New-York tribune., 1918-11-24

tres in New York City, the District
Attorney was told, are now sold by the
managers to ticket spectators. The
Tyson Company (inanccd by the
Twenty Mule Team BoraX people,, in
the case of one production made n
contract to ouy 400 tickets every night
for twenty-four weeks, the nominal
value of these tickets being $4,000
and the price paid 25 per cent less.
These tickets were sold of course, at
as large a premium as the public de-
mand made possible. Further testi-
mony before the District Attorney was
to the effect that The Tyson Company
sold 100000 tickets a year; Tyson &
Co. Ca different concern), approXi-
mately 100000; John Mcbride, 100000;
Bascom Inc, 10000; The Broadway
Ticket Agency, 100000; The United
Theatre Ticket Corporation, 10000,
and The Times Building Ticket Agency,
$4,000. At what discount these tickets
are bought and at what advance over
box Office prices they are sold need not
detain me in this history.
Growth of the System
What was business comparatively in
the little at the ordinary theatres a
decade or two ago had for long time
been a wholesale business at the Met
ropolitan Opera House. There it grew
up under the influence of close per-
sonal and business relations existing
between Maurice Grau and Frederick
Rullman. There was an oldtme friend
ship between the two men and the
privilege of buying large blocks of
opera tickets, which in time developed
into a highly advantageous one, was
largely the reward which Mr.. Grau
bestowed on his friend for financial
aid in times of distress and threatened
disaster. Mr.. Rullman became a
stockholder in the opera company or
ganized by Mr.. Grau in 1897, and re-
manned such until the retirement OF
Mr.. Grau and the subsequent organiza
tion of the Conried company. Mr.
Rullman's purchases of opera tickets
no doubt varied in amount from time
to time, and as to the full volume OF
his business | am not informed. His
estate, or the business organization
which has succeeded him, is at present
| am told, a subscriber to the extent
OF $4,000 a season. The subscription
was next in magnitude to that of
Tyson & Co. prior to 1911. In the
theatres it is the popularity of par
tlcular play which gives stimulus to
sporadic speculation. At the opera
the bills are varied, but the command
OF fashion, consorted with the popular
alteration of a few singers and the
whims and fads of the moment have
made the speculative traffic in seats a
safe and profitable venture for wears.
In consequence the ticket agencies
have become large purchasers of sea
son tickets. In 1911 Tyson & Co. aud
Rullman were said to have subscribe d
Tor about one-half of all the fashion
able seats in the house They also
bought tickets admitting to the cheaper
portions of the auditorium. The
terms of payment were matters of
private adjustment between the man
agement and the agents, but the prices
were understood to be those of the box
ofhce,' less rebate, or discount of IL
per cent. Other subscribers for the
season were allowed the same discount.
but OF these there were comparatively
few outside of the stockholders of the
company which owns the building.
who have the use Of their boxes as an
equivalent for the rental of the
theatre. Tyson e. Co. and Rullman
were practically the only subscribers
to all the subscription evenings and
matlnees of the seasons. They in turn
had lists of subscribers for different
days of the week, these subscribers
finding their advantage in such n suh.
scriptlon in the fact that they had ac
counts with the agents for other tickets
n
dated in the disposal of their seats on
occasions which offered no attraction
for them, or when they could not attend
the opera. In March, 1911, the directors
abolished the rebate on tickets to sub
scribers and Tyson & Co. and Rullman
announced to the public on the 25th of
that month that in consequence in the
next season thei1 price for the or
chestra chairs would be Sc instead Of
50, which was the box Office price. ST.
multaneously the management of the
opera announced that it intended to de-
wise plan which would save the pub
lie from the increased charge. This
announcement was followed on March
81 by statement from the opera COM
pany that the hotel ticket agencies
would not be permitted to charge more
than 10 per cent over the box Office
Aut.