New-York tribune., 1900-05-30
OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION.


OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION.
Mr.. Keith, the president, made the following
statement regarding the association last
evening:
The object of the association is the regulation of
certain conditions which have grown such pro-
portions during the last two or three years as TO
business The association, however, is in any
the purpose of preventing by concerted action any
performer from obtaining reasonable wage for his
salaries of certain actors who have taken ad-
the subsequent brisk demand for acts to initiate
their salaries TO such point as to render II i'm
upon reasonably paying basis. -.,,.,.
Inc assoclauo tt4so ans 20 Ii.aAe posstnie tte
former. o0viating the heavy outlay for transporta-
ms h anager aitbar Girectv or hV the
with the competition which has enabled the per-
former 10 play house against house. or the East
against the West. and will effect Other reforms
which will place the business upon sounder com
last two or three years.
upheaval of existing conditions, and probably viii
not become FULLY operative for more than a year,
assocstion in breakin o6lfgatons aTea9v entered
into. In some instances these contracts embrace
the entire season and are SO placed mat the change
temporarily the mechanism of the houses. But
made none the less surely and for the first time
in the history of the amusement profession in this
country organization of vaudeville managers has
been effected which is based upon sound business
principles and SO framed as regards its internal
absolute permanency.
CONCESSIONS MADE.
It will be understood by those acquainted with
the conditions prevailing in the vaudeville world
that this unity of purpose has not been brought
There is probably not a member of the organiza-
ton who has not deferred TO his fellows on one
discussion might ensue has been met fairly and
squarely during the debate and constitution and
its individuay and the pooling Of interests ex,
The scope OF the association embraces the estab-
lshment of central booking agencies in this city and
Board of Managers. respectively. These agencies
are not a commercial enterprise m nor will they be
particular manager or combination of managers
other than the association a whole. A manager
will appointed take charge of each Office for
formers ascertaining their Salaries and open time
and transactlng other business pertaining to he
TO install personal representative If he desires.
p pass n9on ali acts desired The manager Of the
agehcy Is mere sLlPy LOT ee o. 5 Iu 1
assign acts, regulate time salaries in any
v,- ne gIs Eo 90 H7a-sare m % 1yhicb onca aa"b
week will simultaneously here and in Chi
cago to pass upon such matters as may come be-
lshed by telephone or telegraph, az may be neces-
sary, and these bodies viii judge the acts and az
houses. No manager will be forced 10 acts
portioning Beng 10 avoid friction by distributing
the "headIiners' in such an equitable manner thai
vantage another.
PRIORITY OF EMPLOYMENT.
The matter Of priority Of empoymen{ in cities t,5t:
where there are competing houses mas peen tu!iy
provided for. and the arrangement Is such that no
permanent advantage will be given one man over
temporary advantage at certain times. but those
advantages viii be duly debited and credited TO
the members as they occur. In the case OF new
acts discovered by any manager; he shall be en-
though in cases where it Is not practicapIe lot me
manager TO make immediate use or the turn
eu ] IrI m sJTcb tiIne as he himself can use it,
An act originated by manager will be allowed
him for a period Of weeks. that he may perfect
it in his own house; but such act must be OF ms
own devising and not merely a discovery. At the
expiration Of ten weeks must De oIereo 10 ne ne
fgure as the Board Of Managers may determine is
The production be 80 heavy that other managers do
not accept it, he may then retain II IN MS
Every effort will be made TO book the acts CON
tinuously and with as great an ot aTnete5 tha1
each will be booked in every house reps Nc
in the association, and the statement tnaI ny
weeks per year be given is not based upon d
Gac4at3n 9 m ma h arc Acts playing every house
could be guaranteed seventysIx weeks ana II Is
continuoas employment is advanced. II will be
,osstilie r5ar mis- arrangement 10 give wider
choice of acts to each house and the present policy
Of playing acts three times per year soIely pc
posing circuit will be done away with Moreover,
rho o. booking is arranged that acIS
pIavtng more than house in a city Will not De
kept in until the entire number OF houses nave
beer played but interval Of time Will be allowed
to fresheu the without very greatly benentihs
the railroad companies
Il is not the intention of the association to lessen
the quality Of the bill through the absence OF actual
competition. because II Is well understood that tAe
quality the performance cannot be cheapened
without materially affecting the attendance
The association just completed is oy no means
of mushroom growth. Il had its origin in The mind
OF Z. F. Albee, general manager or the Keith cir
cult. in March or last year when ne went 10 Chl-
cago While there a conversation on business topics
led 10 discussion OF the need OF some means or
regulating the vaudeville business Messrs. Castle
Kohl and Hopkins called attention 10 the agency
they had organized and suggested similar com,
o in the East. Mr. AIbee replied
that he had in mind a scheme embracing the entire
country. and received their assurance that they
were willing join such movement
OPERATIVE AT ONCE.
The organization, it was announced becomes