The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-02-09

from any poHN VI NANN' N"N
peuse of attending single perform
ance may run as high as ten dollars
for a single seat or one hundred dol
lars Tor box, with other incidental
expenses in proportion, 1t is no m'
common thing for a single audience
to represent fortunes amounting to
more than billion dollars, while the
value OF the costumes and jewels
worn not inireQuently exceeds SlO,
100000. The cost OF producing the |
operas which attracts such an aud
fence is said TO be at least $2N |
minute for each performance. Just
how this remarkable figure is aehiev-
ed is best instanced by the salaries
paid the singers, among whom even
those of little fame are paid at tar
higher rate than the President OF the
United States, A list OF these salar'
les, the first Of its kind made public,
has just been compiled by one OF the
organizations producing grand opera
here. The list includes one singer
who receives 5000 for each Of fifty
performances, or 100000 for about
100 hours singing; two who receive
$500 a night; one who receives SlOO
for each appearance; four who re-
ceive $500 for each; some who get
5000 apiece, while there are more
than twenty other singers who al.
though they occupy miner roles re-
ceive from $3.50 to $500 each eime
they appear The contracts for the
more prominent vocalists provide for
certain number Of performances at
the rate OF two week, and the ar
fists are paid whether they are cali
ed TO appear or not As result OF
this condition more than 100000 has
already been expended this year for
service not delivered While the sal
aries OF the singers form the most
important in New York's two hun
dred a minute music, there are other
extraordinary expenses The five
musical directors receive altogether
about Sl2s0OO season in addition TO
which there are other expenses which
constitute nearly one-half the sum
total. Altogether the figures reveal
the fact that New York has the most
expensive music in the the world
which in the case of grand opera is
dispensed at the cost of about three
dollars a second for which the public
pays about four dollars second.
From present indications the fight
which Governor Hughes started by
the declaration in favor of direci
nominations, which he made in hi
speech at the Hotel Astor, the Gov
ernor's official New York residene'
on the occasion Of the dinner of tn
Hughes Alliance will become as bit
ter and will attract as widespread ma
tional attention as his struggle wit
the police last spring over the sub
E ject of racetrack gambling. Alread
the opposition to the Governor
plans has enlisted the support c
many Of the party managers VIII
. helped to elect him last fall after bt
u ing forced against their will to plac
i him in nomination. Those who ar
u opposing Governor Hughes
- plans have started a so-called can
: paign Of education and are attemp
Al ing to arouse public sentiment againi
q direct nominations by citing th
II recent election OF Ex-Governor Chan
III belain to the senate from Oregon an
70 other instances in which they clait
ig that this system has worked to II
m disadvantage Of the dominant polit
b, cal party. Very soon, it is expectC
b. the Governor will begin his own can
n paign which is likely to consist {
s. one Of his celebrated appeals to Il
people" which have worked so effe
lively in previous cases, when Il
fur will begin to fly in good earnes
le Even those who hate the Governt
&c most sincerely-and they number
~ great many by this time-admit tn
90 he is good fighter and that they a
&c certain to have "a run for their mo
ey" in any attempt to block his pr
lg posals. What the result of the co
test will be nobody is yet able
IL predict but it seems 10 be fairly ce
H. tain that Governor Hughes will co
Dc tinue to be figure Of national inte
We est during his second administratir
III as during his past.
1t seems probabl that the S
preme Court will eventually be cali
.st upon to settle a case involving o