The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-02-01
LAWS WORRY THEATRE MEN
OkLiHOW LIkELI TO CONE
orr THETR var ENTIRELY.
Then Here In New York Is Law that's
Costing Women and Boys Their Jobs
as Ishers and water Carriers
tests and Test Gases the Programme.

as fishers and water Carriers Pro.
tests and Test Gases the Programme.
New laws are worrying theatre man
ayers nowadays. For instance Okla- :
homa has n statute prescribing ha'
rate Of 3 cents mile for railroad fares
and 40 cents a mile for baggage cars.
The Ben Huir company just passed
through the new State with 126 persons
in the company and seven baggage cars.
The managers figured that the trip
through the state cost them Just about
81 200 more than the same distances
would have cost in older States.
A protest will be formulated at a man
ayers meeting to be held here next week
and will be sent to the Oklahoma I.egis-
latnre If the protest ~ Ineffective in
getting the rates reduced Oklahoma 8
five one night stand show towns, managers
say, will be erased from the theatrical
map. The five are oklahoma City, Tulsa
Muskogee South McA lister and Shawnee.
The managers of New York have re-
ceived notices within the last day or two
from Chief Mercantile Inspector James l.
Gernon of the Department Of Labor at
I fNi'"iiN 'iidl tI'ff u a. 'Nd'' in " wi
! the employment of women under 2l
and boys under 10 before the hours OF
| : O'Clock in the morning and after IL
O'Clock at night A number of theatres
in town have women ushers. some OF
whom admit that they are under 2i. and
practically all have youthful water and
programme boys some of whom would
come within the limits Of the law.
! Without waiting fCt' further pOtifica =
tion several of the managers yesterday
/ dropped from their payrolls women and
boys who are under the ages named
the four dropped from the Comedy The
atre, for example including two married
women who had been helping out their
| husbands a little with the family finances
Another woman who lost her place with
another theatre is ~ years old and. with
her younger brother. Is years old. is the
only support of her invalid mother.
The mother cannot he left alone. so the
| girl has been caring for her until her
| brother comes home from work and then
: has gone to the theatre, calling in neigh,
I bors TO help on, on matinee days
The managers expect TO have test
/ case brought TO see whether the law
applies to work which lasts only a few
hours in the e. ening hut which extends
! an hour past the presen, limit.
| The man ayers met yesterday afternoon
al the Empire ! theatre and appointed a
committee of three To confer with Fire
/ Commissioner Waldo between now and
next Friday. when the association will
draw up a plan 10 b" suggested by the
I Fire Commissioner cone cruing the stand
ing room law In the meantime there will
be no persons standing in the theatres.
| The comr:ittee consists of Marc klaw,
Percy Williams and r. ID Miner The
theatre managers regard the present law
as ambiguous and want more definite
| Interpretation
Twomo We're elected To membersh' p in
the Assoclat on of New York Theatre Mana
gers William Morris of the Morris va,ide-
Vile circuit and Winthrop Ames of the
| New Theatre Some of those present
yesterday We're Charles Burnham, Marc
! klaw. Henry B Harris. t. d Miner.
Percy Williams Leo Teller. Marcus Loew
Alfred Hayman and Frank Mckee,