The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-17
R1ALlO STRIPS FOR A FIGHT.
syr 10 TIE LAST CHORUS GIRL,
ICAINST THAT LICENSE Law.
what, Class Actors with Cooks and Coach
meni-An the stage Money on BrOad-
way Pledged Against This Outrage
INT Don't Actors Need PrOtecti0nT

meni-An the stage Money on Broad
way Pledged Against This Outrage
INT Don't Actors Need Protection?
vot for years has the Rialto been so
I.an,v stirred as it is to-day over the law
S.h,ch commands dramatic agencies to take
o,t licenses, thus putting them upon the
ssme basis as the employment agencies
e,.r In Sixth avenue, whose business is
u,ostly confined to securing jobs for house.
hold servants.
II isn't only the dramatic agencies that
,,otest Actors Of every degree. from the
ta,o a week matinee idols down to Miss
Tottie Twinkletoes, who has place in the
.aoond row OF the chorus. unite in denounc-
Inc the measure as q low down and uncalled
Tor reflection upon q noble profession.
you see, It's this way, me boy" said
h.avy villain who has been foiled time and
sgatn in every theatre between Coxsache
md Cohoes. we are artists In every sense
a, the word This law seeks to degrade
-. TO the level OF housemaids and scullions
And other menials who have to do with
nots and kettles. 1t aims to put us on
footing with James the butler and Mike
the coaohman, and Iimpressivelyl we won't
stand for IT.
But what are you going to do about
IT, asked the reporter.
Fight it, sir; fight it," said the villain, in
,oice tina. rumbled along the pavement
a, Broadway I'VE are going to organize
for our rights. We have heard much OF
the labor vote. anil the independent vote,
and the Irish vote; but the politicians seem
70 forget that there Is also stage vote.
Ua win show them before they get through
that they cannot drag our exalted pro-
fession in the dust and get away with the
goods
The reporter heard many other vague
hints Of an actors association to be formed
to fight the Employment Agency law; but
nobody could be found. from Forty-second
street to Greeley Square. who could, or
would, give any definite information about
It. report. however, that trading stamps
and long green cigar coupons would be 40
cepted In part payment OF the $50 initia-
ton fee was emphatically denied
ITS another base libel. said the leading
man Of a theatrical company which opens
In Red Bank, N. j., next week with THE
Tent on Door, Nothing but coin OF
the realm will be accepted. It's all right
to sheer at US, but We are going to raise a
mig hty pot Of money to defeat this law.
We are going to demand it's repeal at the
next session Of the Legislature, and heaven
help the politician who fails to heed our
voicel'
The proprietors Of dramatic agencies
along the Rialto were no less emphatic
than the actors in their denunciation OF
the law, but they were more concerned with
the practical than with the sentimental
side OF the matter. They fear that the
measure will ultimately drive them out OF
business because, they say, is utterly
impossible for them to comply pton st of or
eanizing an association to fight. the law
e now under consideration and 1t Is ex,
pected that the matter will be decided
next week. Several OF the agencies nave
have applied for them at Commissioner
sMy lawyer advised me- said the woman
proprietor Of one agsnsy yes Yer Az na na'
He said It would be better for all agencies
70 take out licenses this year and then COM
bine to fight for the repeal Of the act at the
next session of the Legislature. Yes. l
have applied for license and expect 70
get 1t In cine course Of few days:
What is your objection to the law''
was asked
sObjeoiiona You should say objections;
There are so many Of them that it would
take me Z whole day to tell them. cant
see for the life OF me Why they dragged
dramatic agencies into the matter. We
don't sec are situationsfor cooks and waters.
We do business with ladies and gentlemen
only, and We are entitled to the same pro
lection under the law as any other legti-
mate business.
Under this law we have to pay. license
fee OF $25 year and give bond for III co.,
From the actor whom we place we get one
half of his second weeks pay. Suppose,
now, / should get man an engagement
with first class manager in first class
company. / would naturally tell him that
the engagement would last thirty weeks.
that the actor, under this law. could sue
me on my bond for the whole thirty weeks
salary. There is nothing fair OF Just about
that What we want is law that will
protect both sides.
i would be greatly in favor OF such
law and il it was passed would advocate |
making the license fee 500, instead OF S25.
This would keep out the handbook and
curbstone agencies-the men who do bust
ness on the sidewalk and carry their offices
In their hats. They are the worst nuisance
we have to contend with and are Responsible |
for any odium that may be cast upon the
business.
L object very much, too. to the provision
spection. What do is my own private
affair, and don't propose to have any |
one coming around here to meddle with |
what doesn't concern him. II do any
thing that Is illegal there are laws enough
now, both civil and criminal. to punish rne,
without passing a special act for the bene-
fit Of actors and servants
An official Of the License Bureau said yes
terday that nothing surprised him so much
az the opposition Of the theatrical profes.
sion to the new law. He said that OF all
people who needed protection In business
matters the actors came first. He said that
the vast bulk OF dramatic agencies were
honest and reputable, but that there We're
some which made a business Of swindling
applicants for places on the stage. There
were other abuses, too, he said. such as
placing girls In low theatres and music
halls in the West and Southwest, where
they sang or danced on the stage and after
ward drank with men in the boxes getting
percentage on all the wine sold,
This was confirmed by the proprietor OF
a Broadway agency. He said, however,
that these box" theatres were by no means
~ numerous as they were several years
age: hence the demand for girls of that
class rad fallen off 4
Another grievance that the dramatic
agencies have Ia against certain theatrical
managers who they say secretly maintain
agencies and pocket large percentage of
the fees which actors pay to get engage
mrents in their companies. They charge
that these agencies are conducted by saaried