New-York tribune., 1919-01-19
Stage World
Sees Ruin in
Proposed Tax
Puts Poor Man Out of the
Theatre and Spreads Boil
shevism, Says Morris Cest
Injustice, Is Brady's View
slanagers United in Belief
That lit Means Wide Social
Unrest and Unemployment

IF the United Theatrical Managers
were never before united, there IS
no doubt complete unanimity OF
opinion exists at the resent moment.
a.Therc were meetings and rumors Of
.neetines yesterday in regard to the
new proposed 20 per cent tax
on tickets for theatres, baseball, etc
All the managers knew exactly how
-fiey felt in regard to the new meas
llre, and none Of them was at all back
ward IN expressing his opinion.
Morris Gest was discovered at the
Century Theatre. but he stopped in the
middle Of his most eloquent address
to rush to the telephone and say:
s..What do / think of this tax bust
fess?' Well, III tell you what l think
1t is the greatest boost the Bolshevikl
could have in Americal 1t will put the
poor man out of the theatre. 1t will
put q quarter of million people out
Qt employment, which would be abso-
luteny dlsa trou5 at this time. In fact,
cannot contemplate the consequences.
They are too enormous. 1t must not
SO through"
"Incentive TO Bolshevism'
's"no you know said John L. Golden,
chat the only other enterprise to be so
taxed is the manufacture Of burglars
tools? If this bill goes through, it will
be the death knell of many enterprises
and the spring viii therefore see
considerable Bolsheviki unrest through
out the country.
II am sure that for every dollar the
government takes in on the new tax. it
win have to pay out ten dollars on re-
pressive measures
Mark Luescher. of the Hppodrome,
said: "There is only one thing we can
say. and that is United we stand In
answer to the appeal TO the people
from the etages Of the various thea
tres 500, ASS names already have been
signed TO the petitions handed out
Three hundred end seventyfve thou
sand of these were in New York. Many
Of the owns outside Of New York did
lot receive instructions in time to give
out the petitions, and they are yet to
0e heard from.
Expects 100000 Signers
"I' is probable that by tomorrow
more than two millions persons viii
have signed these petitions.
"The Concert and Music Managers
Association has voted TO cooperate
with the United Managers Protective
Association, as have also the Broadway
Association the Hotel Managers the
Real Estate Board and The Merchants
l,,. l,s.ll
and ,hc circus men joined us, so We
all stand together. believe
William A. Brady said: 1T viii mean
the absolute ruin of the theatres, and,
seems to me a terrible Injustice So
long as the theatre is the nations
playground and has a distinctive func-
ton in national life, it should be pro-
tected at all costs.
We have been Disseminated against
and placed in the class with makers Of
murderous weapons. 1t is q rank in
Justice to the greatest theatre-aoino
public in the world, for 1t VIII make
the price Of theatre tickets prohibit
We 3"
IAN unthinking piece of legislation" !"
said Edgar Selwyr. "Why. if the pres
cnt feeling continues to exist, and |
am sure it VIII. probably not more than
one-thrd as many people win go to the
theatre as now visit the playhouses.
No More Road Shows
They accepted the first tax cheerfully.
but they have not the same spirit in
regard to the proposed increase. In
fact, they are rallying to our support
all over the country in great numbers,
for II IS even q more serious matter
TO tho out-of-town theatre gocrs than
1t is to New Workers. If the new tax
goes INTO effect. there win be no road
companies AMI no out-of-town per
formances'
Both Marc Klaw and A. II. Woods
responded by saying: "They would
XII the goose that laid the golden
eggs.' Mr. Klaw. who is president of