The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-20
Will Ask Commissioners
Why Seven Houses
Were Closed.
STUNNED BY MOVE;
NO ACTION PLANNED
400 Employees Thrown
Out of Work by
Order.


theaters. closed Saturday night by
the District Commissioners lin the
interests of public safety" remained
shut yesterday withouI protest Of
The owners and managers.
Today the owners and manager.
OF the seven playhouses-of which
hve are the leading stage and mo-
tion picture theaters Of the Dis
trict-will seek a hearing befor.
the Board of Commissioners to de-
termine the specific reasons of the
Commissioners action.
Pending this conference. cxDec,-
ed to be held this afternoon, the
managers of the seven theaters
yesterday held their peace. No at
empt to move their scheduled pIa,s
to other buildings or to halt an.
peaiance of accorS scheduled for
rev performances this week was
made.
whst &c Know .Why.-
When we know why the theaters
were closed, and what will i.4 =.
pected, we will act" was the nm.
'usal statement Of the oyznersye
tcr1ay. racticaily as a unit tb,v
expressed a willingness to abi,i.
by the commissioners action ~ they
re shown 20 have buildings "uu-
SAFE Also as 4 unit the owners
expressed a determination TO learn
just WIN their 3uilcings had beer
SUE denly closed.
While specific repairs 70 be ordered
oy the Commissioners IN each of
the seven theatfrs will nJt Je
X own until today. il is believed
-
teIs will be able to swing into or
er~tion again within a month.
1t is known that the National
and Polls buildings are among the
Oldest in the District However.
the commissioners have not indi-
Gated their reasons for closing
these or any of the other seves
aside from the general condemra-
ton of structural defects and lack
OF fireproof equipment
willing TO Order RepaIr..
II fireproof repairs are necessary
in either the National or Polls. IL
is not likely they will be able TO
open for some time. IL was ind;-
Gated by Col. Keller Saturday that
longer time is necessary for fire
proof repairing.
In cases OF structural defects. II
is believed repairs may be maoe
within short period.
Alexander Wolf counsel for the
Motion Picture Theater Owners
| corporation, speaking for the Met
ropolitan. Columbia and Cosmos
theaters, yesterday declared that IL
the commissioners pointed out need
! for repairs in any of the three
buildings thought necessary by the
D s.Y.- t.
would be ordered Immediately and
the buildings thrown-open TO the
public at the earliest possible mo-
ment.
Legal Action Possible.
However. the commissioners will
have to point out defects to us
which warrant their stringent or
der and which are agreed in by
our engineers" Mr.. Wolf pointed
out yesterday.
Legal action following the con-
ference with the commissioners to-
day is not entirely improba Bile. IL
Is believed Managers Of several
Of the thesters have indicated that
| IL the Commissioners fail to prove to
them that their buildings are alb
solutely unsafe and unable to come
\ within the new building reEula
tions as amended by the commits
sioners Saturday they win take
their cases to court.
This action would not surprise
the District officials, il has been
intimated, and Corporation Counsel
Stephens is laying plans TO fight
any court battle which might be-
gin as a result OF the order.
Owners still Dased.
The drastic order of the Commis-
sioners. carried into effect with
lightning rapidity, left the owners
still dared yesterday. While rumor
was current in theatrical circles Of
| possible shifts in buildings to make
arrangements for accommodation
of some of the leading stage plsNe
scheduled for Washington in tho
near future, no statement was au-
thorized by any manager as TO
possible change.
The order. II in effect for any
| lengt hof time. will deprive Wash
ington of several leading winter
productions. scheduled for the Ma
tional and Foli's. including the
| Greenwich FoIIies, white-Headed
| Boy, Ziegfeld Follies, Winter Gar
den Shows and similar stage Of
ferings.
New Theaters HInted.
Another angle which gained con-
siderable spread in the daily gossip
included the likelihood of Fastening
! plans for construction Of several
newly planned downtown thesters.S
II is understood that plans have
been drawn for two new theaters
TO be erected on New York avenue
in the vicinity OF Fourteenth street.
Present conditions OF the markGs
are understood to have been N I'D
ing the plans up temporarily
Washington is now left with only
one legitimate stage theater-the
Shubert -Garrick. Two OF the down
town moving picture houses are
closed-the Metropolitan and Co
lumbia-
However, all action of the owners
and managers now hinges on tneIr
conference today with the Commits
sioners.
Musicians Hard nit.
The closing order will be felt by
almost 100 employees OF the seven
theaters, II is estimated. Az man
ayers yesterday Indicated VIII
ingness to aid in keeping as mary
men as possible. HoWSycr- no in-
dicstion Of final action on their
part was given pending their meet
oo~ssnsed on Poes TRfs.