New-York tribune., 1907-12-05
THEATRES BOW TO LAW
WILL ALL CLOSE SUNDAY.
Plans Are already Under WGy,
Ho7ceuer, to Change City Charter.

Justice O'Gornan's decision that all Sunday
shows are Illegal was discussed by Broadway
/ managers YESTERDAY Unless these men change
their minds before the first day of next week
the metropolis will be nearer Puritanical for one
Sunday, at least, than ever before
Police Commissioner Bingham says he is going
to enforce the law, and concert managers say
they are going to obey. They will close up, they
say and leave it to the sentiment of the people
to decide whether they want "a graveyard sun
dav or innocent, honest amusement. as one oI
them said last night General Bingham was
pleased with the lucidness of Justic OGornlaIl ;
decision When told of the assertion or one OF
/ the concert managers that those who proFldeo
harmless amusement on Sunday were public
| benefactors, he exclaimed:
Talk of these Sunday shows being conducted
for the benefit of the public and nothing else is
all tommyrot. It is lucrative business without
warrant Of law When have decision Ike
this in my hands I know what TO DO
Walter Damrosch. conductor Of the concerts OF
the symphony Society Of New York, said these
concerts did not come within the law because
they were not connected with the stage he
was saved from any difficulty with the police
however by directors of Carnegie Hail. VINO
decided not to allow the hall to be opened on
Sunday.
! \ meeting of theatre managers was caIieo 1o'
this afternoon by George j. Kraus. Percy VIII
I Jams and John H. Springer The Metropolitan
and the Manhattan opera companies it is
! understood, will be represented. What course
! these men will pursue regarding the Sunday
! law will be decided at the meeting mean
while. Alderman Doull is at work on a suggested
| revision of that section of the city charter lie
! is opposed he says, to open Sunday, ana
/ intends to frame new section 50 thdt oHlS
! harmless amusements' will be permitted. ms
I will have to he presented to the Charter Re
vision Commission
At the Metropolitan Opera House Ernest
Goerlitz Mr. Conried's business manager, salo
the NetropoIitan COMPANY would lose money in
! the ase Of the 'artists," because these WOULD
have to be paid whether they sang on Sunday
/ nights or not. But the chorus and the musicians
would lose the nights pay. The box office. he
said took in anywhere from s.. 800 to $4,000 at
these concerts.
Mayor Mcclellan said that the law concern
! ing amusements on Sunday as Interpreted by
Justice O'Gorman would be strictly enforced
THE decision of Justice OGorman seems 10
be comprehensive" said the Mayor When the
matter was under discussion last summer 1T was
I agreed bv those interested that the case before
Justice O'Gorman was d test action In view
of that understanding assume that the law will
be strictly enforced. So far as am concerned
It will. / informed that certain aldermen
hope to pass ordinance that will evade the
enforcement OF the law. l fail to see how that
can be done. The Supreme Court certainly must
be obeyed no matter what the aldermen do AS
I understand il, the decision Of Justice O'Gor-
man cannot be appealed. The police will en-
force the law
The 100000 persons who patronize the amuse-
! Couey Island every Sunday fl
! the summer will not have to be content with
only q view of the ocean even IL the interpreta-
| ton of the Sunday law by Justice OGorman is
! enforced The initiative has already been taken
/ hv Frederick Thompson to entertain his Sun
dav visitors in Luna Park. While the decision
was being discussed all along Broadway Mr.
! Thompson was preparing plans for rides, chutes
and other devices.
/ The free circus will have to be discontinued on
! SUNDAYS and some of the features where cos
/ TUNED actors appear will have to be changed.
/ but for all that Mr.. Thompson is sure that II
is legal for any one TO take trip to the moon or
ride down mountain torrents. visit the old mill
and take massage on the miniature railway.
The illumInations of Luna Park and Dream
land are not considered performance and an
! elaboration of the rides through scenic valleys
! will be announced as Sunday excursions. While
/ # was said by many amusement men yesterday
that the law will not be firmly interpreted when
! the seashore season reopens it IS certain that
| many Of the showmen will prepare 10 arrange
for the amusement of their visitors on every day
| The Rev. William Sheafe Chase. rector OF
| Christ Episcopal Church. Bedford avenue. Will
iamsburg, made it plain last night that the fight
! which he has been waging against theatres VIII
/ continue until the last of them has closed its
! doors on Sunday night He said;
Justice O'Gormans decision was the only
! opinion an honest judge could give. Up TO this
/ time the people have been cheated out Of their
/ right TO day free from unnecessary labor and
/ from anything publicly hostile to its holy char
! acter. ! do not imagine that the Legislature
! will take any advice to the change of the law
/ from men who stand before the public
! victed lawbreakers. They may say that they
| working for the pleasure and good Of the
| community. but the public cannot forget that
i they have in the past been breaking the law to
| get a profit of a million year"
The nterdenominational committee OF the
! clergy Of greater New York, formed for the pur-
| pose of suppressing Sunday vaudeville, also met
! yesterday and praised Justice O'Gormans de-
/ csion 1t the unanimous opinion that Sun
| day theatres meant Sunday saloons