Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-22
Lobor-T roubIed Big Top
Won't Fold, Chief Says
BY RICHARD RODGERS


stored tent show will be saddled
with labor troubles and persist
ent rumors that the Greatest
Show on Earth cannot last
through the summer.
The source of the rumors has
not been uncovered.
John Ringing North owns
Ringing Brothers & Barnum
g. Bailey Circus But a Wash
Iington man says, Il run the
circus"
He is Michael Burke, 38, of
1889 Twenty-ninth street NV.
Since one year ago March he
has been executive director of
the circus. He has been an Old
Georgetown homeowner only a
little over a year.
Mr.. Burke holds to rosy claims
for the shows future. He says
this will be its fourth best year.
Last year was tops. two boom
World War II years are in Sec
ond and third places, and. &C
cording to him, this is going to
be next best.
There is disagreement about it.
The Ringing show is arguig
with two labor unions. One is
the American Guild of Variety
Artists, the other the Interna-
tional Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Disputed by Two
Yesterday spokesman for both
crafts took issue with Mr..
Burke's predictions that the
Ringing extravaganza is going
to set any sort of profit record
at all this year.
Samuel (Rube) Jacobson, the
AGVA's BALTIMORE Washington
branch manager, said his unions
agents were sure the circus is
hurting.
But we don't say it is going
to fold" he added, land we don't
want it to. There would be no
sense in us having it go out OF
business"
Harold j. Gibbons. speaking
for the teamsters' union here,
said his union is not at all salts
fled with the shows operation.
Mr.. Gibbons denied. however,
that the teamsters ever predict
ed the last remaining circus on
railroad tracks would be unable
ito finish the season.
Mr.. Gibbons even praised Mr..
Burke.
Hes frightened up" the union
man said. Hes been a real
asset to the circus"
Last Years RumOrs
Mr.. Burke says he does not
want to boast but wants it known
he is responsible for cutting
costs and instituting up-to-date
business Office methods he says
were long overdue.
In the trade the talk goes on
that Ringing is going to have
to shut down soon.
1T was the same last year."
said Mr.. Burke. Il don't know
where the rumors start. / can
tell you this. We amt going to
quit. This looks like the fourth
best year so far. And as far as
profits are concerned, I think
this year is going to be better
than last year."
He said the stay in Madison
Square Garden in New York was
surprisingly good, considering
the picket lines by AGVA and
the teamsters.
And in Boston the net take
was up 8 per cent over 1885,
he said.
Spokesman for the transfers
and performers say their agents
in those two cities tell a differ
ent story.
Some nights the show had
1900 in a house seating 10000"
an AGVA official said about the
Manhattan showing.
Picketing Here Forecast
Mr.. Burke said the two unions
lpickets have not hurt attendance
to any appreciable degree. The
unions say the picketing. sure
to be continued here, has hurt
attendance very much.
The AGVA. according to Mr..
Burke. claims it represented more
than half of the 278 performers.
Ringing management says the
union had no more than rs card
carriers at the outside.
Emmett Kelly. probably the
best-known clown IN history, led
"a walkout before the New York
opener that included the No. q
and No. 3 clowns, Otto Griebling
and Felix Adler. They are still
away.
Mr.. Burke says the union
pickets hurt attendance to some
degree. But he said the show
is going to do better for the
this year than in
1855, considered the best year
of all for Ringing.
Two weeks ago, the Clyde
Beatty Show, which was the only
Other circus travelling by rail-
road. went broke" he said. 1T
went back to the barn"
Mr.. Burke said he could not
discuss salaries Of entertainers
because Of circus tradition. (ItI
is an established fact that per-
formers conceal their incomes so
they can negotiate better with
future employers.