New-York tribune., 1922-03-31
'illeaters Urge
Miller to Curb
Ticket Brokers
Owners. Playwrights and
Actors Unite in Appeal
for Approval of Walton
Bill TO Stop Couging
onlySpcculatorsOppos I'd
Charge of so Gents Pre-.
nium for Seats Declared
>mple by One Agency
rram q Stnn corr.sno..a..... .

ALBANY. March 3o.-Playwrjrbt,
actors. ;heater owners. play producers
and the public appealed through their
representatives. to Governor Miller to-
de- 20 sign the Walton bill, aimed at
'arbHg prohteerIng theater ticket
spectators. Louis Marshall. on he
faif OF the ticket spectators, was the
Only opponent of the bill.
lohn Golden, representing the PLAY
Producing Managers Association of
America: Augustus Thomas. author and
playwright. who appeared on behalf of
the American Dramatists. the Actors,
Equity Association and the Actors ri
deity Association. and Senator Charles
". Walton. 'ntroducer of the bill. made
t1e principal arguments for the
measure
senator W alton, answering the at
,acks on the bill made by Mr.. Marshall
sad j. was constitutional, and urged
tbe Governor to sign it and let the
courts pass on the features of it which
ne rcpres escntatives Of the ticket specu
atorS said was violative OF the organic
aw. Senator Walton said the bill not
only limited the spectators profit to
20 cents, but placed all ticket brokers
1rdoc state regulations.
Bill Passed Unanimously
Assemblyman Morris Bloch. who had
caargc Of the measure in the Lower
House, informed the Governor that the
was passed unanimously in both
embly and Senate and that the
LEGISLATURE, which considered all the
acts IN the case, wrote into the bill
that ne traffic in theater tickets bore
s1cn peculiar relation to public in
teiest that there is superimposed upon
r iho rlGht Of public regulation.
Addressing himself to this phase Of
'ae matter. Augustus Thomas said that
tee tneater was generally recognized
an instrument of cultural develop
rent.
One Of the theater's highest values,
'oi frequently recognized and not often
iamcd. said Mr.. Thomas, as as a
f'c.e et Ylcarlous repression, an out
For countless emotions and desires,
e'. without II, would become dan
I'm the individual and to the
ae1itT for thc'r repression.
oI il" theater feel tina, there
1l.s within it that can be cor
TO which We are giving at
Vie owe il that duty. One Of
Ha tlul and pernicious OF
his ueculatiou in tickets. 1t
ra vhlch the actors are pow
10 o1r"cct; The authors equally
c.. managers, as business men
J osr 'tdiatoly in contact with the
'c fd = i1ore ablc 10 com
yctor - author, but for
t.to tar' .oo& to the Cover
f. tt trc ] eisiature."
--r...t', ,fo-. Irailod p-of,oo~s
"r. t.c'd21, afler dwelling upon the
l o, cho pe.1latUG az it affected
i tt. producers Of plays,
- cu.a;or invests practically
e'r.., Y create the plays, build
tae t.f:, fun ish tho entertainment
n' ,ar total Investors, get the
...- ct -pec1lators continue to
o" aar Investment without
ritaa,r'
W. Goloe i'll this practice had
'.i ri-hcl attrndauce at the
a..t. trr result that moro actors
were e.t ' vor. than ever before in
the OF tho thcater.
IcBride, one Of the lar.;est
ticket peculatora ia the business, a 50
aIn.s~ ~cA % advocacy of the bin. He
Sold Nj house never charged more than
t- cents above the box Office price.
"Ihis S fair and reasonable profit,
4 Mr. Mcbride.