The Washington times., 1930-07-29
N. Y. IS TRYING
NEW TICKET
SYSTEM
BY BROCK PENHBERTON.

NEW YORK. July 2o.-At the
end of the first week Of the
fight between the managers who
are trying to reform theater ticket
selling in New York in the hope
of saving both themselves and
the public money, and those who
are opposed to the idea the odds
seem to favor the reformers.
The plan is in actual operation
and while the air is full Of threats
of suits from the opposition no
summonSes have yet been served.
OF the IA current attractions all
but two, Flying High" and
Green Pastures" are in the
league and selling their seats only
at the box office or through ac-
credited brokers pledged not to
charge more than rs cents prem.
ium, 1t is practically assured
that "Green Pastures" viii come
in today but George White. pro-
ducer of Flying High" seems
more excited than any of the
rebels and gives no indication OF
joining the reformers.
George White Objects
1t is White, in fact. who is
rafting the legal papers most
loudly and muttering phrases
about restraint Of trade" and
"blacklisting." He came forth
with a large advertisement In the
dailies accusing the league Of be-
ing unfair and offering to take
care Of any customers at the box
office il agencies refused to sell
them seats. This would seem to
be a victory for the reformers in
aSmuch in the beginning Mr..
White sold all the seats he could
to the brokers for a period Of 16
weeks with no restrictions as to
what premium they should
charge. This 16 weeks buy was
then extended for a second period
but fortunately some Of the larger
of the is brokers accredited by
the league did not renew the buy
and accordingly now do not han
die Mr.. Whites seats.
The other possible legal con-
tenders are the large group Of
brokers whom the league does not
recognize. There wer upwards
Of seventy of these, ranging from
the operator whose office was
under his hat or in doorway to
those with many offices. when
the plan was organized. Obviously
all of them could not be given
tickets as there would not be
enough to supply them all, so
those agencies established and
recognized for a period OF years
to which the theaterS regularly
issued tickets were chosen to be
given franchises. Naturally these
is were the largest agenciS and
they sold about 80 per cent Of all
seats disposed Of through brok-
ers. The smaller agencies which
now find themselves without seats
for practically all attractions
charge that they have been
licensed by the State to sell
tickets, that a group Of managers
has cnnspired to keep them from
getting tickets and that this
restraint will eventually drive
them out Of business.
Upheld by Courts
The managers answer viii prob
ably be, If the District Attorney
entertains the charge that the
courts have repeatedly held they
could sell to whomeVer they
wished, since theater ticket is a
private license and not commodity
and that just as Mr.. Ford desis-
mates his own agents and the
conditions of sale Of his products
so have they a right to sell their
goods under conditions deter.
mined by them. And all legal
points set aside for the moment
the managers do not believe any
court will ask them to deliver
their business into the hands Of
the gyps when they are making
an honest effort to protect the
public from these gypS