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20 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER January 16, 1918 Much Would Be Lost and Little The above headline appeared on the editorial page of the New York American, Friday, January 11th. The edi- torial itself referred to State Administrator Wiggin's sug- gestion of drastic measures for relieving the coal situation by possibly closing the theatres at ten o'clock. It further suggests "that the issue should be carefully considered, for while the people were willing to make sacrifices, and were making them, there was no reason to impose unnecessary burdens upon them. That no business has contributed more to charity, Liberty Loan and the promotion of loans, and in the patriotic general and specific support of the war than the theatrical business. "Indeed," says the editorial, "it is the theatrical managers and performers that have enabled nearly all the individual charity entertainments to be success- ful and for that reason every consideration within reason should be shown to the managers and performers. "And finally that no burden should be put upon any business which is likely to crush it and close it up." Then to further prove the importance of the theatres in connection with the present war, after proving that the saving of coal would be infinites- mally small compared to the amount of good that the theatres were doing by being permitted to keep open regular hours, "that it would be a great mis- take for the Government to permit such action be- cause it would not only lose its 10 per cent war tax, but would have on its hands a great body of unem- ployed actors, while the people would be deprived of the many benefits they now receive from the theatres, including the privilege extended to the poor to spend the cold nights in mem when no other shelter offered," "The people have enough sad and serious ques- tions in regard to this war to contend with. Surely some amusement is their due and their right by giv- ing the people cheerfulness, some moments of hap- piness, some relief from the tense and harassed hours of the workday." "The theatres have a great claim—on account of their patriotism, a claim on account of the service which they and the theatrical performers have rendered to the Government and to every war charity, a claim on account of the value of the busi- ness to the Government as a source of revenue, a claim on account of the promotion value of the theatres to the Government in the disposal of Liberty Bonds, and in the expression of public poli- cies, a claim on account of the function the theatres are called upon to perform during these distressing times—a function most important in giving the people their hours of entertainment and keeping them content and satisfied.