New-York tribune., 1922-12-14
p,oducers Resolve to Sell
ldmissiOnsFrOmCentral
Rureaus and Branches at
1Oc Above Box Office
BROKERS' Advance
syslenn in Danger
M.u,sers Almost Unani.
m,usinApprOval of Pro-
.saI to Protect Public


-. vo,ed almost unanimously ycster-
~ 70 adcpt the minority report Of the
,..,s Of directors on the ticket specu-
80. evil and 70 establish a central
a,,.er ticket bureau. with branches
a,,svhout the city and suburbs,
.s.ss sheater tickets may be obtained
ssn advance Of 10 cents over the box
,scs price.
The majority report Of the board OF
nvcors, advocating the sale Of tickets
e,sugh existing agencies, regulated
y As theaters through contracts for
tifng the charging Of - premium
i',lef than 80 cents a ticket and per-
,sfng the agencies TO sell tickets
- on commission, got only two votes
q tke meeting Of the association.
n was decided that the central bu-
..,u plan, while moro difficult in some
~, TO carry out, was more IN ae-
Lance with the wishes and conven-
80, Of the public and In the long
- would repay the theaters in gooo
IN for the labor involved. X was
,r,,d at the meeting that the theater
=. oeice no longer could handle EN-
s,,slv the sale OF tickets for a popu-
4, ,lav. both because Of traffic condi-
s.,s ana Of the necessary slowness IN
h,s5I'ng a long line Of ticket buyers.
Thirty Managers Present
n. only questions considered we're
,.lssher Il would be better 20 attempt
7, regulate existing ticket-selling
...,,iss or 70 establish the new bu.
- snS is branches, at any one OF
,s,,h tickets for all shows would be
.sss. IN voting for the latter meas
"a ~ managers believe they acted in
....risnse With the wishes Of the pub
n. Ttlry Of the fifty-three members
sA, srseiation were at the meeting
la Qvbert was one Of the pro
,o,es.s dshe central agency plan ana
IA st,s h had the authority 20 an
rogncs shs. A. L. Erlanger, who was
.asbt be present, thoroughly agreed
va hnm the question. Mr.. Shubert
ts9 ~ Erltnger were members OF the
on1iiils which presented the plan TO
iis beard Of directors ct the meeting
1i Vsek, AZ which The directors de-
Nd that the other plan was more de-
11be
tsspL LEBLANC, proprietor Of the
xftle theater ticket agency. was the
d, who presented the central agency
IA 70 the directors at their meeting,
i4aid st the time that II he was des-
rnsd 20 put the central theater
n. bureau into commission he would
TO have until next season 20 do It,
r thought il could be done in q
n1.h IL necessary.
M LEBLANC tas devoted a great deal
tine to considering the details Of
N plan and although no one has been
iHgnated as yet TO take charge Of es-
.sshing the proposed bureau, It 10
Eobable that whoever has that task
vii perform II In accordance with the
plans formulated by him. Mr. LEBLANC
las told the managers that he stands
ietdy to discontinue his cut rate agency
q any time they wish it discontinued,
nrsdless Of whether he Is TO head
he central bureau.
viii Require Time
|. ii acknowledged that the central
ttket bureau may not do away with
tAs ticket speculator Immediately, as
iasfe will be nothing TO prevent him
from buying tickets himself at one Of
es branches and selling them for
10re than the l0-eent premium charged
there.
ms dihealty, however, will be ad-
1 .i'tea In time, Il is thought, the man
ssen believing that when the central
ovfeal AID its branches are firmly es-
saoAsneQ and well known the conven-
renee Of buying theater tickets there
vi pe equal 10 that Of buying them
.roE spectator. and the latter will
ave 70 retire from business.
Ai seats In hll theaters arc to be
eesa ID the hands Of the central
ney. There will b. a premium Of
ssats on each ticket. except those
sa1 a. theSbox Office at the time OF
Fnormanee. Season tickets will
~ Tor 81 each, which will entitle
e,.asn 10 buy their tickets at the
lgency or its branches at list
NAout payment of a premium.
ssI oe Producing Managers As
M. W hold stock in the central
.,r-y'g or it's stock will be ap-
80 .t ,nonR the theaters in pro
@ht he seating capacity Of each;
- Establishment of the central
~, "entually would do away with
80 now in vogue by which ticket
S,'n buy 8 block Of seats for
sW period Of several weeks,
r,Snss S.H.s paying for them in advance,
aess iae purchase price available as
~ ~. Iof the production of the show.
s-,,,i s-T these contracts probably have
"a ral weeks 10 run.
az are twenty-five ticket brokers
fs,[ eiy, who have more than 100
s,s,iS, q which they have invested
j s,,assn being high because Of their
4 tes,s Ihe success of the central
4 zs,t 70 sseney plan means disaster for
" u not al Of them.