The billboard (Feb 1910)

u Xtie Billboard Address sU coma XHfi l»¥TJ-JMVai»l> 4W Bm tk. PUBU8HER. ■t or baalnesa drpartmcat a «. A. NEW YORK. D. HoUsod BnllilloK- t440 Broadwaj. Tefepbooe Cratral. 1630 Brjrut. CHICAGO. acUIIrr Bills.. 1<« 108 Randolph St. lyirpbcse Ceotral 6931. 8AN FRANCISCO. PHILADELPHIA. • M Kvltb Tbralc* Bulldlait ST. LOUI& Boom sua Ulaaonrt Trust BuUdlnc. LONDON, ENGLANDl in TVflipIr riiaaibrn, B. FRANCE. ion, $4 ■ year; 6 months, $2; 3 months, $1. Payable in No extra charge to Canadian or Foreign subscribers. ADVERTISING RATES-Twenly cents IMT Whole -page, $140; half page, $70; qii measHfing ma than five lines accepted. Saturday, Febmary 5, 1910. TUK BnzSOABS is on sale oa all traias and iwwB>st»ii^ t?iia uK! io u t the TTcited Statea BBd Oansds. vUeh sn inmilM 1^ the Airerieaii Hews Cs. and its brasebet. It i* alio on aale et Bmtsao'a, >7 Anmie oa I'Opem. Palis. Fnuee. When not on tale, please notify this oHlott. Bamlttaseas «ddreued or SB8 The EIMTORIA^L There Is no Kainsaying that last season was the most disastrous for parks In tbe hlstonr of the biislness, for as a bnstneas the enterprise of the amuse- m wt pM* la attBtparattvely ▼err jraavt. Ifc-ls vittaln ttie paat desade that all !:«nmw and aometldiis that needs rlshtlns. Sa flwt^ It la'SMierany biellciva that parks will have to make radical changes Is the gSiieral plans all round If they expect to remain in public favor. We say "remain" advisedly, for though there has been a manifest and a material detexioratlon of Interest on the part of the public. It Is not so a s riB I I B . ..h»t.ll! BUT b* oOnt tt flM'ps^pSi meaaa and methods a>« anpl«iyed. enrni Showlnr ui Inerasss last jresr .tii miuir notable tiitf tows " wlisrs the general receipts fell below those of the previous season. That this lamentable fact Is due to the presentation of an Inferior order of attractions must be taken for granted. This theory Is further strengthened by the reports from paries where the anperlor analltr of attractions are presented, those, for ' ibr sadt fir snnint jiad able showmen as ■■su Mtealte r —d- J toKlsMW /SBd CraatliM^ shows iurs &a. sMffwral oe llw'pctaetpil. pssiv oC-Om •njored the most sratuyUw bnslneas during the past eonple of yeus. We have said that the - park as an amnaement lastltntlon has been developed during the past decade. It Is likewise during the past ten years that the number of parka in the TTnited States has been doubled and quad- rupled. As soon as a number of showmen bad taken hold of park property and made It so attracttve to the public that the mates b«saB to patronise tt.nBatailjr and to.Mt saitSBt flwt sBBde a popiiaar park te.* Mir aitsr. .payfar bustneas enterprise loeia eap lt a llBt^ ss sIng oppm aa ltlsa,Jpir hardly equalled by any other ftiuBL of IniaslHisati stepped In, and the moltl- pllcatlon of amu.<^ement parks was the.rssvlt. But success in a commercial business dees not always qualify a man for profitably operating a park, for the park as much as the theatre or the drcns is a place .of amusement and must be conducted on amusement .pdBSlplSK - Tin .ssms polkgr oC^pabBBttr and promotion must appir M'lL - mow thm pgissat- troaMia js^ihat ths ssajoHty of the h% paxfes am ran bjr direetiHrataa; at boards of'dirsetofai «ko avs aot abowHsa bat ars meo who made their money in commercial enterprises, and wlw .a|fplir tts same fiscal year plan of business to the park. The results of tUs ldnd of manage- ment are apparent everywhere. Uhtll those who have the direction of parks under their authority setUe down to a stem realization of the situation, and give the public what It waatSh not . only dolnc this, but ahowUis tbe public, tbrouch iacreaaed adyer- «hat tter am soiq* to'^f it wiuit.tt -waialii; than .srlh b«i lent In the .boiihssSi aad dlii. avaa liili il ll a g tii< wh0 ai* doing the wise tfaloK. wm tt is to be places wm ta Oa tha ■iwih—I MtsbIow who eeatial awBr aC Mr > dailBB'tha «omtmg s e ss oa and sivs an Impstaa that it haa aot had fat « aomber of Tears. Poor attraetleaa. pabUdty methods are responsible more than any other InlluaMa tbe execrable condition that maintained throughout the last season. Our advice to all park boards would ha lo V and then not to interfere with them. That an attraction Intended only to amuse sometimes contains suggestions for serious thought and for editorial elaboraUoa. is indicated by the foUowiac comment whISh.appeared la.4 reeaat adMoai aff '~~ «tfs. Uit aaphsBia aa aad. a a g gss U ta tiae.*«M VUllai. aC -XNd." of pretty Probably no one would a moral or adorn a tale. And yet it does so after a fashion which must appeal to every , of affairs. In the very last act and the very last scene President Taft ex-ftasMsat Boosarelt are central flgures, and the former Is made to declata to tta latter that we now have the greatest navy in the world. a B h u r ai .hasy ar iff i baukihlPL pretty lettered The prettlnesB of tha an underlyins- thoo^t. lil tt'whlA Will National conditioBik Bz-Presldent R oos e v el t alwajra contended, and the fhet Is admitted that in a great and powerful navy liss oar greatest surety of coa> tinued peace. We are building up one whleh Is the wonder aad awe of ail Nations. But it,la a Slow process, one hampered by the necessity of riirliilllat tbe annual appraprfatlons made by 6ongresa. Now, Just supposing that each of the States '-g a atar la the daft' should volunteer to build and equip a liiiHisahlp aad lassil Ilia MMS la the Nation, as this musical sketch suggests. Without an undue burden being placed on any one commonwealth, or any class of people, the country could, in a comparatively short space of time, become the first maritime Nation of the world, an unbeatable power on sea ELS it Is on land, and Immune from danger from any source, even a possible coalition of the other navy building countries. This is the only Nation upon which the sun shines where such a plan as this could be carried oat.. Kla aaada up of more Hum two score of sovereiaa Sta t es, and ttucH oae'afethsia..wealthy enough la Its own right to ta .fhi! ' Plhy Censorship ° Thm IMS beim a goMd-deat of talk iaMy ahoat play an institution Is hardly consistent with oar ceaoral ideas oif freedom and democracy. We enjoy freedom of the press, aad when the press oftends it Is punished by law. The same plan Is now la effect with regard to the theatre and it is Ukely to so continue. As an example of what a farce play censorship'may be made: Several of England's most ambitious playwrights had found It impossible to get any of their plays passed by the censor, who was as arbitrary and as abKolute in his domain as any Caesar that ever lived and ruled in Rome. Finally they did manage to have an Investigating committee appointed to Inquire into the causes pt their complaints. The censor was asked first what qualifications he possessed for passing aoldy and finally apoa tha'alMtlta oC pisya, - ^ rspllsdrthat he had the same qualitiestioB as tiM erttte. tirt^>;pMBM-iqpsa-tlMipa m after pleys are. pr sd a aea. - "BMa' yaa;.>nar- jriMsar a' pUgr .yaajM) •rraa.* -Wata th^ prodaesdr* 'TCo.'* " Why r* n eOild ast lot a i to put them oa." Then he was asked if he personally looked over all tbe plays that were submitted. He replied in the negative, and finally admitted, under cross-examination, that the very plays In question had been read by his wife and that he acted entirely upon her judgment and not his own, not even taking the trouble to. satisfy himself that her Judgment waa correct. The Child Ubor Uwa That Interpfatad its Uttle Eva of the stage and Uttle Evallne of the box factory! One performs a few hours' work wholesome conditions, while the other, the one whom the law Is really aad rightly intended to protect, is deprived of every influence that would condece to physical or mental health. The which and the other need not be specified. The contrast Is obvious. A little desultory and Independent opposition to the laws here and there will never bring about the condition desired by those who have the best interests of the theatre and of the theatrical profession at heart. Tha action must be coaoertad aad wisely direetsd. Prodaeers and theatre managers in the statee where the eaCoreeaMiat-aC these abaard laws are made a nulaanoe ahaold cat toasthdr iaad aainy tha asatttr to tha Its