The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-04-09


The deaplcable methods resorted 60
by the "syuaicagc" which Il repre-
sentea in the west BY the North
western Theatrical Association. Of
which John Coft. manager Of the
Grand opera house IN this city. l.
the sKsg lee. 10 throttle legitl-
mate and wholesome competition. IL
beautifully Illustrated In the efforts
Of the trust 70 keep the independents
out OF Portland.
Portland Il as atratesetie a point
IN the fight between the trust and
the independents rs Port Arthur IL
IN the far eastern crisis
when the trust nucNsrs had their
circuit well under way and had Sc
cured the finest play houses In all
the best cities on the coast they
found they we're unable % secure =
house IN Portland because Of the
violent opposition % the trust. A
playhouse IN Portland Is necessary
20 the success Of The independent
movement. IN order 10 break the
long and expensive jumps from Cal
lfarria to washington. In which
states ths independents are now well
snfrenrhed. There vas only ore
way out q q. The Independents
must build n new thsaier IN the ore
gen metropolis. Being backed ~
unlimited capital they AZ anrn act
about 20 do this TO manage tic
enterprise the independents secured
tha services 81 r. q. WEIGH. q FROM
inrnt theatrical maEuaie Of 81
Louis. The new house was 10 be
financed By IT. Biazler. man
whose business Interests have for
Yeas been Identified with the
growth and development Of The city
Of Portland.
Tbe fret rian wan 10 build a the
ater cnatlng 81. coo. but when nsaur-
auees were received I'll along the
line that the Independent movement
would BE- q success from the start i
was decided that the expenditure ~
n much larger sum Of money was
warranted. 90 the antitrust people
decided 20 erect a 10000 playhouse.
Work on a structure q this char
aeter has ALREADY been begun.
Now enters the trust
Realizing that they we're up
against a life and death struggle.
Mr. Cort and his bunch Of trust
builders decided that death-biow
10 the independents must be struck
ms Iusty infant enterprise Al once
An following the tims-honored GUS
tom Of trusts the hsnohmen Of The
synaieate resorted 10 the most con-
tsmptlhIs means conceivable.
Through ita local representatives
AZ Portland Il went 20 the mayor
with a sickiy whine and said, You
must not allow the new theater TO
b. built unless 70 be made an abso-
lutely fireproof structure within and
without"
The inconsistency % this attitude
Ia shown BY the fact that at the
prssent time every thsater IN Port
land EXCEPT one. r. a mere wooden
shell. and nreproof IN no sense OF the
word. II might also be added that
the manager OF the Grand, until The
huge wave OF constructive reform
struck the country after the iro-
a,,ots theater disaster. was the most
fragrant vioiator or the fire ordi-
nanees 81 ala the theatrical managers
Of the CITY.
portIand's chief executive turned
the trust agents down az Roon ~ The
independents assured him that their
theater wua to be superior from
standpoint OF safe construction 70
any other house IN Portland. ~ the
Columbia theater the new home or
the independents IN Portland. is be-
ing rapidly pushed 10 completion
n will be interesting 20 follow the
course OF affairs theatrical IN this
section Of the country to see what
the next dirty work Of the trust
win lie.