New-York tribune., 1901-02-10
THE WHITE RATS.
AN ASSOCIATION WHICH THREATENS TO
MAKE THE VAUDEVILLE MANAGERS
LOOK LIKE BISHOP HATTO.


Several times lately the public has heard through
the newspapers of the White Rats. 1t has heard
Of their holding meetings and hearing speeches: it
has heard OF their receiving a present of lot for
the building OF a house; IL has heard Of their
lighting the vaudeville syndicate" 1t seems TO be
altogether energetic and determined collocation
of animals. and IT may be that some persons have
had their attention called them without quite
knowing what White Rats might be.
The White Rats is association of variety
actors 1t has been organized only about six months
but already II has some seven hundred members,
and its membership includes many of the best
variety actors IN the country-in fact the Rats
say. most Of them One OF the amusing things
about the body is its relations with the Vaude-
willie Managers Association. more commonly known
as the Vaudeville Syndicate. This association
consists Of most OF the prominent vaudeville
managers OF the country. Just the White Rats
include the actors. The attitude Of each body
toward the other seems be one of open friendli-
ness and furtve and ill-concealed suspicion There
is undoubtedly some antagontsm between them or
has been but there is also the fact which neither
side to acknowledge, that neither could very
well get on without the other.
The Vaudeville Managers Association controls
most of the important variety theatres all over
the country; the White Rats, individually. would
be sorry not TO able to play IN these theatres;
the vaudeville managers say that there are lfoeo
variety actors in the country. and they ask inno-
Gently why they should care for the possible de-
lection OF 200 OF them. The Rats reply that the
managers would probably care good deal seeing
that the 200 are the best in the calling; they say
that there are other theatres, and they speak
vaguely of a possible theatre of their own
All the while they are all of them saying that
there is no quarrel. disagreement. no danger
But II only last week that the danger broke
out In the form Of a refusal OF the Whlte Rats
employed at one of the syndicate's theatres to go
on the stage unless they assured of a redress
of grievances And what did the syndicate do?
Did it scatter Rough on Rats about the house. and
call on the remaining 16300 variety actors to take
the places of the half dozen aggreved ones? Not at
all Ii asked them to come back and said that if
they would everything should be arranged salts
factorily the next day. So the Rats came back,
and the day both sides let IL be known though
with characteristic caution. that everything had
been arranged satisfactorily.
The trouble in this matter OF D
per cent of the Rats salaries. The Vaudeville
Managers Association agrees TO book actors for
long tours and In payment for this service it takes
) per cent of the actors salary. Now. this busi-
nesslike accommodation the part of the man
ayers association might be avoided by an actor
who should simply make snort engagements Ior
time to time And So that the association may not
lose money tn-this way. the rule Is made that
ager of the association shall be taxed per cent
OF his salary for the benefit of the association any
way. The Rats objected to this tax. the more as
they had made an agreement among themselves
that after a certain date they would all of them
do all their booking through an agency of their
own The managers said that this was silly, be-
cause it would simply compel them to pay two
commissions. one to the managers association and
one to their own agency. while the establishment
of the managers agency, with its tax, simply
suited the raising of the salaries of the actors
enough to cover the tax
Be all that IL may. the Rats did object TO the
tax and left work. After few hours they went
back work, and the next day they said that
everything was beautiful whence il was generally
argued that the tax had been lifted But the
croakers still crOak of evils certain TO come.
The White Rats did band themselves to-
gether with any notion Of fighting anybody They
Intended be social and beneficiary order.
Whenever a White Rat dies his widow any other
person designated by him is at once to receive
81 OON The most remarkable thing about the order
has been its growth AS has been said. il has
grown TO membership of seven hundred in six
months and it Is reported that the treasury Is
full of money. Meetings have been held in one
hall and another, and each one has been rapidly
outgrown. Only men belong to the organization
but an affiliated body Of women is in process of
formation. to be known as the White Stars. The
membership of the White Rats Is not restricted to
variety actors. 1t already includes many actors
on the regular stage. Neither Is IL restricted 20
those who have attained comparative dignity In
their calling. There is no actor so humble long
he is reputable that he may not be a White
Rat. There now several hundred applicatio
for admission awaiting action. Thus body which
started with simple aims has found itself large.
and has begun TO suspect that IL is powerful
we'll. and thus ii has begun 10 make its power felt
Unprejudiced outsiders stand aside and say: cit Is
all very well II they can stick together. but
never can stick together