Show ART AND THE STAGE TRUST Following the indictment of the the theatrical theatrical theatrical trust In New Kev York on presenta presentation tion Ion by District Attorney Jerome conies comes the announcement that the in independent dependent managers are making rapid iI i I headway In their tb lr plans for competition I throughout the country with the trust I louses houses Th cia pf the theatrical mo monopoly moi j nop ly seems to grow dimmer and It i would be a blessing for art If the com corn combination I could be forced Into dissolution Von Uon tion i iS S I could t present nt some dome me in m the indictment of the Ute syndicate if It it would It could charge that unholy aggregation with advertising shows here hee lere In York casts and at New rew NewYork NewYork York that ought never neer to have ha come further west than It could charge that few very Ye few Cew of or the really great reat artists ever come here bere berean an l that when they do the they seldom have lave competent c companies In support It it could charge r targe the monopolists with jarring barring really reaU great artists artl ts from ap appearing appearing peiring in Salt Lake r If they ap app appeared p ared at all they were forced to en engage engage gage jage houses bere a proper setting was wa wai Impossible Imp It could re aU Mrs Irs Fiskes braVe brive and successful effort eft rt to defy the trust in her engagement at n the Grand and her later faIlure allure to secure any place for a per performance pe performance forman because trust influence pre prevent vent d Sarah Brn t coming her pitifully inadequate stage tage and setting at Saltair and the remarkable re reception she had in spite of oC her ber embarrassments might be added to the indictment Nor Is this thia all aU Some Someone one has low Jow lowered lowered I ered the Ule tone tona of or the American stage throughout some Bome one has instituted the vulgar bunco game dignified by the name of speculation in tickets In tho the great cities cIUc Some one has forced real realy h 13 y great reat artists to accent accept terms and conditions that tere ere a degradation to tol thorn them ard and th tb their lr art arL Some one has hasi brought the stage to the lowest level I of ot the commonest com corn commercialism 1 The dollar has been made ma e ethe the sole measure of stage success the th box office the test of stage art Author and actor and manager alike have hae been driven to 0 pander to these standards or starve stane Only a few fe there have been who would uld not surrender a few who held independence high standards and real reali realization aU of a 1 lifes lItes best st possibilities as dearer than thai the tiie th condescend conde condescending Ins bounty bounty of or the th trust or the prosperity of an nn abject n JN t slave to Us commands i Through devious del us ways the trust has haJ concealed from flom the general gen public the full fun f Its Us control countrY and thrived on the of the American Am people but there has never been b nany any question as to popular opinion where wh rc the e truth was known Slowly but surely the th facts have come out ut and II swiftly but surely sure the power of an aroused amused people is being felt Texas Texa I and Indiana have laws under consider consideration atlon to abate abat the syndicates power Massachusetts I Is I getting getti g Interested managers are regaining their courage and nd breaking away awa from fro the c combination c combination tion actors of repute are arc venturing Into the Independent field fleM and bookings are possible now no for attractions o the trusts tiu es control It may ma take seme time yetto eLt break breakdown breakdown down the Combination tion a and rd nd extinguish its arrogance but bat the prospects for that consummation are bright un nd l lh there is neMe Mt hO hope of ot real re inde independence in 1 11 on the stage tag ege once wore Oie |