The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-05-23
LEAGUE FOES USING
CHAUTAuQUA PLAN
IobberS of Duluth and Twin Cities
Promote New Assault on
Nonpartisan Farmers.
81 TOWNS HAVE SIGNED UP
Vaudeville Entertainment and Artists
to Draw Crowd-camoufIaeed SPELL
binders to Put Out Propaganda.

| The latest plan for fighting the Nom
partisan league farmers is wide
spread adaptation of the chautauqua
idea. The anti-league propaganda will
be in the hands of smooth-talking lee
turers sandwiched In between various
| forms of popular entertainment Book
ings have been arranged for 81 North
Dakota towns and the total net cost
to the hackers for that state is esti-
mated at 100000.
| Who the hackers are as well as the
details of this attempt to prevent a
popular institution, is described In the
March % number of the Billboard, q
theatrical magazine published at New
York City. The hackers are the job
| bers of the Twin Cities and Duluth
and the local merchants.
| Jobbers Pay Part.
1T is big and worthy work" de-
clares the Billboard article. Seventy
five per cent of the cost Is borne by
the merchants themselves. The re.
naming 25 per cent is cared for mu-
tually by st. Paul, Minneapolis and
Duluth jobbers.'
| I'VE hear a great deal about the
Nonpartisan league of North Dakota
these days. A dozen other states are
beginning to fight this Nonpartisan
| league idea. Editor Norman B. Black
of Fargo, N. D.. recently passed
through the city of Chicago and while
there he gave the newspapers some in
teresting stories about the way this
league is working In his state He
started of with this thought: The
North Dakota idea il the real menace
to this country
| How are they meeting this situa.
ton? The lyceum and chautauqua
idea being very flexible one 1t was
made to fit this field and set to work
to solve this problem. The following
was taken from report prepared by
the manufacturers and jobbers' trade
extension branch of the ST. Paul As.
ISOLATION of Commerce. and 1t sets
forth many facts that are worthy OF
profound study by every business man
and every amusement purveyor in this
country:
THE Federated Community Life
Development association, F. P Mann
Devils Lake, president; Alexander
Karr, Fargo, secretary-treasurer, was
organized early In 1918, through the
efforts of the North Dakota Retailers
association In cooperation with other
business organizations of the state.
81 Towns Signed Up.
Bookings are made by advance
agents of the association and for 1918
81 towns have been signed up. The
agents make the arrangements with
the merchants of each town, who guar
antee their cooperation and financial
and moral support
after describing how it is the duty
and responsibility Of every st. Paul
travelling man who works in North
Dakota to boost for this organization
and to watch its activities the Bill
board story concludes:
"'There are now four systems of at
fractions on the road filling engage.
|
sist of concerts, lecturers and enter.
tainers. They stay two days In each
town. They give two concerts and a
lecture, and hold a business confer
ence in which all possible angles are
discussed and plans laid for the better
development OF. their purpose to bring
townspeopIe and farmers together.
Extension to Other States.
They wind up the second night
with dance and sort of social soiree
and it all leaves the local community
longing and waiting for the next
event. which will be about six weeks
later, when a different set of enter
tainers, musicians and lecturers comes
to that same town for another two
days of pleasure and profit to all.
"Lyceum and chautauqua attrac.
tions are given 80 to 40 week contracts
and never get beyond the bounds of
that one state. How long will it take
to cover the United States if an attrac-
/ tion worked each state as thoroughly
as North Dakota is being worked?'
1.-THE last paragraph evidently hits
what the Twin Cities jobbers are hop
ing to do. The expense of 'educat-
| ing North Dakota farmers, with
nearly 400 separate days of pleasure
and profit to ALL must be consider
able-certainly not less than 100000
| altogether, of which the Twin Cities
and Duluth pay 25 per cent, or s25, 900.
But the ultimate intention undoubted.
~ is to cover the United States as
thoroughly as North Dakota is being
worked"
McAdo0 Finds Employment.