The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-05
THE STAGE SITUATION
Secretary Tresncr Theatrical Alliance
Stage Employees Explains.

Secretary Tresncr Theatrical Alliance
Stage Employees Explains.
To the Editor of the State Journal:
| An article appeared in the evening
paper of March 81, as statement
from Mr.. Roy Crawford, under the
| heading "They Fail to Agree, Craw-
ford and Union Strikers Do Not Get
Together on Terms,
| 1 wish to state, owing to the sick
ness of my father, that 1 did not
! answer imme diately. The statement
printed misleads tie public and lays
all the blame on the men involved in
the controversy.
1t was true that meeting was held
at the Elks' club with AL G. Fields as
mediator, with members of the Elks
and Chamber of Commerce, but no
/ agreement could be reached. In the
tables printed they did not show the
facts as they should be. attached are
| correct scales. Mr.. Crawford has al
ways objected to the operators scale
Of $500 because the vaudeville show
| does not run as long as the picture
| theatre.
AS 1 stated at that meeting that II
was a standard wage and hours, and
that all the other theater managers
1 pay the same.
He also states and leaves the inn
preston that the boys are still asking
rs cents per hour overtime-this was
( reduced after the first conference with
!, Mr.. Crawford some three months ago.
I cannot go into details in your col
umns as I would like to rectify the
statements that have been published.
and will state that we even went so far
| to accept the wages offered by him
Tin reference to the operator which he
| stated he would give IS cents per hour
| for five hours at the Novelty theater,
| which would mean that the operator
| zxyf nY,1xy < 11Ir
stead of S2S.O0 as asked. We agreed
on the stage wages except the over
| time which he wanted to only pay 40
| cents where we ask SO cents per hour.
With contracts on file from other
cities where Mr.. Crawford ownes
theaters he about doubles the wages
of his men than he does at home; es-
pecially Wichita, which is close to
Topeka. His argument is that Wichita
is better city to draw from, the trade
coming from the oil fields. 1 stated
| that Topeka has the Santa Fe shops
and offices to draw from and they are
| quite an asset, and at present the men
and women employed there are re-
! ceiving higher wages than ever before
and If his theater was paying A living
| wage that the men are asking he
would get more patronage. We even
offered him two weeks time to give
notice to the IJ7ople who are employed
on his theaters that are taking our
| mems places which is the customary
time that is allowed at all times
Mr.. Crawford states that he will run
his theaters on the open shop plan:
well he will have to do so as long as he
has no agreement with this local. I
do not see why he objects so much to
the union as he is a member of the
| ma nagers' association.
In trying to get us to accept the
people who are taking our places.
into the union will say that Mr. Craw-
ford has nothing to do With this. the
wage question is what is involved
All we ask is square deal with the
public as we have accepted everything
offered by Mr. Crawford except the
| overtime
''The scale printed in the statement
was also misleading. The facts are
that We agreed to leave out the matter
OF electrician at the Novelty. The last
years scale at the Novelty was: Car
penter, SIT; propertyman. s14; OPP
orator, $17; overtime, rs cents. This
years proposed scale: Carpenter, S21
propertyman, $3.50; operator. SIS;
overtime, 70 cents, adding electrician
at SIS.
Mr.. Crawford at the Elks' confer
ence, proposed: Carpenter $50; prop
ertyman, SIT; operator, rs cents per
hour for five hours; overtime. 40
cents.
I'VE then accepted the sea- with
the exception that we asked for sc
cents per hour overtime instead of 40
} cents.
AT the Grand the old scale was:
Carpenter, per day, 1925; property
man, $2.75; electrician, $2.50: flyman
s15O; grips. SLIPS per performance.
Crawford agreed to pay: Car
penters, $3.50; propertyman, So; cleo
trician, sS lyman. s1.75; grips. $3.50;
overtime. 40 cents.
, I'VE offered him, on the three day
men, to put them on a basic S-hour
i working day at 40 cents per houl
overtime"
In reference to Mr.. Field no
, playing the city. will say that tn,
union did not stop him from showing
only not allowing the travelling men
5 the stage men and others that are
2 union from going into the theater
which is an international rule. and w:
have done this on all shows that have
played there so far since the trouble
We even went so far as to try to ge
another theater in which Mr.. F'ielC
could play. using all his help, bu
were unsuccessful owing to the dates
A copy of a telegram showing tina
, we did so has been displayed in .hs
lobby of the Novelty for over week
Closing. will say that the men tina
were at the conference at the Elk
. club will state that we conceded real
ly more than should be conceded il
I asking for a living wage. As 1 stated
in the meeting, the wage that we ar,
Z asking is only wage that will ALLOW
US to give to those that are dependen
upon our labor that fullness and rich
ness of life that they are entitled to
5 a wage large enough SO that we viii
. not have to rob our own flesh ant
blood of the things to which thew ar,
Z entitled by the right of life itself
LOCAL 2O6. l. A. T. s. f.
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