New-York tribune., 1919-05-24
Reject Demand for Change
i'll Weekly Basis and
Will Not Consider Threat
of Joining Federation
Players to Give Answer
Movement Termed Below
Dignity of Theatrical Pro-
fession and Unwarranted

The Producing Managers Associa-
ton, representing the foremost the
atre managers of the country, at a
meeting in the Hotel Claridge yes
terday, rejected the demands made by
the Actors Equity Association. The
managers informed the actors, in a
letter to Frank Gilmore, secretary OF
the organization. that should they
carry out their threat of joining the
American Federation of Labor and or
ganizlng into a closed shop the man
ayers would sever all relations with
them.
The action of the managers, it is
said, brings the controversy closer to
a possibility of strike or lockout in
the theatrical profession. The actors
declare they have 1000 members in
their organization, including many
prominent stars. In their demands
for revision of the present contract
with the managers they demand the
following:
That eight performances shall con-
stitute a week, and that holiday and
Sunday performances shall be paid for
SAtId-dil clSHlu Ol d Wcck pay lOI
each extra performance.
Guarantees from the Producing Man
ayers Association that it will take
action against those of its members
who refuse to use the standard con-
tracts, which include a clause that
after three weeks rehearsals shall be
paid for.
G<nrIo I'd Cont fra artc nomo nd oil
That standard contracts shall be
signed within a week after an engage
mcnt is made.
The letter addressed yesterday by
the managers and signed by j. Law
renee Weber, their secretary, follows
"Referring to the proposed contract
on behalf Of the Actors Equity Asso-
citation, am instructed to say that
after careful consideration it has been
deemed impossible for the Producing
Managers Association to accept same
involving as it does so many depart
ures from established and tested prac-
tices of the profession.
81 am instructed to say further that
the prevailing and accepted conditions
which exist in the present contracts
have proved fair and in the main salts
factory in operation. We cannot, nol
Will we acquesce in any attempt tc
bring about unconsidered innovation,
as the result of self-interested agita
ton, which really has not in mind the
we'll being of the profession nor the
helpful cooperation Of its members.
Your declared purpose that upor
our failure to- accept the demands o.
the Actors Equity Association it will
retaliate by organizing the acting pro
fession as a closed shop is one that we
will not consider.
"Ihe proposal is so incongruous
with the nature OF an artistic profess
sion, and involves such an abandon
ment of the actors standing and dig
nifty that we cannot believe it has re
ceived unbiased consideration from
those who affect to be in favor of sucF
a step.
ut would not be possible, | am in
structed to add for us to deal with an
organization which so far departs from
its original ideals as to threaten the
profession with what is known as g
closed shop"
The managers who were present OF
were represented at the meeting were:
David Belasco, Lee and J. j. Shubert
A. L. Erlanger, Mare klaw, Cohan and
Harris, Henry Miller, A H. Woods, F
Ray Comstock, William A. Brady. Sci
wyn & Co., George Broadhurst Smith
& Golden, John Cort, Henry w Saw
age, Charles Frohman, Inc, Arthur
Hammerstein, Morris Gest, William
Elliott, G. NJ. Anderson, Lawrence
Weber, Charles Coburn, Oliver Moros-
co. Winthrop Ames, Arthur Hopkins
William Harris, jr.; Richard Walton
Tully, Adolph Klauber, Harry Frazee
and j. Fred Zimmerman, jr.
To Frame Reply Monday
The Actors Equity Association will
meet at the Hotel Astor next Monday
afternoon, when the reply of the man
ayers will be considered and some coun-
ter action decided upon. The actors
are affiliated with the British Actors
Association and the Australian Actors
Association, which are understood tc
have fought number of battles with
the managers in those countries and tc
have wrung important ions fol
the theatrical workers, among them g
closed shop and payment for rehearsals
for actors whose salaries are below $50
a week. The Actors Equity Association
wants to introduce the same conditions
here.