New-York tribune., 1922-12-17
LEBLANC Sees
Central Office
.EndSpeculatiOn
Cut Rate Thcater Ticket
Agency Head Offers to FL
nance Managers Plan;
Certain II Will Be Success
Wants S5OO,OOO Capital
Declares Branches Would
BE Established Through.
out City and Suburbs

Joe LEBLANC, proprietor Of New
York's only eut-rate tieke. agency, who
has proposed the establishment Of
consolidated agency for all theaters,
with branches sprinkied over the met
ropoli,an district, said yesterday that
his plan would cost only $4,000 20
put into operation, that he would adj
vance every cent Of the money himself
and that he could guarantee that IL
would prevent ticket speculAtinR.
LEBLANC said he would be ready 20
reveal. AZ .he proper time just how
his plan would be actually speeulator-
proof. lie discussed In detail his
central agency plan, now in the hands
Of committee Of the Producing Man
ayers Association. as he sat In his
small ONCE squeezed In behind the rear
wall Of his underground agency. The
agency floor was jammed st the time
with = seething mass OF people, elbow
ing and pushing their way toward the
long counter behind which we're listed
the Saturday matinee attractions avail
able at cut rates.
"Hear that mob out there ?" said Mr..
LEBLANC. We'll, from that you get an
idea what a central agency would be
like. This agency has been a success
because II has been a public service
affair; the big central agency would
succeed for the same reason. There
would be no chance Of failure. as far as
! can soc, and II there Is I would be
willing 20 take II.
~ am proud that the Producing Man
agers' AE8ociation voted It's approval
Of ny plan, but, Of course, | don't
assume that ! would be in charge OF the
agency In event the association decides
70 20 through with H. I'm only saying
what can actually be done with the
idea. ] am aware Of the criticism that
has been advanced on the theory that
the central agency would increase spec
ulating In theater tickets. | can say
quite positively that Il would not aid
spectators, but would absolutely elm
mate them from New York's theatrical
industry. and IN a way that viii be eE-
ceedingly simple. The central agency
plan Is plausible. practicable. and Is
one that would give public service. The
public could not fail 20 support H."
Mr. LEBLANC pointed out that Broad
way rarely has at one time more than
five or ak plays which can be called
sensational successes. Il Is on the sale
OF tickets 10 plays OF this kind that tho
speculator thriyes. For seats TO these
attractions he can get his own price.
And the seats that he usually sells az
fancy prices are In the drst twelve
rows. In q way he declined 10 divulge
now Mr.. LEBLANC would put such seats
beyond the reach Of the speculator.
Those with whom he has discussed this
feature OF the plan agreed that II ap-
peared to be simple and effective.
Mr.. LEBLANC said that in the event Of
immediate action By the Producing
Managers Association the consolidated
agency could be put into operation in
a month, but that Il Is his opinion II
should be held over until next season,
so as 10 allow agencies now operating
In the theater district and charging
the 50-eent-aboye-the-box-ofice-prize-
premiums to close their businesses and
dispose OF their leases.
1T would be a thing that would re-
quire lots of cooperation" continued
SIR. LEBLANC, "and many OF those In the
agency business could be Of great as
sistanee 20 the plan because OF their
experience and understanding OF the
theatrical business. The central agency
idea could give employment 20 one
thousand persons or more, depending
upon the number Of branch Offices ere
ated. There would have TO be no limit
to the branches. The could be estab-
lished over the entire city%-in hotels,
railroad stations and elsewhere. Each
village and town In New Yorks sub
urban area could have its own branch
agency, and every branch, irrespective
OF It's size, would have immediate ae-
cess TO every seat available In every
New York theater at the moment. For
such service there would be a charge OF
10 cents above the box Office price, and
there would not even be this charge
when a purchaser carried a card that
would cost 81 and would be good for a
year.
81 am convinced that money could be
made AZ a Observation-Disclosures
r.fa Anyway Pm more than willing