Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-17

- TRIKES have long been the
means whereby labor has
forced its grievances into the
~ worlds spotlight. Some have
been successful and scores of
them have been utter failures. Yet
those who have advocated them con-
tend that even in failure a certain
measure of success has been scored
and ultimately conditions have been
bettersd for the striker. And now
the actor. 1.-The artist of the stage"
as the surest and probably the
quickest means of securing conces-
sions to: the purely material side of
his Profession has aligned himself
with ,organfzed labor. and in its
name has announced a strike for fair
play The details of what is COM
pretended In the elusive term fair
play" as we'll as the contentious of
the theatrical manager why it would
not be fair play to grant them, will
doubtless be aired in the courts,
where also the proceedings may de-
velop whether really 1.-The plays the
thing or those who present it; or
whether. after all, it may not be
combination of both which attracts
the public that pays the freight
The controversy has revived the
old axiom that great minds will
differ" The artist. whose business
tact combined with his art-or her
art. for fortune has not favored one
sex a1ene-has made himself. or her
self, not only a player, but a pro-
Queer. or even a manager. as a mat
ter of course can see no justice in
the players simple demands. On the
other hand, the p1ayer-and by the
term player" Is meant the man or
the woman whose artistic gifts by
nature are enriched with education.
study and experience-rememb
that even the immortal Shakespear-
can plays have come down through
the generations linked with the names
of those whose artistic fame is al
most II not quite as great in way
as the literary merit and the enter
tanning qualities of the plays them
selves, feels that, after all, he is en-
titled to much consideration, even
as the goldbeater and engraver who
mold and fashion the virgin gold into
objects that disclose an added beauty
and give to the gold itself an In
creased value.
So X
1t is perhaps unfortunate that art
should have to defend itself along
material lines. Some wise economist
has recommended as cure for the
high cost of living that those in the
world who are not engaged In PRO-
ducing the necessaries OF life leave
Off their present employment and go
to work" There are others who per
haps feel that the mind and the
heart must be fed quite as much as
the body to develop the highest man.
hood. It is, Of course. a matter OF
opinion. It may be: that. the gentle.
men who have launched their capital
in playmaking, like those who hays
invested it in base ball clubs. should
be the sole arbiters Of what 10 JUST
to those whose efforts multiply that
capital. An unsightly piece OF ma
chinery, SO insignificant that OF It
SELF it would never attract attention,
may be a vital element in the great
engine that carries the commerce OF
the world or that links its uttermost
corners in q common chain Of world
The actor or the pan
player may not appear OF much con.
sequence when stacked up against
the fortunes required-to hoat a play
or to run o ball club. but he is very
factor In determining
whether that play or that CLUB shaiI
retnrn the money invested ten or
twenty fold to, the investor. ane
often ii, Is within the power OF mat
q ctor or that ball player TO make OF
10 break the man who packs hiui'
surely. there is some way In Cnris-
tiah world to ascertain and TO aoHan-
lister simple Justice. - 60 tl