The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-06
WHITMAN MOVES TO
END TICKET ABUSES
w. j. FallOn Of Tyson Company
SubpGnaed in Crusade Against
Spectators.
OFFERS TO AID
Bill in Assembly and Proposed
Ordinances Provide Rigid
Penalties.

District Attorney whitman IA going TO
| try TO nee n he cannot bring about a
| situation whereby theatre patrons Of New
York can buy tickets at box ONCE prices
and tho spectators. both Of the sidewalk.
agency and hotel variety. can DO put out
OF business.
president OF the Tyson Company. theatre
ticket brokers. was subpnnaed yesterday
to appear before the Grand Jury to-day
in an Investigation OF the ticket scandal.
/ which has been turned over to Assistant
District Attorney Arthur Train.
Mr.. Whitman got a letter yesterday
from A. L. Erlarger OF Klaw 4 Err
! LANCER offering the aid Of that arm In
the crusade. Other theatrical agencies
| said they approved Of II and would be
glad 10 do what they could to wipe out
ticket speculation Mr.. Erianger figures
that the public IL robbed of from $3.50, 900
to 100000 year in the purchase Of
| theatre tickets
Assemblyman schaap introduced on
Wednesday Il bill lcvelled Mt the specu-
laiors. II provided that the price OF each
ticket should be printed on II and that
any person selling n ticket at an advance
should be guilty OF misdemeanor. In
addition to this Aldermen William f.
Quinn and Henry H. Curran notihei the
| District Attorney that they would help.
MIR. Quinn submitted "a draf; Of an orli-
| nance that he thought would cover the
| manner IN which tickets should be sold.
| Mr. Train and Assistant Corporal ton
Counsel Hahlo VIII 40 over this and other
! drafts that have come IN TO see II any
| are constitutional for submission To the
Board OF Aldermen for adoption.
Mr.. ErlanGer's vie~vs.
Mr. ErlsnRer sslid in his letter to Mr..
Der OF Klaw & Erlangcr's stan 10 consult
with AIR. Train. The letter follows:
Your letter of the Sd IL here.
VIII during the Gay get some member
Of our star who 10 entirely conversant
with the situation 10 make an appoint
/ hin. Oh the subject About three years
ago the Board OF Aldermen passed an
ordinance against sidewalk ticket specu-
lRtion, but the police have never strictly
| enforced It,
| "On January ~ Ga few days before
this discussion started) wrote the
| Mayor about this, and received reply
from him saying that he turned the mat
ter over TO the Police Commissioners.
| 81 do hope you will devise some means
! of stopping ticket speculation OF every
| description. ! want you to know that I
am heartily with you in such move
ment think that IL 10 an outrage that
the citizens of New York who cannot af-
! ford to pay the speculstors prices should
be deprived of the pleasure OF seeing good
performances.
II figure that tho public Is robbed
yearly out OF from 325O.0O0 TO $500. 900
| in IN. purchase Of theatre tickets.
\ lIpll1 lat
that | am In great sympathy with this
, movement. and that the person whom
shall ask to make an appointment with
him and all OF our people will be- at his
| command and will tell him the Who'll,
truth
Lee Shubert OF Sam ). & Lee Shub.rt
Inc. known aa n. independents. would
not discuss the statement of Mr. Fallou
that tho Tyson Company had been treated
| unfairly by klxw d Erlanger. but said
| he was glad the subject Of ticket specula.
tion had been brough, up.
IL want to indorse Mr. SchRap'. bill "
NE added. III Il Is true that the arrnc, e,
must he maintained for the convenience
and benent OF tho theatreeoinE public
they certainly should not be allowed &c
| sell tickets at advanced prices. Ny
absolute conviction Is that no man should
be permitted to dispose OF any ticket al
price higher than the amount printed or
lts face"
Flo Iiegfeld said that tickets ought e
be sold direct To the public at box offic.
prices and that the Spectators should bt
wiped out,
II want TO sny that I have always made
II as difficult as possible for spectators
and agencies to yet tickets for the
| 'Follies," he said. The place to pur.
chase tickets II at tho boz Office IA bs
glad II not . single agent could get one
| ticket for any production"
one OF the drafts Of ordinances tina,
went to Mr.. Train Yesterday was some
thing like Mr. schaaps bill. II provided
that the price OF each ticket should b.
printed on the face and that no amour,
In excess OF that designated should M
asked or accepted by tho one wht
issued H.