The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24

ms theL victory already peTCnts upon tnelf
banner, and saytthey propose to organize
road companies 10 20 on tour at once and
get up benefits to provide the very neces-
sary sinews Of war. 1.-THE i'll feeling that
has been engendered by what is very gem
| orally regarded as the unfair methods en-
ployed by the vaudeville performers in Civ
| ing no notice of their purpose to walk out
oil the theatres may be seen in what Is
said by both sides. Manager Keith, who
| IS perhaps the largest employer OF Vaude-
vile talen in this country, in discussing
| the matter, said;
Il have been very much worried over
| this sudden turn of affairs. for the rea-
| son that | had always considered the
| Vaudeviliians as my friends, and i am
sure that l have always been theirs.
have always tried to do the best l could
for them. and have reason to believe that
have helped great many.
| I make no threats. but say confident
| ly that / can go on presenting the same
| class vaudeville / have always given. /
| did not see the performance tonight, but
| MI Albee declares it is as good as any
We have had in weeks. and, by no means
inferior to the one we had last night
Mr. George Fuller Golden, the mono
| iogue entertainer who is generally re-
puted to be the founder of the order. and
! VINO is, in addition, it's president, says:
| The demands OF the order were just
and equitable and they must be complied
with or no Rat will ever play in a syndi-
| cate theatre
The 5 per cent commission must be
| abolished" said he. THE managers
| agreed to do this two weeks ago and they
have not kept their agreement. We know
they didn't agree as an association, but
as individuals, and it is their promise as
| individuals We ask them to keep. This is
not movement of the White Rats alone.
All vaudeville performers are in 1t.
Shall We stick? Well l guess yes-to the
bitter end. We are sending out one COM
pany of our own and we shall send out
more. We shall have benefits. too, and
we can live as long as We please. It's
hight to the finish, sure. No give UPON
our side, anyway.
That talk about our contracts is alb
surd. There was plenty of blank space
left in them and any equitable clause
that was omitted might have been written
in. They're only trying to gain time. And
we won't stand it"
Mr.. p. B. Chase the manager of the
Grand in this city and the general secre-
tary of the Vaudeville Managers Associa-
ton, and also proprietor of the Burke &
Chase Vaudeville Company, which suffered
by the detection of several of it's stars,
discussed the strike very freely. He said:
AT every meeting Of the Association
of Vaudeville Managers for the past three
months the question of abolishing the
per cent commission on the contracts of
performers has been discussed, and, as
all agencies have been dispensed with
since the formation of the association,
and as the managers have been book
Ing their acts direct with the artists.
there has appeared to me no valid reason
or excuse for deducting this commission.
| At the last meeting OF the Eastern branch
of the association held in New York City,
early this month, l offered a resolution.
| which was adopted, that We recommend
at the regular meeting of the entire as
ISOLATION. to be held on March 6, that
the commission clause be stricken from
all contracts for engagements after the
! first Monday in June. This action was
| not taken in response TO any request or
| demand OF the society known as the
White Rats. nor In pursuance of any
| agreement with them but the members
OF this society have now determined not
! to carry out their Individual contracts
| with members OF the association and re-
fuse to play our houses unless we abolish
commissions from this very date and
| waive the matter OF commissions in ex-
| isting contracts.
They go SO far as to ask US to abrogate
ell contraets4 with their members. Upon
| our part we cannot repudiate nor permit
| them TO repudiate existing contracts and
! mission clause which has been ia exist
| ence during the entire history OF vaude-
vile could not well be removed nor dis
| pensed with before June
| The White Rats further decree that
| their individual members shall not make
contracts with us. through the regular
channels, with the manager in person, nor
at our regular New York booking office.
but that they shall be made only through
\ the White Rats society at its Office in
| New York City. 1t is easily observable
that there is no question of difference be-
| tween us as to salaries. but II is as to
the place of booking and the time when
| commissions shall cease. We shall GER
\ tainly insist upon independence and the
| right to book our acts. with whom, and
where We please. and We will play such
| acts as please our audiences whether the
| person engaged be a White Rat, White
Star. White Mouse, or a member of any
| other organization.
| ION Thursday of last week. in order to
| force the managers into obedience, every
member OF the White Rats playing the
vaudeville houses of this country without
| any notice whatever, struck went off the
| stage. and walked out OF the several
| houses. The very same day all places
| were filled and the business went on as
| usual. II is matter of small moment,
| indeed, of very much less Importance End
| consequence than the public might be-
| lieve. as there are over three thousand
| acts in the business. of which only six
! hundred are members of this society.
am not opposed to the White Rats and
| will book and play its members In the
regular way doing business through the
regular channels. but l do insist. as do
! all my associates, that We shall run cur
| own business independently, claiming for
| ourselves freedom from any bondage
| Il have been overwhelmed since this
| little trouble began with applications from
some splendid road combinations that wish
| to book time with me during the balance
| of this season and IL should find myself
| Inconvenience in securing the very best
| of polite vaudeville bills | shall play at
\ my regular prices certain dramatic at
fractions in my theatres, of such standard
| worth, high merit, character, and repu-
| tatfon as will astonsh theatregoers aad
| create a revolution in prices Of standard
| theatre productions
| Viewed from the standpoint of the disin-
! terested onlooRer there can be but one re-
suit TO the contest and that is the ulti-
| mate but none the less decisive victory
| for the managers. who simply desire to
conduct their own business affairs as they
may see fit. The calling out OF the actors
| by the impulsive and mistaken gentlemen
at the head of the White Rats without
| first giving the managers an opportunity
to prove their sincerity in the matter of
doing away with the5 per cent commits
| sion was certainly decided mistake and
| one that will do moro toward influencing
| the general public against the order than
anything else they might have done.
| There can be no denying the truth of
| the claim of the men at the head of the
theatres that thereSss and always has
/