New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-09
Musicians Obey
Ordert0Strike
I'm Vaudeville
Only 2 Thcaters Among BIG
Circuits Able to Present
Complete Orchestras for
Performances in Evening
Pianos and CIloruses Help
Managers Count on Strife in
Union to Help Them in
Putting End 10 Walk-Out

The strike order Of the Musical
Mutual Protective Union which be-
came effective at midnight Sunday in
all the houses of the Keith, Loew
Proctor, Moss and Fox vaudeville cir
cults was unanimously obeyed, accord
ing to the situation found last night in
fourteen important thcaters of these
companies.
The managers succeeded in engaging
new orchestras equal in size to those
which walked out in only two of the
houses visited. These were Kejth's
Palace, on Broadway at Forty seventh
Street. and Loew's Circle, on Broadway
Just above Columbus Circle. In most
OF the theaters piano or organ music
alone was furnished.
Pianists were substituted for four
teen musicians at FoX's Park, for nine
at Loew's Lincoln Square for EIGHT at
j.oew's American. for eight at Loew's
American Roof. for fourteen at Fox's
Lyric, tor 'welve at FoX's City
Some Orchestras Reduced
At Proctor's Fifth Avenue six women
had been engaged to take the places
OF the eight men employed last week.
been taken on to replace twelve must
clans who went out, while at Keith's
Jefferson seven out of eight places had
been filled.
Directors of the union declared that
similar conditions prevailed throughout
the city There was talk at union head
quarters of a suit to compel the man
ayers to continue the old wage scale
up to September 4, as Che ousted local
contends that the existing salary con-
tract does not expire until that date.
An executive Of the B. F. Keith Com
pany denied the effectiveness of the
strike order early yesterday afternoon.
he declared that only about $50 of the
circuits had gone out, and that IS per
cent of the strikers had been replaced
before noon. He thought that before
the evening performances normal condi-
tons would have been restored. and
that it would not be necessary to bring
in out-of-town artists.
The only difficulty experienced by the
managers. he said, was in redistrict-
ing the players SO as to have COM
plete orchestra in each of the 100
theaters. Some houses. he explained,
were short on violinists, others on
pianos. but he believed the musicians
had been shifted so skilfully that no
difference would be noticed by the
public.
Choruses in Picture Houses
At the Offices of the Capitol Rialto.
Rlvoil and Criterion theaters, all pict-
ure houses, it was said that so great
had been the success of the choruses
substituted for the striking orchestras
that the problem of engaging new mu-
slclans has not even been considered.
There has been no decrease in the size
OF the audiences, it was said, and the
space, formerly occupied by the orches-
tras has been covered with shrubberv.
The managers base their hopes of
winning the strike largely upon the fac
tiona discord in the union and the
break between the union and the Amer
lcan Federation of Musicians, which
leaves local players free to take en-
ployment without changing their status
IN the eyes Of the national body. All
the musicians engaged yesterday were
members of the union taking advan-
tage of this fact, the managers said