New-York tribune., 1904-08-07
LYceurn Lecturers and Bureaus.
How Controlled by the Latter-Some Typica
Experiences.

folk lame for the season or course, L would
have made good to you"
"a few years ago $50 a night was about the
lowest for which a lecturer would be sold
The talent paid to the bureau which secured
them their engagements commission OF 20 or
p per cent. \ preacher who had a reputation
for saying things in an unexpected way could
command his price. The public man who was
talked about could maintain his yacht from his
platform earnings. while the returned traveller
could forget every privation as he travelled in
luxury about the country receiving $500
night This apparently easy way of making
money attracted others TO the lecture platform
who were confident of their ability to secure
wealth in the same way. With the flood OF
available talent and the rivalry of other bu-
reaus began the cutting Of prices. The talent
became more and more dependent on the mercies
or the bureau. If it did not accept the terms
offered. it found itself in competition with the
all powerful bureau and the latterS stock OF
talent for sale at cutthroat prices. and was
likely to secure few dates Speaking Of prices
paid To lecturers. the general public has an ex-
agEerated idea of lecture fees There are prob
ably not dozen men who professional lect-
urers command 500 a night the season through.
Such men Watterson. Hills and Bryan are
not professional lecturers. They receive more.
but they give only few nights . year to the
platform.
"A source OF the strength OF the bureau Is
the control Of the time of the talent Like the
wholesale grocer who contracts for the entire
output of canning factory long before the
goods which are 10 be canned have been har-
vested the bureau contracts for its talent long
before the season begins. This is done in order
to have stock hand which II can definitely
offer at an attractive price-One with which II
can compete with the other bureaus Having
the inside track on many OF the sources OF
engagements. it is in position to make offers
to the lecturer entertainer which they can
hardly afford to refuse
Many entertainers or lecturers are engaged
for stated periods of time. To one man. per-
haps. the manager of the bureau will offer $1,000
n wear and his expenses. To another he will
offer 81 900 and expenses for twenty weeks OF
his time. The latter. perhaps. would be sold
at $40 night With agents in ten States it
would not be difficult to make an engagement
for him for nearly every night. The profit on
such q contract for this period would be S2.OOo
Under the old commission system it would have
been no more than 81 600
This system of selling the use Of ones talent
by the week year bears hardest upon the
musical people. Usually the musical companies
are made up of four musicians and n reader or
entertainer Looking forward to the next sea-
son the manager Of the bureau says to the
manager of the troupe at the close OF a season:
we have more talent in your line than We
use l can put three companies in the place OF
YOURS All we can promise to do this year Is TO
take you for twenty weeks at $500 week and
pay your railroad expenses. We are taking big
risk at that. but this is the only way can
sell" you
LAS the company is likely to receive only
few dates if its relations with the bureau ara
on a commission basis. and It Is late to make
arrangements elsewhere. the troupe decides that
half loaf is better than 4 few crumbs and ac-