New-York tribune., 1919-07-24
Actors Undecided
On Policy After
Managers Ref usal
Equity Association Council
Fails to Formulate Plan.
10 Meet Rejection of Con.
terence Appeal Proposal

Inc council of the Actors Fouitv
association met yesterday, but Frank
Nllimore, executive secretary. said M
piah OF action had yet been formulated
TO meet the refusal Of the Producing.
Managers Association to name com
mlttee to confer with delegation from,
the Equity regarding the controversy
over contracts.
AS bearing out the Equitys conten-
ton that it has done all in its power to
restore harmony, Mr.. Gilmore cited
the fact that the last overture from,
'he actors was the third to be turned
down by the managers.
VIZ. fillmore made public the fol-
lowing letter sent to the managers:
we write to ask your association to
reconslder Its former action and to an
point small committee, with power to
act, to meet small committed of oure
with IKE power to settle the present
situation.
Situation Unsatisfactory
Inc situation, as everybody knows.
is unsatisfactory. On the one hand.
equity contracts and on the other
various of your members are DELAYING
productions or delaying the signing Of
contracts in the hope that an adjust
ment will be made
lherefore, before we take anv ac
tlon or make any definite plan of cam
palgn, which must inevitably lead to a
bitter struggle and which may result in
severlng for all time the friendly per
sonal relations existing between man
ayers and actors, we earnestly make
the request that this joint committee
promptly find means Of securing con-
tlnuous cooperation instead of con
slant pickering.
The Actors Equity Association
feels that its six years Of conduct Of
the affairs of actors entities it to your
thorough respect. 1t has tried to de-
mand equity from actor as well as from
manager, and to keep alive that degree
OF personal equation between actor and
manager, which is necessary 10 get the
best work and the best performance.
1t wishes these conditions to continue
and it believes that they can continue
II practlcal cooperation on an equita-
Die basis IS promptly agreed upon
'We understand there is to be 4
meeting of your association on Tues
day next and we will greatly appre-
ciate reply shortly after the. close
thereof"
Reason for Refusal
The Managers Association declined
to name conference committee be
cause he Equity had "brough into its
councils men who have proved in the
past neither friends to the actor nor
the manager, men who have only
thrived in the fostering Of bitterness
and discord where it did not previously
exist"
This objection is understood to be
aimed at James William Fitzpatrick
and Harry Mountford, respectively,
president and executive secretary of
the White Rats, the vaudeville actors
union.
The ideae chat Mr. Fitzpatrick al
Mr.. Mountford, for whom I have the
highest regard, have anything to do
with the Actors Equity is entirely er-
roneous," said Mr.. Gilmore.
He went on to explain that the
Equity is self governing and autono-
nous, although like the Vaudeville
actors union, the Hebrew Actors
Union and the Chorus Workers. Union.
it holds a charter from the Associated
Actors and Artistes of America, known
as the Four AS. The Four AS
corresponding to an international
union, is. in turn, chartered bv the
American Federation of Labor.