New Britain herald., 1922-06-29
7HEATER MUSICIANS
 GET INTO WRANGLE
Union Movie Operator at Foz's
 Called Out as Result

There will be a meeting of the ] executive committee of the local Mu- sftians' Union tomorrow evening to | discuss the matter of allowing Fox's
 theater to employ one musician. an
 organist, during the summer months when only motion pictures and not vaudeville is to be run.
 There has been great deal of dis
 sesion between the officials of the local
 union and the manager of the theater
 as to the clause in the bylaws of the | local union which calls for a five piece orchestra for a show house having a seating capacity of 800 peole or over.
 Manager Harry Burke of the thea | ter decided that vaudeville shows dur ing the summer months would not be la paying proposition, and he decided a few weeks ago to hold motion pie ture shows instead of the vaudeville. When the change went into effect the union stag hands were laid off un- til such time as their services will be needed again, and the five piece orchestra was also laid off, and an organist engaged.
 The local union refused to allow any of their members or any other union musician to play at the theater. calling into force the union clause which calls for five piece orchestra. Immediately Manager Burke sent to New York and engaged an organist to play at the theater, and the union officials turned around and complain ed to the headquarters in New York. The union officials there, acting on the complaint, had the motion picture machine operator in the local theater ordered to stop work on July 5, and they threatened to try to have the Fox circuit put on the unfair list"
 Matter Is Discussed.
 President John Dolan met with Manager Burke of the theater and both of them discussed the matter. MT. Burke explained that with motion pictures only as an attraction, the tteater would not even pay expenses during the hot weather. if five piece orchestra was employed. He stated that he would like to hire all union men at the local house, but could not afford to have the company Jose money. MT. Dolan stated that he was powerless to act because of the clause concerning the number of men hired, but called a meeting of the executive committee for tomorrow night to dis cuss the matter.
 AS it happens, the Fox theater in Springfield has adopted the policy which the local manager has put into effect and they have been allowed by the union there to use only one man during the summer months. It Is said that the same thing has been done in Hartford.
 MT. Dolan stated today that he is of the opinion that matter will be sat- isfactorily settled omorrow night. He said that he was unable to state for al certainty what the executive commit tee would do. but he thought that they would allow the local theater to use one man. Manager Burke stated that he is in favor of using union help, but cannot see where the clause requiring a show house to use a five piece orchestra is fair, especially when the management cannot stand the ex- pense.
 He stated also that he would have Q. union man at the organ if the mat CT was decided tomorrow night fla vorabl but if not, he would keep a non- union man and get another op- orator. -e.