The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-22
Strife Between kIaw & En-
langer Trust" and "lnde-
pendents" Fierce.
MAY LEAD TO BUILDING
OF MANY PLAYH0USES
John COrt Says the Syndicate
Is Only Making a Big
Bluff"
BY JAMES GRANT THURsToN.

BY JAMES GRANT THURSTON.
By Leased Wire TO The Tribune
NEW YORK, May 2l.-The theatri
cal war between the KIaw & ErlangeI
syndicate and its cohorts and the al
lance of Independents, headed by the
Shuberts, John Cort, Julius Calm and
Jake Wells, may result in an unprece-
dented era OF theatcr building in the
south and west
The warfare for the past week has
been waCed over the question of one
night stands. the syndicate declaring
that one night stands did not pay. and
later announcing the intention Of ex-
tending its circuits through territory
untouched and not leasing or construct
ing new playhouses in those centers
but in the regions which have theaters
owned or under lease by the independ-
cnts. Klaw & Erlangcr bave sent out
announcements to one night managers
all over the United States, part of
which is as follows:
''Wc want to protect local managers
who have been loyal 30 our interests
but in points whore local managers can.
not be depended upon it viii be ncce5-
sarv for the producing managers either
to lease or build theaters, and we have
already arranged for the construction
Of theaters in several of the one night
stand towns. Bear in mind that VIC
have in all the large cities Of the United
iority of theaters that the smaller
points depend on
No Chance for Appeal.
The new National Association Of
Theatcr Managers announces that all j.
now harmony between that organiza
ton and the reorgapized association OF
producing managers. The directors oi
the new organization met md sstHh
lisEcd Joint board Of national arbi
irItiou. which shall have powor &c I'D
just differences, no matter IN what part
of the United States they arise, Ac'
COrdlng 10 the members Of thc arb;
tration boards the decisions shali be
final and beyond all appeal AS n re.
suit If the developments Of the pr@s.
euJ week. both sides n The 6ghL claim
ultimate victory. The Independents as.
scrt that he syndicate has shown w:ak-
u"S. and nIh''tted defcpt ;hrc Igh the
fact that il sent appeals TO one night
managers throughout the country ask
ing for their support, On the other
hand, the syndicate gives out the word
that the independents have been de-
serted by the major number of their al
lies.
The couthcrn and western circuits are
the backgrounds on which the fight
viii bc threshed out to finish. The
syndicate calls attention to its strength
in notices TO theater managers all over
North America through the fact that,
allied with IT arc so many of the best
known producers. Among them are
Charles Frohmau. David Bclasco. Henry
w. Savage, Henry h. Harris, Joseph b.
Brooks. Chan & Harris and Florence
& Ziegfeld, Jr.. AUGUST Pitou, Charles
Dillingham;. Joseph NJ. Gaines, Wagon
halls & Kemper. Frederick Thompson,
Al II. Woods, Joseph Weber, Henry
Miller, Daniel Frobman and William
Harris,
Prospective Developments.
Through fear that th1 allied forces
of the syndicate may undertake a gi-
gantIc project of construction through
Washington, Oregon. California, Utah,
Colorado. Montana, Minnesota, illinois,
Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Kansas,
Iowa and Nebraska, many OF the man
ayers in smaller to"'ns have bcol hold
ing aloof from the danger zone for fear
that the independents may cot be able
% supply them with productions suf-
Gciently wcL advertised to warrant good
patronage.
There have been rumors cmanating
from the. stronghold of the Independents
that David Belasco might rorsake the
fold of Klaw & Erlangcr for the indie
pepdents, This report is not generally
considered for Mr.. Belasco asserts he
has no intention Of such action.
I,b, f'nrI nr ikn fnrt mort bu-.c arm
circuit, was asked today about the pos
sibilitv of the syndicate extending
line of theatcrs through the northwest.
"AlI bluff, - said ne. ''Thc syndi-
cate has no intention Of constructing
any new thcaters in the smaller towns,
although thoy might in the larger cit
les. They are working n clever game.
They arc cndeavoring To persuade thcat,
rical men in the west and northwest 10
build thcatcrs with their own money.
The syndicate is not riskipg its own
gains in new ventures. klaw and Er
langcr promise managers plenty of
tirst-class productions which have been
successful I'm tLna east if the managers
will build thcatcrs OF take other the
aters for long lease aud swear allie
glance TO the combine.
For the Open Door.
"What does that showi 1t shows
that the independents have the pick
OF the theatrical sites. We are not
Our fight has been made and
il is successful. We have assurances
from various cities and towns through
out the western and southern states that
there will be with us. They
want the open door. The theater going
public want the open door and that
is what we are going TO give them. No
more will the provincial towns nave TO |
rely upon the plays which havo been
failures in the east or third and fourth |
lass companies producing New York |
successes, Under the agreement the