New-York tribune., 1918-07-14
Ziegfeld Reports
Progress in War
On Spectators
Calls Attention to Line
That Is Continually at
His Box Office

The following letter was written by
Mr.. Ziegfeld in answer to the defence
of ticket spectators printed last Sun
day:
Three weeks and five days have passed
since l inaugurated my fight against
ticket protteering, and the gross tax
lngs of the "Follies" for that period are
S1O3,732, the government receiving au-
proximately $9,430 for that period. II
is with regret that in an article printed
IN one of the morning papers inter-
views with other managers showed
them lukewarm in their attitude and
remarks regarding the abolishing in
! New York of ticket profteering. Their
attitude evidently was the fear that
their attractions could not withstand
the adverse criticisms of their perform
ances by the hotel spectators and
agencies-that the fear of hot weather
and war conditions might mean per-
sonal loss in case their eighteen front
rows were not in the hands of the spec-
ulators through advance buy-outs.
IT these managers could see the con-
tnuous line at the New Amsterdam
box office and read the thousands of
letters that | have received from nv
patrons they would know that the
public has realized that the time has
come when all managers must pre-
vent their tickets from getting into
the hands Of the profteers and the in
crease in their patronage will mora
than compensate them for the loss of
their rake-otf in dealing with specula-
tors instead of direct with the theatre
gong public. The managers are and
nave been too closely allied with the
ticket prohteers for their own good
ne managers, | consider, are greatly
to blame for driving the public away
from the box office. The cry too long
has been "the best we have is the
eighteenth row. no matter for what
week or day, or how far ahead, the
purchaser wanted his ticket. They con-
cluded, "Why go to the box office when
you can't get what you want?"
Democracy is the leading theme of
the day. We are giving our all to
fight for it beyond the big pond. Why
not establish it honestly in our home
institutions? The theatre has done its
bit IN every other direction; why not
for aks sests syeFy Rssos equal who applies
l am glad to say / have successfully
done so, as far as tickets for the
.Aiegfe!d Follies" and the "Ziegfeld
Midnight Frolic" are concerned. Only
TINS week l have turned down a buy
out OF AS seats a night at profit to
me over box Office prices of over
Sl,700 weekly. The buy-out assured
me against any loss during the hot
weather. admit | am not in the
theatrlcal business for my health, but
l honestly believe that ticket profteer-
ing IT continued means death to the
theatre.
Theatre tickets bought of specula-
.ois ana hotel agencies have risen in
price beyond the public purse, and
appeal to every citizen IN these war
times to use every effort in his power
to stamp out profteering in all
branches. and amusements which the
publlc must Rave in theAc strenuous
times should be placed on the wings
OF democracy and every one should
nave an equal chance TO buy tickets
at the theatre box Office 1T box office
prices. speculator quotes in the
morning press that certain terms were
demanded by me through a supposed
representative of mine. l have no rep
resentative, nor has any enc the au-
thorlty to speak for me. l speak Tor
myself at all times. The demand for
the "Folhes" seats and for other biz
successes became so big that the public
wanted them at any price, and the
| hotel agencies and spectators tt ok
advantage of the situation, and know
that rs high AS $40 and SD was re-
celved by these spectators for front
seats. demanded that if the agencies
We're gwen any seats for this years
.toihes" 90 cents should be the
! limit premium over the oox o.fice price
stamped on the ticket, because | fuilv
realize the advantage to an attraction
especially during the summer months
when the city is filled with strangers
who apply at the hotels for informa-
tlon regarding amusemen.s and the
atres, but this was not agreeable to
the agencies and spectators, who so
long have had their own way that they
have begun to run wild, and they them
selves by their own avarice have killed
the goose that laid the golden egg. /
decided to take the grea: chance of
fighting the we'll fortified profteers
ana StNc VIZ puuilC tHe AuTdFt3Ee OF
getting seats at box once prices, of
which | am glad to say they have taken
full advantage.
One curse we are obliged to fight,
and which under the present laws it
is Impossible to stamp out, which is
known as "digging"-when spectators
send strangers to the box Office to
secure seats which are sold to them
supposedly for themselves but aro in
reality turned over to Spectators.
They get in line and buy tickets aud