New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-30

! tracts with actors have been encroached
upon and set with one unfair provision
after another until the matter was no
longer tolerable.
Seven Changes Asked.
The Actors Association requires
these seven specific changes in the cur
rent form of contract:
First Limitation of rehearsals. Com
panies sometimes rehearse six weeks
without pay. The association wants a
limit of four weeks and proviso that
a piece shall run for two weeks before
closing. For every additional week OF
rehearslng the management must guar
antee week of run with salary.
Second Transportation from New
York and return. Managers may now
engage an actor in New York and turn
I him loose in Galveston.
Third-A two weeks notice clause.
Fourth Protection for an actor who
has been rehearsing for more than a
week from being discharged without
compensation.
Fifth Prohibition of an increase OF
extra performances without pay.
Sixth Full pay for all weeks. Il is
now customary 10 pay half salaries in
.he weeks before Christmas and Holy
Week.
seventh An adjustment regarding
women's dresses. Frequently women
are compelled 10 purchase costly gowns
FOR which they have no use after a
play closes.
A. II. Woods. Oliver Morosco and the
new firm Of Corey, Williams & Ritter
have agreed TO the Equitable contract"
and Conan & Harris. Klaw e. Erlaneer
and Charles Frohman have indicated
indirectly that they will shortly follow
suit. Indeed, last night Klaw E. Err
LANCER, with fine sense of coincidence.
sent out notice saying that they
would fall in with proposition six a.
outlined above, which was the big con
cession which had hndered negotia-
TONS up TO yesterday. The statement
said IN part:
klaw & ErlanSer have decided. be-
ginning with the coming season. 10 pay
10 all the members OF their companies
full salaries for the week before Christ
mas and Holy Week. Their contract,
heretofore have given the management
the right TO pay half salaries for these
weeks. which are VIGOROUSLY bad ones
but in spite Of the fact that hundreds 81
next season giving klaw & Erlanger this
privilege, they voluntarily going 10
waive II. They are going 70 do il in a
spirit Of fairness. because they feel there
Is no reason why the actor and chorus
girl should not receive full compensation
when the mechanical forces. the must
clans and the business stalls do.
Others Expected TO Follow.
The timeliness Of this act is taken
as significant Of the future attitude Of
the managers. With X. & E. in line.
their allies, the Charles Frohman com
pany and Cohan & Harris. will dorbt-
less follow suit shortly, leaving only
the Shuberts TO fight the unonized
actors. Lee Shubert is quoted as hay-
ing said he would turn all his theatres
into movie houses if the actors joined
the union. 1t was pointed out by Grant
Stewart, recording secretary OF the as
ISOLATION, that in such a case the Shu-
berts would be aiming a blow at the
American Federation of Labor, inviting
walk-outs in every lin from bill post
oTs 20 musicians.
After il was decided at the meeting
at the Hotel Aston yesterday to affiliate
with the Federation there was some
discussion as TO the manner of afiilia-
ton. II was finally voted that the
council shall at their discretion arrange
for the AFT .ation.'
Details for the actual affiliation will
be arranged in d few weeks. A consul
taticn between Hugh Frayne. Samuel
Gompers and the executive members OF
the association will take place in few
days.
There will be no extra dues levied
upon members, as the cost of the afiili-
alton amounts 10 only nine cents a
member year. This will be paid from
the treasury, which. according TO the
treasurer's report. contains more than
$4,000. collected wholly from dues.
Lawrsnce D'Orssy, Morton Selten
and Ben Jonson were among some
twenty members who resigned as a re-
suit Of the new alignment. William
Fayersham is no longer connected with
the association. A letter from Otis
Skinner was read, in which he came
out against utilization. ". j. Ferguson
and Edith Wynne Matthison sent notes
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