Show THE INTERSTATS LAW Its Disastrous Effect on Theatrical The-atrical Companies J A FEW FACTS AND FiGUEES ExpextFlc8 for Travel Mean Increased Expenses Death to Nearly Everything On the Road i the petition which the the petition following Is e managers of the country have forwarded for-warded to the interstate commerce commission Their position seems to Mr Carletons entire bfr a sound one company signed the petition on Tues the enforcement of the lasthe says day terrible havoc among law is working himself having traveling companies he to sell off his fine scenery to save paying the enormous tariff demanded As it is the C P and U P are charging him 1370 a hundred on 3000 or 4000 pounds baggage excess from San Fra cisco to Omaha and a big hole will be made in his seasons profits To the InterState Commerce Commission Washington D C The undersigne4 your petitioners who personally and vitally affect InterStat by the operation of the Commerce law as construed by the railroads rail-roads since the Slst of March last respectfully res-pectfully ask of your honorable body That the provisions of said law as applied ap-plied to the amusement profession be suspended for a period of ninety days and that the railroad companies be permitted per-mitted to make the same special rate as heretofore extended to our profession profes-sion for the reason that all existing contracts between traveling companies and local managers were entered into long before the assage of the Interstate Inter-state Commerce Bill and were based upon conditions then existing as to expense ex-pense of traveling etc and is an injustice injus-tice to your petitioners that they should be compelled to carry out said contracts so entered into when the item of transportation trans-portation one of the most important expenses connected with their business has been practically doubled without the possibility of their deriving any additional ad-ditional revenue In fact the difference between th railroad rates now existing as compared with those prevailingprior to the 1st of April would render the ulfillment of said contracts absolutely mpoesible except at a great loss to raveling organizations We respectfully petition your commission commis-sion to so interpret the InterState Commerce Com-merce law as to permit railroad companies com-panies to grant as heretofore reduced rates for fare and baggage to traveling amusement organizations based upon he numb of persons in the company he distnl1ce traveled amount of baggage bag-gage carried etcnot intending thereby there-by that any discrimination shall be made in favor of our profession but that other organized bodies traveling on out tiotot from place to place under substantially similar circumstances and conditions shall be granted the same benefit of a publicly advertised rate In other words that the railroads be authoritatively au-thoritatively permitted to recognize the commonsense principles underlying al business affairs and to grant propel concessions to what might be termed the wholesale trade For the information of your commission commis-sion we will briefly state that it has been customary heretofore for railroad companies to grant very material reductions re-ductions in rates to the amusement profession fession averaging from 25 to 50 per cent off depending on the size of the company com-pany and also to increase very materially materi-ally the allowance of baggage averaging averag-ing at least 250 pounds per person with concessions for car loads of scenery etc We simply asK your honorable commission commis-sion to so interpret the law that the railroad companies may make such reduced re-duced rates as they ee fit for parties not less than ten persons traveling together to-gether on one ticket to the same destination destina-tion and we will trust to the natural competition between the railroad companies com-panies to do us the justice which is now leiiied through the arbitraryronstrnc tion of the InterState Conynerce law in placing the people who travel continually continu-ally on an average ten months in the year in organized bodies on the same plane with individual travelers who may not make more than bne trip in each year In order to show your commission the mportance pt the interests so vitally affected af-fected by this practical doubling of the railroad fares by the InterState Commerce Com-merce law a few facts and figures are appended which understate rather than exaggerate the true conditions There are about 500 organized combinations combi-nations constantly traveling including circuses which employ in the aggregate upwards of 10000 adults There are upwards of 3500 theatres opera houses and places of amusement in the United States giving employment to about 40 300 persons These local amusement places could not exist nor any return on the immense capital invested therein be had except through the cooperation of 500 traveling combinations playing en agemeuts throughout the year in the espective houses There are at least 5000 persons employed in collateral ranches mainly dependent upon the show business so called such as printers costumers billposters scene painters manufactures of theatrical wares and merchandise generally It is a reasonable assumption that there area are-a quarter of a million people who are dependent for their support upon the labors of the 75000 adults above men tioned as being employed in the amusement amuse-ment profession The capital employed by the traveling organizations is upward of 5000000 the capital invested in collateral trades and professions is probably 5000000 and the capital represented in the 350G I opera houses theatres etc is at least 150000000 < The capital thus invested in the four cities of New York Boston Philadelphia and Chicago alone is 25 000000 All this capital and this army of working people are jeopardized by the construction placed upon the InterState Inter-State Commerce Law by the railroad companies It is estimated that the amount ol money paid by the amusement companies compan-ies annually to the railroad companies is upwards of 2500000 Under the InterState terState Commerce Law this amount would De increased by at least 2jvXXOQ I provid the same number of persons raveled as heretofore with the same mount of baggage scenery etc This increased expense represents far 71lorc than t f r 4 L the aggregate profit of all the traveling amusement enterprises combined Under the operation of the new law but the very highest or the low none est class of companies can exist There intermediate class A would be no of engagements small company playing few week in small towns carrying a a people and no scenery and making short trips will not be affected very seriously ser-iously by the operation of the law But organizations the regular theatrical or operatic to ganizations consisting of from fifteen of fifty people carrying a large amount baggage and scenery for the proper production pro-duction of the plays operas etc cannot exist t ud meet expenses under the Aper ton of the new law It simply means annihilation of this class We respectfully represent to your honorable body that it is not discrimin service of or ation between persons similar character to transport amusement = amuse-ment companies traveling aim at continually con-tinually at a lower rate than the tariff of the railroads such reduction to be b1Ed upon the number of persons in the company and to carry with it a reasonable informer sbnable extra baggage allowance as former years and the right to continuous continu-ous passage over one railroad or system of railroads without reference to State boundaries In brief we trust your sense justice to a large class of citizens whose livelihood very menacid by tie operation of enforced will induce this law as now you to so modify it as to permit railroad benefit officials to make rates for our without prejudice to themselves in the honorable eyes of the law or of your discrimination commission and without tion against organizations of similar nmfonnn tiaTrjiiinp1 under like condi portance traveling conditions tions Unlike the transportation of any species of freight where the charges are simply added to and become a part of the cost ot merchandise to consumers the rule with us applies to persons and the tools so to speak with which we work while for our labor it is impossible impossi-ble to reap any eater rewards than we have heretofore received In thi P memorial only living issues are presentedthe physical and financial finan-cial welfare of our profession and the I branches of trade most closely related to it It is scarcely necessary to call the attention of your honorable commission commis-sion to the ethical social and intellectual intellec-tual phasis of the subject which are apart a-part of the history of our civilization And your petitioners will ever pray |