The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-11-14
ARE
SUFFERING HERE
MANY OF THE EMPLOYEES HAVE NOT
RECEIVED PAY FOR
SEVERAL WEEKS.
It II Hoped That The situation Will
Improve in wheeling Soon-Flu
Is About Como.

With the Spanish Influenza passing
away all over the country and theatres
opening np everywhere after their an
normally enforced closing period. little
story concerning amusement houses VII!
not cum" an1lSs. said a we'll known the
afro man who Is in the city.
Whenever there is n culamity that
causes sorrow and privati"n. I'll" theatre
is always rushed To for assistance: DO
cause ii always lends itself To those
matters. for ii Is TN" medium or public
contribution In emergency funds. But
Just why III" show houses should ne
acicctrd MS an innocent victim when it
* not needed rth"rwi:r. rs In the case OF
this cpilcmic, Is serious quest ion. The
th"ntriral managers uf the United states
will solve II after It has NIL passed oyer
nnh hc able tn guard against II in tho
future. II will nn dnuht u" tho cause
Iuf a bill hc ing passed by The senate to
prohibit closing theatres down fDr more
than week or 50 in case of cpihcmtcS
again. This Is tho first time In the his
tory of th"atricals thnt this has been
done.
Health officers WIN order the theatres
clns"d and allow The department stores.
markets. ) AMI 10 cents stores. etc. TO
remain open ar" coming in Tor 4 Erent
deal IF criticism. IF influenza spreads
its rnnta ginII in mixed gatherings. where
could they no found moro mixed than
in thcs" stores. on railway trains and in
street cars"
The theatre is not congrstrd. Com
missioner Copeland. Of New York
Eun rdch against that from the first MS
ono of his earliest md most sensible
recommendations prevent an unnrccs-
Sary spread Of the disease in New YORK
city. md h" never closed \ theatre. Ali
theatres hav" seats with SO much space
allowed to zach. There is another .sr"ci-
fed = pace between III" rows Each floor
nj the Court in this city is graded hc-
rnrdnE 10 price. drawing approximately
the same class Of people To respective
locat long.
Tho legitimate and rIctur" houses
here surincly submitted To tho closing
order rs elsewhere. They did so under
tho belief that thr public health might
bc endangered. They did not want Ia go
lie nnlicy when gross Discrimination IL
easily seen. when the most dangerous
spets arc nvcr'""k"d. To attack tn" thcn-
ire. the c"nt"r always nf tho iimrIEht:
Ono followed the other. h"nlth officers
doing what they thought was right. hut
always somehow. not S"cing whore any
closing action should have hem first
Il imrd nt TT this is not matter thhl
deeply concerns the theatre. lis mama
grrs nlnyrrs and StaffS in dollars and
cents. thcn there is M occasion to worry
over the next time. I'nlnss something is
done tn" thrntrr will again he tho mark
ut tho worry first fear Of my similar
thing. Thor" Is II" doubt hut what inc
with statistics gathering proof thbt
thu. houses remaining open spread no
rnntaCinn. since In th"s" cities tSt RAUL
md New York; that did not issu" clos
ing orders tho epidemic hns abat"I IN
loss tim" than in those cities which
closed tho theatres. The claim is mndc
that in five weeks tho amusement places
have suffered loss Of over scr. 600.
which mnkcS tho government tho loser
IN tho cStcut Of over SI.nhn.h non in wnr
tax. Tho Wheeling theatres hnvr sur
fcrc1 losses that ran never he made up.
running perhaps around S!5.nnh in the
six weeks thry have l,"cn closed up. And
not only have the houses suffered hut.
about 50 to ca employees hive really
hccn deprived nf their way or making
living. in fact tho bread has been taken
from their mouths and they hnv" h''"n
obliged IN many cases 10 borrow money
from their employers to live on.
IF we must r"main closed longer. why
not issrr mn order closing everything
except food md drug stores and make
an effort to stamp out the disease
promptly