New-York tribune., 1910-04-28
E. 7. Stotesbury and Others Buy
His Interests for More
than $1,000, 600.
BIG MERGER COMPLETED
Metropolitan, Chicago and Bos-
ton Companies Practically
United-Vaudeville for
Manhattan.

with several associates. has paid Mr..
Hammerstein a little more than 5000.
600 for his Operatic interests. with the
exception OF the Manhattan opera
House. which Mr. Hammerstein will de-
vote to vaudeville.
Mr.. Stotesbury and his associates be-
come members of the directorate Of the
new Chicago opera Company. which will
take over the Philadelphia Opera House.
all MIR. Hammerstefn's costumes and
scenery and the contracts Of his chief
artists Mr.. Stotesbury also becomes
director Of the Metropolitan Opera Com
pany, and by the agreement with the
Chicago company already in force tne
former Manhattan singers viii sing 20
the Metropolitan as we'll as in Chicago
and Philadelphia.
BY the acquisition Of Tn" Manhattan
Opera COmpanys artists. scenery ana
costumes the Chicago company becomes
as much a Philadelphia organization "a
il is one of Chicago. The Chicago sea-
son has been reduced from twenty 20
ten weeks in order that the company
NAV give a ten weeks season In Phila-
deIphia at Mr. Hammerstein's former
opera house. beginning about January l..
Thus the opera trust that has been
gradually forming is at last fact. and
the Metropolitan opera Company. which
is the real head of the movement. be-
comes master OF the Operatic situation
in the United States
Mr.. Stotesbury's Statement.
Mr.. Stotesbury gave out last night in
Philadelphia the following statement:
As oscar Hammerstein has decided TO
retire from the OperatiC field. / have pur-
chased from him his Philadelphia opera
House in order to secure for Philadelphia
a permanent grand opera. i propose 10
have a number of Philadelphia gentle
men join me in the purchase, also some
of the leading directors OF the Metro
pOlitan Opera Company.
Experience has demonstrated that an
operatic company which has 70 serve
during the same period OF time both
Philadelphia and New York cannot do
fun Justice to Philadelphia. We havs
proved that Philadelphia is entitled 20
possess and able To- maintain an opera
season of its own. The season. however.
should not exceed ten or twelve weeks
The difficulty has been that most OF the
leading artists viii not come for ten
or twelve weeks season. but insist on an
four weeks
In order to meet this difficulty and to
obtain a variety of other artistic AMI
prs cticaI advantages. we propose 70 join
with the chicago opera Company now
being organized under the mana cement
Of Andreas Dippel and the musical di-
rection of CleOfonte Campanini and
which has already engaged a number OF
the leading stars.
Exchanqe OF Star Singers.
This aSseubiage Of artists to which u
is intended 10 add several Of the leading
singers hitherto under contract with Nh
HammerStein. will be an operate or
ganizatiOn second TO none, not excluding
the splendid troupe Of the Metropoht'tI
Opera House ~ will belong to and us
stationed i'm Philadelphia for the ten
weeks beginning about January 10. pr.or
to which IL will play ten weeks season
in Chicago So that by the time the COM
pany opens i'm Philadelphia il viii have
developed into perfectly drilled en-
sernble Orga nizatiO".
We shall maintain cooperative rela-
tiOns with the Metropolitan opera COM
panv and exchange stars with them,
also with the Boston opera Company, so
that Philadelphia will hear in its own
opera house all of tie greatest singers.
The board of directors OF the Philadei-
phia Opera House viii be composed
mainly of Philadelphians. / have ac-
cepted the invitation Of the Netropoh-
tan opera Company To join their bOSrd-
Of which T. De Witt Cuyler. Of Philadel-
phia is already a member, and We shall
ask otto NJ. Kahn. Clarence II. Mackay
and William n. Vanderbilt 10 join tbs
board Of the Philadelphia organization
n is contemplated that the Philadelphi9
Dpsra Company give performances in
on Tuesdays OF each week
during the period from November ID 70
January L..
Har,rrerstein's Son Talks.
Arthur Hammerstein also gave out
statement in behalf Of his father. who -
IN Europe. IL was as follows:
An agreement has been reached be-
tween oscar Hammerstein and Edward
T. Stotesbury of Philadelphia. by the
Terms of which Mr.. StOteSbury and his
associates acquire the Philadelphia
Dpera House property and MIR. Hammer
stein retires from the field of opera in
-be cities of New York. Philadelphia and
elsewhere The Manhattan opera House.
will be devoted by Mr.. Hammerstein TO
Jther purposes.
As "A result of four years experience.
Mr.. Hammerstein tinds that the prOduc-
ion of opera on the scale on which 10
has been his ambition u produce IL has
become increasingly difficult year by
year. The exactiOns OF the artists. mu-
sicians and others brought about by the
rivalry between the two opera houses
nave grown almost beyond control. and
nave been the occasion of such advanC-
ng prices that Notwithstanding the
generous patronage accorded by the pub
fc each OF the houses has been face 10
face with deficiency
Mr. Hammersteln is satisfied that 10 is
N the interest of the OperagOing public
hat these exactiOns shall be kept within
bounds. unless We are to be deprived OF
opera. and that the only way TO ac-
,Omplisb that purpose Is To have one
opera house instead OF two. AS the
NJ Metropolitan company has what amounts
10 "A subsidy through its stockholders. IL
IAN perhaps better al the public need.
Began Six Weeks Ago.
My father has been in negotiation
with Mr. Stotesbury for six weeks" said
Mr.. Hammersteln when seen last night
AZ the Victoria Theatre After he
sailed for Europe I continued the work.
and u was finished last night at the
home Of otto Kahn. in G.ast 6sth street.
MIR. Kahn and Paul -. Cravath repre-
sented the Chicago company and Mr..
StOtesoury. while my father was repre-
sented by L. Butterick Root and my
self.
The sum of money to be paid my