The San Francisco call., 1904-06-12

too. he would spend most Of the time IN
one place, playing to a single city. and
you know an actor finds satisfaction
and pleasure in going from place to
place. meeting many people and hear
ing the applause of audiences in diff
ferent parts Of the country
During our tours in Europe" Sousa
says, I'VE discovered a number of Off
cfal and business customs that seemed
strange after long acquaintance with
American methods. For instance. in
Paris the Government takes 10 per cent
of the gross receipts of all amusements
for the support of the charities. In
Russia the same tax is exacted. but it
is collected from the public instead of
the attraction, by the addition of a
small amount to the price of each
ticket. In Paris a reserved seat pur-
chased before the entertainment costs
more than the regular box Office price,
while in Germany it costs less. 1t is
all in the point of view.
I'm several places where more than
one language is current we had to make
our advertising announcements in poly
glOt form. As, for instance, in Warsaw
the posters had to be printed in Rus
sian and Polish. while in Prague both
the Bohemian and German languages
were employed.
1.-The laws of Russia require all pro-
grammes to be submitted to the official
censor for his approval. and while 1
was playing in Berlin a telegram came
from the advance agent, who was in
st. Petersburg, making the final ar
rangements, stating that it would be
necessary to file the words Of the songs
that our soprano was to sing with this
official The song words were dispatch
ed on the next train, but before they
arrived the agent received another de-
mand for them. He rose to the occa-
sion and wrote out the verses of the
only songs he could remember. They
happened to be Annie Rooney and
Marguerite while our soprano. Miss
Liebling. really sang the mad scene
from Lucia and similar numbers at
the concerts. However. no one seemed
to be the wiser or the least distressed"
The old question of the joint en-
gagement of husbands and wives is
again being discussed in theatrical cir
cles, owing probably to the fact that
good many managers in their selections
for next season are showing a dispO-
sition to draw the line more strictly
than ever before. A young leading man,
whose wife is a talented actress, un-
bosomed himself on this subject the
other day to the New York Dramatic
Mirror.
''I believe that ninety per cent Of the
matrimonial shipwrecks in the profess
sion are due to separate engagements,
said he. "At best, the migratory char
acter of professional life is opposed to
domesticity, but scarcely any life in
common is open to the professional
man and wife unless they are able to
fill joint engagements. and 1 believe
firmly that that is why we have so
many unfortunate experiences.
"The objections of managers to en-
gaging husbands and wives are mostly
based on unfounded prejudice. Married
couples, as a rule. are willing to make
material sacrifices in respect to salary
in order to be together in the same
company; they are better cOntented and
usually find a greater interest in their
work and consequently do better work:
they prize the opportunity to preserve
a semblance, at any rate, of the mar
ried existence of other classes of peo-
pie. and experience has proved that
their managers find them more re-
liable.
1T is a curious thing a demoral-
izing one, too-that many of the man
ayers who disapprove strenUously Of
husbands and wives are not at all par
ticular as to the relations of unmarried
men and women in their companies.
have noticed this often. and l believe
it is a source Of untold injury to MEM