The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-13
WILLOWS STORY.
His Reasons for Dscharging the Stage
Hands-Has Replaced Them by Union
Men.

His Reasons for Dscharging the STAGE
Hands-Has Replaced Them by Union
Men.
The trouble existing between the re-
Gently discharged stage hands at Lo-
tnrop's opera house and the manager
OF the house, Alf, T, Wilton. exclusively
announced in yesterdays Spy, still re-
mains unchanged, but Mr.. Wilton has
taken steps which will have a tendency
TO settle the matter to the interest Of
all parties in the next few DAYS.
About the first that the large major
lty or the people knew of the trouble
was when they read it in The Spy. yes
terday morning, and Mr.. Wilton him
self claims that The Spy told him facts
tnat he previously knew nothing about
AS STATED in these columns yesterday
morning, Manager Wilton received a
letter asking for The side which he had
TO offer in regard to the matter, the
managers version of the affair being
asked by Nj. V. Pickering, secretary of
the Boston Union, to whom David Dor
an, the retired stage manager, stated
mis- grievances, as well as those of the
other hands whom he represented.
Last evening Manager Wilton sent to
the Boston Union clear and straight
cut letter, which fully explained his DO
sition, and one which he believes will
place himself and his house properly
before the people. He makes no effort
to deny the fact that he did discharge
the men,7states that he had a cause for
doing so, and that in their places he
has put men of as good standing in
theatrical unions as any of the dis
charged men were.
To The Spy man, yesterday afternoon
the theatrical manager told his side of
the case. He was sorry that there had
been cause for any such comment and
seemed eager to have himself placed
properly before the people who patron
lie the house.
Manager Wilton said, in his interview
yesterday, that 1t was not because Of
any hatred he had for the employment
of union men, or because he could
get union men cheaper, that he
discharged the old hands and put in
new ones, but simply because in the
ordinary course of common business
transactions it developed that the men
were not working for the interests of
the house, would not comply to a re-
quest that he asked Of them, and there
fore he decided, as the head of the
amusement enterprise, to chop off few
heads, and get men who would take
orders from him.
There was nothing to trouble any
one until Monday morning, and then
there was TROUBLED enough" said Man
ager Wilton. Il asked the men if they
would work at scenic rehearsal, and
after some little argument, they would
not agree to do it. The stage manager
connected with the attraction was will
ing enough to do it, and all their men
were ready to assist, but Doran and his
men refused to assist at all
ION went the matinee; the show was
just as good with a less number of men,
giving, 1 believe, better satisfaction.
Monday morning 1 told the men
that their services were no longer re-
uuired, and at that time 1 plainly
stated to them the reasons why I dis
charged them. / told them out and
out that they were not working for the
interests of my house, and they knew it
as we'll as I do.
Now, the men discharged were get
ting the very best Of union labor wages
while in my employment, and I defy
any one Of them to prove that l have
hired anything else but union men, and
that I am not paying the same money
/ started Dave Doran in as stage man
ager at my house, with a salary of SIS
and the other men were given $40.
At this time, was running two per-
formances daily, and then, after time
1 cut the schedule of entertainments
down to nine performances weekly,
making the work of the men easier