New-York tribune., 1919-09-01
Gilmore Thinks Settlement
Is Nearer and Points to
Offer of New Contract
Allowing Equity Arbiters
Untermyer Gives Advice
Tells Strikers They Should
Insist OH the Closed Shop
andWarns of Compromise

Striking actors and obduratc man
ayers alike disappeared from broadway
yesterday. Even the managers press
bureau was closed. Frank Gilmore,
executive secretary of the Actors
Equity Association, left word. however,
that the managers, by Offering q new
contract that would permit actors to
select Equity officials as arbiters, were
getting warmer"
Its like game Of Button, Button;
Who's Got the Button ?'' declared Mr.
Gilmore, 'and the managers. by offer
ing this new contract. :hrough their.
Fidelity League. arc getting ~a~mer'
Mr. Gilmore also lssu a statement
In which he gives cr dit &c The Hippo
drome management fol IT'S Sense of
fairness" and broadmindeires in rec
ognizing the Actors EouitT Associa-
tlon and in granting its deman,ls-de-
mands, incdcata ly, which were made
after a strike hao oeei> called at the
theatre without the knowll dge of
Equity officials.
Has Praise FOR Hippodl me
Investigation has shown =; Mr..
Gilmore said, "that nc thentrc was
conducted on q higher baeis If fair
mlndedness than was the Htppodrome.
And this was more shan borne out by
the way in which The gentlemen who
constitute the o~ning corporation OF
the Hippodrone accented the sugges-
tlon made with regard 20 the better
ment of the conditions Of the chorus"
A letter from Samuc. Untarmver to
Frank Gilmore was m; de publi. yes
terday by the Equity press bureau. Mr.
Untermyer warns the actors that he
believes them wrong in disclaimng any
thought OF insisting upon the "ciosed
shop
"ln theory there may be such a thing
as the open shop. but in practice there
is not Mr.. Untermyer wrote. Your
profession mus. either be represented
through your association for the pur-
pose Of collective bargaining or YOU
will be left at the mercy Of individual
bargaining against the managers, who,
While arrogatInE TO themselves the
right OF collective bargaining, have had
the impertinence to deny it to YOU. If
they have a decent prcteXt for that at
titude F'have never heard it presented.
1t would be interesting to know what
it is.
Warns Against "Open Shop
If YOU compromise your controversy
on the basis OF an open shop which
means that the managers are at liberty
to deal individually with such Of the
actors as do not choose to join your
organization, the result will be that IN
course of time they will undermine
your association by discriminating
against its members until they succeed
in disintegrating it. This is far more
easily done in your profession than
IN the ordinary trade union.
'My advice to you is TO stick it out.
You have the sympathy of the public
and with proper organization OF your
forces you will be able to secure 1T;
material support. Permit me to wish
You every success in the stand you
cause you are entitled to do So
Inclosed with Mr.. untermyer's let
ter was his check for $1,000 for the
strikers relief fund.
The Motion Picture Players Asso-
citation will meet tonight in Geneva
Hall, 143 West Forty-fourth Street
The Actors Equity Association is tt
hold its regular weekly meetings 81
the Lexington Avenue Theatre Tues
day and Friday afternoons and the
Actors Fidelity League will hold meet
ings every night this week at the
Hotel Biltmore.
A statement was issued yesterda,
by Howard Kyle of the Fidelity League
in which he said the methods pursued
by the striking actors were at variance
with their assertion that they wer,
not fighting for the closed shop.
All Join to Aid Pagan
Managers, striking actors of tn
Equity and non-striking actors of tn
Fidelity called truce for a few hour
last evening to join in benefit t.
Barney Pagan, seventyyearol veteran
OF the minstrel stage. The perform
ancc was held in Manhattan Oper;
House, donated by Morris Gest. Among
the performers, many of whom were o
Fagan's own generation, were Bcrnar'
Dillon, Lew Dockstader, Mcintyre
Heath, Burr Mcintosh, Willard Sweat
man. Dan Quinlan, Chic Sale and An
drew Mack +. f. Albee, of Keith's
swelled the benefit fund with d chec
for $500.