Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-25
MEETING CALLED
IN MOVIE DISPUTE
Managers and Musicians to
Confer Today-Agreement
Would Avert Strike.

Representative committees of the Mu-
Sicians' Protective Union and the Mo-
ton Picture Theater Owners Association
will meet this afternoon in the board
room of the latter organization in the
Earle Building to thrash out the dispute
between the two over the renewal of
contracts for theater ofchestras.
This decision, made known following
a meeting of the Owners Association at
noon today, was the result of a mutual
agreement on the part of both factions,
it was explained.
John E. Birdsell, secretary of the
Musicians Union, said early this aft
ernoon that he had been in commune
cation with A. Julian Brylawski, presi-
dent OF the owners group, and that ar
rangements were made for a meeting
between the union and the employers.
The controversy, which arose over the
refusal of the managers to renew con-
tracts for the musicians, which expire
August 81, and the unwillingnesS of
the musicians to work on a strictly
wage scale without contract, has
threatened to darken all Washington
theaters after the end of this month.
Stand Remains Unchanged.
Meanwhile Fred j. Stevens, president
OF the Moving Picture Machine Opera
tors Union, announced that the stand
Of the organized theatrical employees
to walk out at midnight August 81 If
no satisfactory agreement is reached
between the musicians and their en-
ployerS by that time remains unchanged.
Unless the controversy is settled by
Friday, the Palace Theater will not
start it's scheduled stage show Satur-
day, Michael Cullen, manager of the
Loews theaters here. said this morning.
Inasmuch as the musicians contract
expires at midnight Sunday, at which
time they will be released unless they
will go to work on strictly wage basis
without contract, Mr.. Cullen said that
the stage show will be dispensed with.
However, the vaudeville troup, which is
playing. this week in Jersey City, will
be called here in the event of a last
minute settlement with the musicians,
he said. In case no agreement is
reached washington will be dropped
from the circuit.
The Fox Theater, according to
Hardie Meakin, manager, viii start its
current stage feature Friday, as usual,
but If no agreement is reached with
variety subjects will be substituted.
Fox Representative Here.
Mr.. Brylawsk, in explaining the
presence here since last Thursday of
j. e. Winkler, labor relations repre-
sentative of the Fox Theaters Corpora
ton, said that Mr.. Winkler was here
Ito help where he can" The Fox
representative has been participating in
meetings of the managers since his ar
rival here. He was at one time presi-
dent of the musicians local union lin
Chicago, and took an important part
in directing strike of musicians there
in 1919. He was later retained by the
Fox organization to offer his services
in Just such emergencies as that which
has arisen here.
The controversy has been virtually
deadlocked since the musicians made
clear their stand last Thursday, which
the managers refused to accept as an
invitation TO resume negotiations.
Since then each has been awaiting ac-
ton by the other. The theater own
ers, however, have maintained through
out that ne matter what turn events
take, local theaters would continue to
operate.
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