The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-31
TURNING POINT IN. THEATRICAL WORLD. HAS BEEN REACHED.
Readiustment of Wages of All EmpIoyes at Hand, While the Stars Will
 Feel the Ak
By RALPH BURTON special Correspondent to The Age Herald. Copyright, 1921, by The Age-Heraid)

Copyright, 1921. by The Age -Heraid)
 Washington. July 30-(Special.)- )- Without any undue policy. the stage Is now being set for bitter strug- gle between the managers and own- CTS of theatrical and motion picture industries on the one hand and the artists and employees of those in- dustries on the other. The opening gun of the conflict has, in fact, all ready been fired, and the beginning of the new theatrical season this fall Is likely to find the opposing forces contending for supremacy
 The theatrical and film industries are in state of rather pronounced depression, part of the "deflation" process. Things have been going badly with the theatre business since last fall, contributing factor in it's trials heinz the high railroad rates, which made travel almost prohibitive. Some of the smaller companies, indeed, even attempted touring by automo- bile. There are indications that Tn some lines of business the turn for the better may be at hand, but the industries still have a fairly long road to take before conditions clear.
 Spokesmen- for the motion pictures have made 1t evident that there will be a general readjustment of sai- aries in the industry, even affecting the nlgn prlCeu SLarS.+ 1nOSe WnOse weekly stipend has been measured in the thousands will have to show good reason for the continuance of such salaries or submit to a cut.
 Meanwhile, there has been dis turbed labor condition in the Pa cific coast studios, which recently burst into a strike. The studio em- ployes walked out but the actors / members of the equity-decided that C of fn 1 their support. The status of the actors themselves was so precarious that they could not afford to jeo- pardize their contracts and the stu dio workers agreed that the actor s course was proper.
 Managers of the burlesque houses recently announced their intention to conduct their circuits this fall on the. "open shop" basis. In a state ment explaining their position they said that they had been compelled to reduce admission charges, and that they could not operate unless the musicians, stage hands and actors CO., operated by accepting reductions.
 Picture Houses Closing
 The closing of 8 number of pic- ture houses in New York and else- where has been announced within re- cent weeks, and common expiana- tion is that wages of house en- ployes are too high to make opera- tion profitable. The employees, how ever, alleged that tins contention IS insincere, for they make the counter claim that arrangements advanced admission prices to a much greater extent than the increases in wages, and that nothing has been said about reduction of admission charges. All musicians in picture and vaude- ville houses in New York have been fired" as a result of wage dls- agreement. Union leaders, moreover, hold also a grievance against the films. which they assert are rapidly degenerating into mere media or ropaganda. They are especially dis- pleased with the prevalence of films .extolling the merits of mounted po- lice: for all of these films are gen erally set in Canadian locality. The union leaders contend that they are designed to popularize the idea of a state constabulary, which IS. anathema to organized labor,
 The entrance of a large theatrical producing firm into the vaudevube field is a recent development In the situation that has attracted much comment. It Is best known that mucn opposition to the equity exists in manarerial circles, and George M. Conan has recently abandoned plans to put 16 companies on the road be- cause of the strength of the equity.
 Present indications are that the nttemuts of theatres and film es- tabli shments to "deflate" will lead to serious clashes with musicians, mechanical workers in all lines. and actorn. including the vaudeville ac- tors. to some extent.