The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-14
HIT AT THEATRICAL AGENTS.
UNION ACTORS WANT THEM no
OBEY LICENSE Law.

Makes n speech--Agents Held Hespon'
sible for Immoral and vulgar shows.
The Actors National Protective Union
OF America held mass meeting at the
Grand Central Palace yesterday afternoon
to agitate for the enforcement OF the en-
ployment agency license law. The pros
pectus announced that prominent theatre
cal stars would be present, but none was
visible, at least not TO the naked eye.
Harry dc Veaux, president OF Local No. /
presided. He declared that few theatrical
agents do business on safe lines. They
lure young stagestruck girls away from
home he said, "and they treat applicants
with the greatest dlsrespect.' He also
laid the blame for the production Of vulgar
and immoral shows on the shoulders OF the
agents. without whose aid, he declared, nc
one could be found to act in them In
fact, the theatrical agent was far from be-
ing popular with the assembled actors, and
no one who spoke missed chance to de-
liver a verbal kick where 1t would do the
most good.
Joseph NJ. Lawrence, national president
of the Actors Union, told why actors have
fallen 80 much into the clutches of the
agents. He said that when the license
law was passed great many actors pro-
tested against it and were entirely blinded
to its great benefits. "One young fellow
came to me. = he said, -and complained that
actors were being classed with cooks and
hod carriers.
Were not in that class. you know,
said the actor, we're artists.
We'll. he might have been In his own
estimation, said Lawrence. but oouldn'
see it.
AS matter Of fact. most laboring men
are better of than nine-tenths OF those In
the theatrical profession, and the only
hope for the actor is to educate him 10 under
stand that it is a proud thing to be called
worker and laboring man, and that he
should organize as such.
He then quoted from a theatrical publ
cation 70 the effect that: The root OF the
trouble IA the way that actors cling TO the
tradition that acting il a profession. Maybe
it was once IL certainly isn't now. An
occupation in which any one may enga ge
without the slightest previous training
an occupation for which pretty face, a
shapely figure. or even n grotesque in
ability to speak correct English Is sufficient
qualification ia not a profession. II Is
MT best a trade, and at worst. where 1t
cones pretty near TO being under present
conditions. unskilled labor
Frederick l.. c. Heating. head OF the new
Department of Licenses. which is charged
with the enforcement Of the employment
agency law, said that the agents had raised
$40 900 to be used at Albany for the repeal
Of the law and declared that this act stamped
them as organized lawbr eakers. Then,
to illustrate the way in which theatrical
agents plumber their clients. he told Of two
vaudeville artists' who paid % per cent.
Of their first weeks salary as commission
TO the agent They were then told, '
said the commissioner. to pay liberal
sum 20 the proprietor and after they had
complied they were requested TO hand
s25 TO the stage manager. The result was
that at the end Of the week they got $50
out Of 5000 salary. and were 10 lar III the
hands OF the agent that they dared not
make q complaint" The Commissioner
commended that the law really favored the
better olass Of agents, since It would drive
from the field the six or seven hundred
That book men and increase their legiti-
mate profits.
THE law" he continued. provides that
the agent shall not Ike from the actor
more than his first weeks salary rs COM
mission; that no agent shall divide the Zee
with the actors manager, and that 1t shall
be misdemeanor to print false advertise
ments such as now appeal TO stagestruck
girls
have only to add that q number Of agents
who haze failed to meet Its conditions VIII
be arrested In a few days and their cases
pushed to the limit.
The Rev. Francis j. Clay Moran. OF the
Actors Church Alliance, made "A plea hat
the law be made to include the prohibiting
OF contracts which force the actors to play
on Sunday in Western towns.
Herman Robinson general organizer 81
the American Federation Of Labor, brought
the regrets of President Gompers. and eN-
pressed the hope that the actors would
organize their local unions and join the
federation.
At the close OF the meeting resolution
was passed asking Gov. Higgins to notify
the union in the event Of a bill being pre-
sented relieving theatrical agents from the
workings of the license law, and advising
the encouragement Of legislation tending 70
protect still further the Interests Of rhe