Evening journal., 1921-03-22
Phil. SYMPHONY
CUTS THIS CITY
tcontlnued from frst pagel

mas three large ones. Ine cnlcI iac-
tor is the high cost.
While it could not be confirmed, Il
was said last night the Philadelphia
Symphony may also Glide Pitts
hurgh and Washington. as well as
Wilmington from it's seasons sched-
ule, as Philadelphia has demanded
that the orchestra increase the num-
ber of concerts given there.
Manager Judson's Statement.
Arthur Judson. manager of the
Orchestra, when asked for a state
ment concerning the reasons for cut
ting Wilmington from the itinerary,
after 16 consecutive years. said:
1T is very simple. The facts
are these: We have had in the past
six years pretty difficult times. First
there was a sudden cessation of
players from Europe. We in Amer
lea have never produced enough
men to supply the demand
"On top Of this came the great
increase in cost of living in the East,
while in the Middle West and West
there arose desire on the part of
many small towns to organize and
maintain their own orchestras. The
Middle Western towns literally
raided the Eastern orchestras.s They
offered more than double the usual
salaries.
Next came the increased war tax;
then the increase in rail rates
Where formerly we could get special
trains to carry our men and in
struments at two cents a mile. the
price suddenly became four, and
even six.
"Music-that is the printed scores
costs a great deal more; so, too
newspaper advertising; Office rent, in
fact almost everything which goes
to make overhead
with this situation confronting
us we tried to increase prices of
seats But the public baked. II
will pay just so much for a sym
phony ticket, and no more. Then
we tried to raise the guarantees. but
that didn't help. Finally came the
musicians union, which raised the
rates for players 20 per cent.
Under these conditions it means
we simply have bot to stop touring. "
Well Treated BY Wilmington.
How have you been treated in
Wilmington by the Wilmington Or
chestera committee?" was asked.
'Splendidly." came the prompt
response from Mr.. Judson. 1.-The
committee has been fine. We have
no kick coming on that score"
Hasn't it generally been under
stood that the concerts in Whining
ton have paid for themselves? Have
you had to call on the guarantors ?"
"The committee" responded the
manager of the Orchestra" has been
putting up $500 a year, and we do
not think IL fair to ask for more"
do you think you have been
charged too much for your hall?"
mo" answered Mr.. Judson," the
Playhouse people have been most
generous. They did raise the rate
per performance to s40O a night
but when 1 protested and showed
them we could not pay such a sum
they gave US a rebate Of S10O."
Should Play To Masses.
IF Wilmington had a large audi.
torium. seating say 1000 or 6OOC
persons, do you think you could play
here proftably?"
Lets see" replied Mr.. Judson,'
we have averaged not more thar
100 persons per concert How
many people have you in Whining
ton"
zone hundred and ten thousand
according to the last census" was
the reply.
well. then" said Mr.. Judson
1--WE have been supplying only one
per cent. Of your entire population
with symphonic music That is a
ridiculous average. In short the
! Orchestra is not doing its full duty
either to its public or to itself, wher
| il only reaches so exclusive a num-
ber. We want, and should, play &c
the populace; we should reach the
! great masses; symphony orchestra
/ is an educational enterprise, not q
/ plaything for the few"
Then do you think you might re-
new your contract with Wilmington
/ if provided with an auditorium suf
| hcient in seating capacity TO draw
audiences OF 5000 to 1000 instead OF
100"
Well" replied Mr.. Judson, re
fiectively. Il think that is abou
| Wilmington's only chance undei
present conditions. Certainly 4
does not pay us to come here now.
Later. at the close OF the Tschai
kowsky Symphony. Mr.. Stokowsk
was asked his opinion Of the situa
tion. He was interviewed just aftei
he had stepped Off the stage and still
was wiping the perspiration from hii
brow after repeated bows in res
ponse to applause.
Recognizing his interviewer, Mr.
Stokowski said:
please do not ask me to tall
about it. Wilmington has been mos
appreciative. We all Of us hate
to give up our concerts here.
But what can we do2 We have
just so many dates and so many
cities. The demands on us are
growing all the time. We can play
only so many times. 1 personally
can only do so many concerts: il
try to do more, / feel ] am not Civ
ing fun value to my audience. There
has got to be a cut somewhere"
Mr.. Stokowsk gave the impression
decidedly of man as much harasse,
by the cares Of conducting as Mr.
Judson did by the cares OF making
financial ends meet.
I'm sorry" suddenly continued
Mr.. Stokowski." but we can not pla,
in Wilmington longer. That is all
Last nights program was one o
the most delightng OF any given thii
year. II comprised the familiar
overture. "Oberon," by Won Weber
followed by Mozarts seldom -hearC
"Concertante Symphonic" for VIC