Show World (October 1908)

12 THE SHOW WORLD 1 October 17, 1903 . ■ THE' ISSUED EVERY FRIDAY (DATED SATURDAY) The Show World Publishing Co. WARREN A. PA I RICK, General Director Grand Ope a House Building Eighty Seven South Clark Street Chicago, Illinois ADVERTISING RATES: Fifteen Cents per Agate Line Fourteen Lines to the Inch. Fifty Inches to the Page. NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS. The Last Advertising Forms Close Wednesday at Noon. SUBSCRIPTIONS: (Payable in Advance) AGENTS: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1908. EDITORIAL Press Affronts Managers. Once more there is a spirited battle between the press and the stage. In this instance the Cincinnati Times-Star ap¬ pears to be the offender, according to our dispatches. We are informed that the newspaper notified the theatrical managers that it intended to increase its theatrical adver¬ tising rate twenty per cent. Naturally the theatrical managers refused to pay what appeared to them to be an exor¬ bitant charge, and in consequence, hav¬ ing a common cause, they withdrew all their advertising from the Times-Star, since which that newspaper has been printing some very rabid criticisms upon plays that appear in Cincinnati. Else¬ where in these columns will be found some excerpts from recent reviews. A casual glance at these must convince the reader that these are indeed influenced by the business department of the paper. While it cannot be denied that all newspapers are in the field to make money, it should be remembered that a newspaper owes a duty to that public which patronizes it and unless that' duty be fulfilled, the newspaper has failed in its mission. Each newspaper, as its name would imply, is a disseminator of news. Fic¬ tion plays but a small and unimportant part in its makeup, even in these ad¬ vanced times. What the public desires is the truth about things and the sooner all newspapers discover this vital fact the better it will be for them. The public, particularly the American public, has learned the lesson of dis¬ crimination. It knows the good from the bad. It is not within the bounds of reason to suppose that the readers of the Times-Star are not appreciative of the incentives actuating its reviews of local theatricals. Aside from this which must entail a loss of confidence in the other columns of that newspaper, it is interesting to note that once again the astute theatri¬ cal manager has set his stamp of dis¬ approval upon the newspaper that would hold him by the throat and force him to pay an unreasonable rate for pub- This is but one of a multitude of in¬ stances of its kind. Advance men are filled with stories of attempted newspa¬ per monopoly, and extortion, but for¬ tunately, theatrical men have long since found ways and means to eliminate the grafter in the advertising office, and have realized that spleen cannot influ¬ ence that public to which the play of today appeals. Rinks Here to Stay? It is not difficult to recall the great vogue which roller skating enjoyed a few years ago, which, spreading like wildfire, quickly consumed all in its path and suffered early extinguishment. A few critics have averred that the pres¬ ent popularity of the roller rink is like¬ wise destined to die an early death, but it is quite possible that they have misjudged the signs of the times. Roller skating is somewhat of a con¬ tagion. It is caught by contact with those who have it. Being an inexpen¬ sive indulgence, it naturally must appeal to the many. It combines all the charm of the terpsichorean art but pays its devotees much more in beneficial re¬ sults, for roller skating may justly be considered as scarcely to be defined within the definition of sport. It is a sport, but sport is by no means all of it. It is a healthful exercise calling into play a majority of the muscles, testing the nerves and assisting the circulation of the blood in a manner such as few other physical indulgences can. Physi¬ cians have long since determined its value and have recommended it to. anaemic patients—to bloodless stay-at- homes, needing just such invigoration as roller skating affords in order that they may attain and maintain health. While the rinks may have decreased in certain sections of the country, it has been shown, in our news columns from week to week, that their number i§ steadily increasing upon a broad scale. The new rinks are, for the most part, of a more substantial order than those of past years. More money is being invested in their erection and their man¬ agers are more determined to make them a success. Every indication seems to point to the longevity of the rink and the health and innocent recreation which these places afford should encourage their support by the public at large. The Absconding Manager. Two instances have been recorded within the past fortnight, of theatrical managers who, finding themselves upon the losing side of their ledgers, have gathered together such cash as they could and departed hence, leaving their employes to shift as best they could. In once instance the absconding man¬ ager was caught by the officials of a distant city, at the instigation of mem¬ bers of the company which he had left behind. He was returned to them and made to face the music which he had made. In the other instance, the man¬ ager has not yet been apprehended. While these occurrences are infre¬ quent, they are of sufficient imnortanee to command the widespread attention of the profession of entertainment. Managers of the absconding character should be blacklisted by theatrical men; their names should he posted high in the public places of the profession as a warning to all to have nothing to do with them, for, although under cer¬ tain conditions no human power may prevent a company from stranding, it is but a sign of common manhood for all concerned to stand together when the crisis comes.