject those
he does not like. Naturally. In this list of
attractions come all the Frohman COM
binations.
''They number probably about fifteen.
The local manager chooses. sends back
his list to the central office, and they do the
booking. 1t is as simple as A B C.
''Tbe question now comes up, Does this
syndicate fnjure the business OF other
theaters? have it on authority OF num-
bcr OF men who run theaters that are not
in the syndicate that so far Il has been OF
advantage to them. For instance, the syn
dica,e says to first-class attraction like
Fanny Davenport or Francis Wilson: We
will give YOU so much, but you must
play, among other theaters, the Alvin in
Pittsburg.' But says Fanny Davenport,
4 don't want to play the Alvin. and won't
play the Alvin Then we are very sorry,
Miss davenport; but. II that's the case you
can't play Philadelphia. for we control an
thetheatersthere.' Miss sDavenportp prompt
~ cuts the argument short by aging:
Very well. I win skip Philadelphia, and
play the Grand Opera House in PittsburR.'
By this method the Grand gets an at
traction that always pays, and that It might
not have had but for the threat Implied in
keeping Miss Davenport out OF Phila-
deiphia because she wotldn't obey the
behests OF syndicate.
FRANCIS Wilson negotiated with the
syndicate. He wished TO be band loose
and foot loose 10 make Whist neKutiattona
ne liked and where he pIrssed. The same
thing took place, and Mr.. Wllsos w1s