South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-30
ORCHESTRAQUITS
PALACE, DEMANDS
z 2EXTRAPLAYERS
Management Presents Naude-
vile Despite Walkout =
Views of Two Factions.

The Palace vaudeville was pre-
sented Friday night without an or
chestra.
The local Federation of Musicians
insisting that ten men instead Of
eight be employed in the orchestra,
ordered a strike just before the
opening of the performance.
The Palace has employed eight
men since the opening of the theater.
The members of the orchestra are
on duty three hours out of each
day, except Saturday and Sunday,
their time being cut by the fact
that when the changed policy added
feature picture. an organist was
employed that materially cut their
time
The pay of the members Of the
orchestra is S47, the highest figure
paid in the city for much shorter
hours. according TO officers OF the
company. There was no dispute
over wages or conditions. the strike
Icing called because of the union
determination that two additional
men be employed.
When Asher Levy. general man
aGer Of the Orpheum circuit Is. b..
Kahauc. the seCrctary-treasurer and
Hugh Flanuery. local manager re-
fused to agree 10 the demands.
branding them as unreasonable ana
unprecedented. and an invasion OF
proper rights Of management ana
ownership. the members OF the or
chestra refused TO play.
May Rcarrangc Bills.
The bin for the week happened 10
have a number Of musical acts car
rving their own accompanimen-s and
n IS likely that the bills vii! be so
arranged as 20 present vaudeV.-e OF
this sort until the matter IS settled.
According TO General Manager Levy
IN no other theater Of their manage
nnent has such q demand been made.
larger theaters in Chicago and else
where being operated wiki even
fewer than the eight men who have
baen emDlove1 here As he views =.
there IS a principle involved and this
is quite as important as the extra
employment demanded for members
OF the organization.
I'VE consider the action OF the
local federation arbitrary and we are
able 20 protect our interests should
This issue be prolonged" declared
Asher Levy Friday night, and atten-
tlon was called by ,hat Official of the
Orpheum Circuit 10 the fact that
members OF the Palace orchestra.
working less thar three hours day
for pay IN excess 1f the scale -or
theatrical work elsewhere, have the
easiest job in the country.
We pay our orchestra men more
for three hours Of playing each day
than do other local houses where the
orchestra IS required 10 play SIX
hours a day and in using eight men
we are slightly above the average
sized orchestra for cities the SIZE OF
South Bend" Levy declared.
Musicians Viewpoint.
Members OF the local board OF
control have decided that the size Of
the Palace thcater warrants the use
OF 10 men and we are backed by our
national president in insisting on an
orchestra Of that size, declared
Harry Cess president OF the local
federation Other members Of the
board OF control insist that more
than % ushers are used at the
Palace, half Of whom are unneeded
and that the orchestra OF eight men
is scarcely audible in some parts Of
the house. They maintain that il the
management can afford that many
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