Variety (November 1918)

18 VARIETY I;- i ■ ' I.;-.; ■" ■ K:'. ■ «■■■'■ i:: EPIDEMIC. (Continued from pag« 8.) .,t«re houses w-ere Highland Park, Lake Forest and Waukegan, aristocratic outlying communitiea. The epidemic Tate in these sections was negligible ■throughout the height of the panic, Orders were given, however, that per- sons appearing to have colds be barred, and that extraordinary ven- tilation and cleaning precautions be observed. Chicago deaths during the week ■: averaged about 30O, about 75 per cent, of the figure at the height of the dan- ger. New cases ran under 1,000 daily. As against more than 1,200 ten days earlier. Heavy rains, which settled the dry, flying, germ-carrying dust, ' were credited with helping. Winnipeg, Oct. 30. :^ The influenza situation is increasing , in seriousness through the entire west of Canada. Heiilth officials here state theatres may not reopen until Christmas. The road companies of "Everywoman" and "Daddy Long Legs," as well as the bills for the Or- Eheum, Pantages and Allard circuit ills arc here. Theatre employees are in a destitute condition and a delegation of the the- atre managers who visited the Provin- cial Government asking for relief to pay salaries, received no satisfaction. The taxes and licenses of 'all shows and theatres will be' returned for the period the closing order is in effect. Pittsburgh, Oct. 30. Not content with declining Mayor ■Babcock's request for a lifting of the epidemic ban here. Dr. B. Franklin Royer, State Commissioner of Health, made his opposition to such a course even more obvious Monday night by calling upon the heads oi all mines .and the presidents of all large war manufactories in Pittsburgh to oppose any modifications of the restrictions, in the interest of public health and war production. He charged that the li<]uor and theatrical interests have or- ganized a movement to have the re- strictions removed and that an equal- ly strong counter movement must be started. Harrisburg, Pa., Oct. 30. Following closeljr upon his order permitting the Philadelphia theatres t? reopen, Dr. Royer, of the State Health Board, announced the ban would be lifted in the counties of Dela- ware, Montgomery and Chester, three districts just outside of Philadelphia. Boards of health in these counties were authorized to remove all restric- tions Nov. 5, at noon. The orders do not apply to the boroughs of Honey Brook Elverson, Toughkenamon and Kennett Square and the city of Coates- yille. In all orders lifting the closing order the churches and schools are permitted to resume before the the- atres and picture houses are allowed to reopen. Besides the closed Pittsburgh dis- trict, Scranton, Reading and Wilkes- barre and their vicinities are also held closed by Dr. Royer. Mayor Babcock, of Pittsburgh, in a conference yester- day with Dr. Royer received no as- surance of an early reopening. It is probable that When the epidemic is under control in the mill towns around Pittsburgh the order will be'counter- manded. The following additional counties were ordered freed of quarantine re- strictions at noon of next Tuesday: Lancaster, Monroe, Adams, Pike, Cum- berland, York, Perry and the lower portion of Dauphin. Harrisburg comes within the lift, but in the coal regions ;.thev^ba« ywyL bt .eontiniieJiv.^^^ before Monday it is hoped that addi- tional sections of the state will emerge from epidemic barriers. At Lancaster before the date of re- opening was set there had been a re- port the local health authorities there would assume the direction regardless of the state health department. Dr. Royer virtually threatened the Lan- caster board with dismissal if that should be attempted, but setting tho date (Nov. S).eliminated the ppint. fotalnuniber of deaths in Pennsyl- vania since Oct. 1, 27,478. Atlanta, Oct. 30. The theatres here are now open. By Nov. 4 practically the entire south- ern territory will have removed the epidemic ban against theatres. The local ban was lifted Oct. 25. Due to scarcity of rains, water power could not be obtained and a six-hour limit was imposed, but after a heavy rain- fall Sunday the limit was removed. Commencing with Monday, Oct, 28, full time wa^ taken by the theatres. - "So Long Letty," with Charlotte Greenwood, laying oft here, reopened at the Atlanta theatre to good busi- ness the first half. Vaudeville at the Lyric: First half, Countess Verona, Little Jerry, Vera Burt and.Co., Kenny and Hollis, Jor- dan Girls. Business good. Loew's Grand: First half. Kitty Francis Revue, liked and to good busi- ness. Liberty Theatre, Camp Gordon, near here: "Some Baby," pleased. Buffalo, Oct. 30. Although there is nothing positive, the understanding is that' if the influ- enza rate rises no higher the picture theatres will open Sunday and the other houses will resume their regular bills Monday night. The present condition indicates the epidemic is under control. Providence, Oct. 30. This city was relieved of quarantine Oct. 26, several theatres opening that day, while Keith's and the Opera House resumed Oct. 28. Seattle, Oct. 30. The epidemic has grown so serious in Washington and Oregon there is no prospect of theatres reopening-be- fore Nov. 14. All people on the street are obliged to wear masks. Only drug and food stores allowed open. After it was decided last Thursday* to lift the closing order Oct. 29, a sud- den increase, up to five hundred per' cent. Saturday and Sunday, caused the more strict enforcement. The conditions prevailing here as safeguards prevail throughout the two states. . . So many cases and deaths faculties to look after them exhausted. Not a cofliin to be secured in Seattle today at any price. Hamilton, Ont, Oct. 30. This city is in its second week of quarantine. Considerable feeling was aroused through ministerial comment from the pulpits that theatres were al- lowed to run three days after other towns had closed. The managers an- swered by stating that during the three days in question, attendance was so slim not enough revenue was obtained to permit operation, Hamilton is'expected to open with Toronto, Nov. 4. Syracuse, Oct. 30. The Syracuse theatres reopened Oct. 25 with the big test of returning pat- ronage Sunday night. It was the rec- ord Sunday attendance here for years. Oswego and several others of the middle New York cities reopened late Watertown, N. Y,, in the north, sTiill closed, with no reopening date stated. New Orleans, Oct. 30, The south is reopening right along. Virginia and Georgia already re- 'op'eried. Texas reopens Sunday/ Nov. 3, and Alabama starts Nov. 4. Tennessee expects to lift the ban the latter part oi next week- Los Angeles, Oct. 30. While the epidemic displays signs of weakening, with a 40 per cent, de- crease in new cases, no official fore- cast of a reopening dat* can h* ■«• cured. . It will be two weeks more at least before the theaitres reopen. Atlantic City, Oct. 30. Atlantic City's theatres closed since Oct. 4 are to open at 9 A. M. tomorrow, Oct. 3L Watertown, N. Y., Oct 30. The Board of Health will meet Fri- day to set a date for the lifting ot epi- demic order. ■> . Milwaukee, Oct. 30. While not officially stated, there is a strong inside report the epidemic ban will be lifted here for Nov. 4 Onward. New Orleans, Oct. 30. Reopening date for New Orleans Nov. 10, from pres^dt outlook- Elmira, N. Y., Oct. 30. . Members of acts, held in this city by the temporary closing of the play- houses, are earning real cash. Girl act members have jobs as clerks in local 5-10 and department stores, while the male members of other acts are in local war plants, temporarily filling the places of other workmen suffer- ing from the epidemic. Twenty vaudevillians are quartered at the Thespian Inn on Market street, while others are located in boarding houses. Montreal, Oct. 30. , The Board of Health, meeting this afternoon, refused to sanction the re> opening of the theatres .Nov. 4, and declined to venture any date when it will occur. Rochester, Oct. 30. Whether the local theatres will re- o[)en or not next week is still undeter- mined. It was at first hoped the closing order might be rescinded dur- ing the latter part of this week, but hope of that contingency is entirely abandoned. Neither Safety Commissioner Ham- ilton nor Health Officer Roby will ven- ture an opinion as to the date of prob- able reopening. While the death rate has decreased, Commissioner Hamilton says he would not think of lifting the ban until the number of cases show a marked decrease for several days. Cincinnati, Oct. 30. The closing order is good for a week or ten days more. Hubert Heuck, president of the Theatrical Managers' • Association has asked the Health Board to set a definite time for re- moving the lid so the theatres may arrange: their bookings. Des Moines, 0 t. 30. Theatres in Des Moines and eight other Iowa cities reopened Oct. 28. Eleven towns have reopened to date with five again closing through con- ditions. One section' of Wisconsin is im- proved, the southern half, expecting to reopen Nov. 1, with a later resump- tion in the northern half,_whejre the past few days showed an increase of CflSCS In Minnesota the epidemic is on the wane, cold weather checking the in- fluenza, with the majority of houses due to reopen Nov. 3. Unimproved to any appreciable ex- tent, is the report in the southwest, with Texas, Iowa, Louisiana and Ne- braska very bad in spots. Only a few towns in Texas are open, with the death rate pretty high throughout the state. Conditions are also bad in Louisiana. Tridicatibhs pointed- to 'AiiittiiA' tt'' opening this week, with Arkansas starting Nov. 6; Kansas expected to get open Nov. 2, while Mississippi may restart Nov. 4. Encouraging reports of th» waning of the disastrous influenza epidemic continue to flow into New York, and although th« process of lifting quar' antine in the hundreds of still affected centers seems slow from a professional slahdpoirit, the resumption of theat- ricals in several of the biggest cities in the countrv undeniably demonstrated that the plague is swiftly on the de- cline. Medical men are not united in the opinion that the disease will be entirely eradicated for a long time, one expert predicting that the germ will make its presence felt throughout the winter. With the widespread use ot vaccines, however, there is a less- ening fear among civilians, aided by a dropping mortality rate in most cities. The predicted cold wave of last week failed to materialize, yet Phila- delphia and Chicago lifted the quaran- tine on theatres. Iif the latter city the health board stipulated all per- formances must be over in the even- ings at 10 p. m. Other than the in- convenience to players and public alike, managers, have not gn^umbled over the decree, feeling that all such restrictions will pass away within the next ten days. Baltimore, which start- ed last Saturday, also has- restrictive theatre hours, and for the present only night performances are permitteo there. The latter portion of this week saw the ,four biggest cities minus quaran- tine, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia ^ and Boston, with Baltimore and many other communities of lesser popula- tion also running. The permission to reopen Philadelphia set without similar leeway in other Pennsylvania cities,, especially Pittsburgh, came as a sur- frise. Pittsburgh sent out a report 'hiladelphia had opened theatres in defivice of the state board of health, but wired advices from Harrisburg stated that the health board had O K'd the Quaker City action. ^ Other mid-week openings occurred in Jacksonville, Fla., and Norfolk, Va., with Nashville due to Open Nov. 3 and conditions in many portions of the south favorable for a general reopen- ing November 4. Kansas City which opened ten days ago and then closed, is also due for a Sunday resumption. Texas points started operating Mon- day, Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth leading the others. Little Rock was due to open Oct,.31 and San Antonio Nov, 3, Atlanta resumed Friday last, also a sign the situation in the South was clearing. . . It is"announced that Washington will start next Monday, which opens up all' the populous districts in the east. ' Practically the entire New England section was opened Monday, the excep- tions being Pawtucket, R. L, several Maine points, and Springfield, Mass., although the latter town announced a start for Thursday. Almost all of New Jersey also resumed, with the ^remain- ing quarantines due to fade by the end of the week, Wilmington, Del., re- opened with Baltimore, while in the central west Sioux City and Des Moines also emerged from the epi- demic Canada, the last of the. eastern ter- ritory to shut down, is emerging from quarantine too, Toronto will prob- ably open Monday next, also Ottawa. Hamilton may continue the quaran- tine for another few days. Reports from Montreal give Nov. 4 as likely. Conditions in v/estern Canada are not so favorable. Mid-week wire ad- vices from Winnipeg show that cen- ter in terror of the disease, and fears »; that theatres would not be allowed ; to resume «ven by the holidays were ^ expressed. This is out of line with the general idea cold weather will dissi- pate the epidemic. Reports from the west coast are al- most as bad. In the northern section some cities have closed all stores ex- cept those for food and drugs" and nt> • - one is allowed on the streets unless it is necessary. San Francisco, never visited by cold weather, is also badly scared and all persons must wear masks when out of dDots. The prog- ress of the disease wave westward is in line with the analysis of the epi- (Ceattautd oi yag* SB.)