The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-11

II
politan magazine David Belasco and
Marc KIaw discuss the evils and
benefits of the so-called theatrical trust.
OF course. according to Mr.. Belasco's way
of thinking, the trust is principally evil,
while Mr.. Klaw holds that its benefits
are very apparent These two gentlemen
have figured so prominently in the war
fare between independent managers and
the syndicate that their views on the
subject are of more than passing interest.
Mr.. Belasco is one of the handful of In
dependent managers who still fight the
trust, while Mr.. Klaw is a member of the
firm of Klaw & Granger heads of the
theatrical combine. AS the result of a very
natural desire to sympathize with the
weaker combatant in a struggle, a great
many people have become partsans of Mr..
Belaseo and the theatrical trust, along
with the coal trust. the oil trust and all
the other members of the trust family,
| has received some hard knocks. While
! Mr.. Belasco Is conducting a valiant fight
and there Is undoubtedly merit in his
claims, he errs in making his contest too
much a personal matter. According to
his statements, he Is bounded by the
theatrical trust and his very life has been
threatened by a combine that will stop at
nothing to crush a rival. Mr.. Belasco
makes this same mistake in his magazine
article. He devotes much space to re-
failing his personal woes and the I'M
principled conduct Of the trust without
the weight of sound argument while Mr..
Klaw's article is a clear, business-like
statement of the trusts most advanta-
geous features. While the reader may
feel that Mr.. Belasco has been mistreated
he must confess that the arguments of
the trust magnate in the Cosmopolitan
| magazine knock those of the Independent
manager into a cooked hat. Mr.. Belasco
should employ one of his press agents to
| conduct the antitrust battle in print.
The grasping landlord has figured
prominently in stories of human misery
and especially in his meaness effective
for fiction purposes along about Christ
mas time when all the world is supposed
to be at its best. The elusive Individual
who outwits his landlord and landlady
by an unannounced exit has also been
/ heard of in various parts of the country,
but this board bill business has certainly
reached a serious stage when a woman s
! children are held for security. Yet such
a case has just been reported in Ohio,
where q boniface at Lebanon has in
formed a late female guest of his that
her children will be held until she pays
|
to leave an empty trunk or fill 1t with
bricks before departing via window.
| Clearly. the landlord has the goods, -
and If the law would sanction such pro-
ceedings he has certainly discovered a
most effective way to bring delinquents
to terms.
Another one of those exciting French
duels is reported. Monsieur Alphonse is
seated in a Paris cafe slipping his abb
| sinthe. Monsieur CASTOR is just across the
way Monsieur Alphonse begins to discuss
Joan of Arc. a young lady who has been
J dead for some time. He ventures the re-
mark that her helmet was not on straight
| when she lead the French to victory at
| Orleans. Monsieur CASTOR overhears this
| malicious insult to the idol of France He
| leaps to his feet. crushes his tiled hat
over his ears. gnaws his moustache,
| knocks over three glasses, overturns a
chair and waving his arms wildly in the
air, shouts, Mon dieul sacre bIeu!
diablesl ciel and mon dieu again. You
insult Mademoisele Jeanne?g Yes? Mon
sieur you must fight mel Swords! A
friend will call on your In the meantime
Monsieur Alphonse has executed similar
maneuverss and both gentlemen hastily
leave the cafe without paying their bills.
Dawn is breaking. 'Tis lie boisi The doc
| tor is there and a select company. The
| swords clash, the combatants 1unge
! fiereely. "Honeur," Kisses Monsieur AL
| phonse; "Honeur!" cries Monsieur Gas
ton. Again they lunge and the photogra-
| pher gets a new pose. Monsieur Castor
| pricks Monsieur Alphonse with his sword
! on the hand. With the aid of his micro
| scope lie docteur finds that blood has beer
/ shed. "Alphonse." cries Monsieur Gaston
"Gaston!" shouts Monsieur Alphonse.
| They fall into each others arms. VOLTA
| The avidity which humanity exhibits t
be swindIed is Illustrated anew every