The New York herald., 1921-01-14
Equity Demands
That Managers
Expel Shuberts
Special Meeting To-day to Sift
Charges to Which Lee Shu-
bert Replies.

In a formal communication yesterday
the Actors Equity Association called
upon the Producing Managers Associa-
The demand was based on charges that
the Shuberts had violated the basic
agreement of September 6, 1919, which
called a halt at the end OF the actors
ayers and actors for five years. The
allegations of the Equity were that the
managers had Disseminated against
Equity members-mostly chorus girls
had failed TO pay according to the terms
OF contracts and had discharged actors
who compla lined Of such failure.
Lee Shubert received word OF the
charges calmly and apparently without
being ruffied. To reporters who saw him
in his Office he made categorical denial
of the accusations declaring that they
were based on six or seven dinky cases
of chorus girls" The possibility OF re-
taliatory measures bearing some of the
features Of the strike loomed up.
Sam II. Harris. president of the Pro-
ducing Managers Association. has called
"A special meeting OF that body for this
afternoon. at o'clock az the headquar-
ters, 231 West Forty-hfth street TO con-
slider the matter. The Equity leaders
as well as the Shuberts will be on hand
to present their complaints and defence.
John Emerson. president OF the
Equity. Joined with Frank Gilmore, ex-
ecutive secretary. in exonerating A. L.
Erlanger and other producers from vio-
lation of the armistice, and declared
that the managers, on the whole, had
been very fair in living up TO their
agreement TO grant Equity contracts
and to avoid discrimination.
Details of the Charges.
The charges detailed various in
stances IN Shubert musical comedies in
which members were said to have been
called upon TO sign either independent
contracts allowing at least nine per-
formances. with Sunday performance in
addition. or a standard Equity contract,
with rider requiring nine performances
and Sunday show, II any. without ex-
ira compensation. Equity officials as
serted this violated the standard con-
tract whereby all performances above
eight weekly were to be paid for pro
rata.
They also instanced cases in which
give unlimited rehearsals exceeding the
four weeks sanctioned without pay.
Players objecting to extra performances
without pay, they said. were discharged.
They also cited three cases of girls who
are said to have failed to get engage
ments after acknowledging they were
Equity members. while girls applying at
the same time who said they were not
Equity members We're taken on. The
4.
p. NJ. A. stated:
"As you know, Tor some time after
the making Of the basic agreement mat
ters similar to those to which we now
refer were made the basis Of individual
complaint and adjustment. We con-
tinued to do this until we became aware
that these matters were not occasional
and sporadic. but were part of what Is
clearly q settled Shubert policy"
4 The communication, which stated the
/ matter had passed beyond the usual
mode of arbitration provided by the
! agreement and asked that all relations
/ between the p NJ. A. and the Shuberts
I be severed. was signed by Frank Gill
more for the Equity and by Dorothy
| Bryant, executive secretary, for the
/ Chorus Equity Association. 1t was
taken to Harris. as president; TO George
! Nicolai. as secretary, and to Arthur
Hopkins by Mr.. Gilmore. Miss Bryant,
| Tom Gamble. representing the musi-
clans union, and J. McKinnon. repre-
senting the stage hands. Hugh Frayne.
state organizer of the Federation OF
Labor, was represented by an accom-
panying letter.
Mr.. shubert's Statement.
Lee shubert, who called the complaint
SILLY" said further:
"why didn't the Equity submit these
charges 10 us and have them adjusted by
arbitration. instead Of calling in repre-
sentatives OF the press and making them
public? These complaints never were
brought to my attention before. Com
pany managers have discharged chorus
girls without my knowledge. for pro-
ducer In this business can't keep track
of every player out In Seattle.
1--WE never have Disseminated against
Equity members because they belonged
to that body. though they may have
thought So Chorus girls may have got
drunk or stayed out late at night and not
appeared at rehearsal the next day--both
| reasons why they could legitimately be
discharged But In each case they seem
to have imagined they were discharged
because they were Equity members. We
employ more than a thousand actors yet
they must pick out six dinky little cases
of chorus girls and on that basis charge
we are avoiding our contract.
I'VE always paid Equity girls extra
for additiona performances. as provided
in the standard contract. Non-Inembers
signed y rider. of which learned to-day.
by which they were given a fiat rate OF
IS extra for such performances because
company managers couldn't be bothered
I ~4t .e1
I ly coming TO them at the one-eighth rate.
In this way they made more than II they
were paid pro rata. for Sunday perform
ances don't amount 10 six or seven dur
ing the year
"If any mistakes have been made In
advertently by a company manager am
willing 10 have them corrected. But as
1 see things now they haven't been"
NOTES OF THE THEATRES.
Seven civic and social organizations have