The Billboard 1922-12-02: Vol 34 Iss 48 (1922-12-02)

The Billboard OECEMBER 9, 1922 a very close connection between fairs and carn vals, Action, such a8 We sue for here, if taken by you, may prove im @ way a vaccination against the plague You are endangered. The slimy trail of the grafter is beaded your way. There are wzly rumors that the infection is already discernible in ‘¢pots in your field. Let us hope that all such rumors are baseless slinders. In all probability they are, but why not take time by the forelock and by ringing resvlution help us—thereby helping yourselves? Just one more clipping. It will interest you, TI am sure It is from The Raleigh «(N. ©.) Evening World of November 25 (last Saturday), and is in the shape of a dispatch from Asheville, near which Mrs. Vanderbilt makes her home and where the Board of State Fair diree rs heid its meeting. It reads as follows “Directors of the North Carolina Agricultural Association have re-elected Mrs. George y Vanderbilt as president at a meeting at Raleigh Her order against gambling games on the m'dway at the recent State Fair in Raleigh and her program for enlarging the fair were indorsed “The principal objection to Mrs. Vanderbilt’s policies was made by those who opposed the elimination of certain features of the midway, and a deficit of $24,182 reported by the treasurer was attr.buted to loss of revenue in space rentals It was later sh wn that an increase fm value of the fair property of nearly $30,000 offset the deficit. “Governor Cameron Morrison's motion for the re-election of Mrs. Vanderbilt was s conded by General Julian S. Carr, Commander of the North Carolina Confederate War Veterans, Mrs. Vanderbilt thanked the association for its vote of confidence in her policy. “ “She has gone to her New York home and Will start for Japan in a few days with her daughter, Miss Cornelia Vanderbilt, returning to Asheville next March.”’ HOW CAN YOU PROVE HELPFUL? Out of the battle, out of the disclosures and exposures, out of the mess of charges and denials, of accusation and recr mination, has come a definite, pract.cal and very promising pian. It was first advanced by Charles Ringling, of the Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Shows. Mr. Ringling proposed a cevtial bureau which will be: 1. A fact-finding agency. 2. A fact-disseminating agency. . A protective agency. . A law-enforcement agency. . A legal-aid agency. A publicity bureau. It will have in the beginning (1) a manager who knows his business, who, by reason of long experience, is well versed in the ways of the show world; (2) a secretary who is a food press agent; (3) a treasurer; (4) three or possibly four field agents. These latter will be plain-clothes reporters. They will visit and check up shows and send in their Teports to the cepdtral bureau. In due course they will be given credentials and clothed with authority to represent and speak for the central bureau. At the start, tho, they will devote their entire time to getting facts. The secretary will also subscribe to clipping bureau services, correspond with newspaper men, keep in touch with reform agents and build up as fast as possible a line of volunteer local correspondents, in this way supplementing the work of the field agents. As soon as possible the central bureau will begin active warfare on grifting and immoral shows and attractions. To all in.énts and purposes the central bureau is a reality, an accomplished fact. You may regard it as established and operating. The. supply houses grabbed the idea eagerly. There is enough money in sight to suppo:t it for a year from this one source alone, Besides, some dozen of the larger carnival men have volunteered subscriptions, at least five circus owners have signified a desire to aid and considerable help is in sight from reform societies and philanthropists. The more money that comes in field agents will be added. The publicity these evils are now receiving will be multiplied a hundred fold, and, as Names, dates ani places will be mentioned, it will be devastating. I would urge that action on your part, recognizing and endorsing the central bureau, would be constructive. Jnasmuch, too, as the bureau will be able to give every fair manager a report on the character and standing of every carnival company, I further pray that you recommend its service not oply to your members, but to the managers of ALL fairs and expositions. The big feature of the central bureau's work is going to be its campaign of education. It ig not going after the grifters or the poor girls who do lewd and vulgar dancin: On the contrary, it will acquaint the gubliec with the men higher up who get by far the most of the money these poor morons steal and earn. Also it will tell the public that no show harboring swindlers and sluts can exhibit and exploit and victimize the unwary in any community without the connivance and the express permission and sanction of the city or county authorities, or both. It will make it plain that this permission is bought and paki for not with a few paltry tickets, but with money. It will cite cases in which license to rob and debauch a city, town or community is frequently forced on showmen by the crooked local fixers and politicians—that the shows are told that they will not be permitted to show at all until they have paid tribete money— and that, when protest is made that no graft is carried, they are curtly told to hustle and get some. And finally it will educate the better thought of the community sto an appeeciacion of the fact that most of the money, by far the greater part of it, that is accummulated from cheating and debauchery, is a opriated and livided by the so-called respectable element. the more It will show them—and prove to them—that ‘he grifter, far from being the cunning knave he is often pictured, is in reality the prize mp of the uolverse. Rarely, indeed, is he permitted to retain a third of his spoils, More often it is a fourth and frequently a fifth, With some circuses, indeed, he is not suffered to hold on to this paltry portion last named, for they relieve him of that in the privilege car. A grifter, with these circuses mentioned, virtually lives a life of peonage. He fs compelled in emergency to work on canvas, pack seat plank, set jacks, load and unload baggage and perform the hardest kind of manual labor for which he receives not one cent of pay-— but the *“‘protection’’ of his employers-protection being their assurances that in case he is arrested they will “spring him’ ‘get him out of jail) if they can. On account of the ease, facility and low prices that lawyers may be had everywhere, they do this mitch for the poor wretches. Practically all of their gains ascend—go to men higher up And from the bankers down no one asks where the money came from—what kind of money it is—but as we ge lower and lower down we finally come first on men who should pect its origin, then those who should know, and finally those who do beyond a dout. ‘hese latter can be reached and their shame fastened on them The central bureau can do it, and will. Therefore, gentlemen, the central bureau gan be the savior of the people for whom I speak, They are deserving people. They constigute S85 per cent of the carnival and outdoor game On theis behalf I earnestly beseech and imPlore from you an expression of endorsement. Acain let me point cut that it is not as @ moral issue that they erave your consideration, Speaking for myself ‘and the same goes for every other member of The Billboard's sta), I do not feel that I am any better than the average showman—certainly I have no Wish to, but I do want, and so do the great body of those I am representing here, better business standards. You can be of very great assistance in helping us to secure them. I thank you for your attention, Stisped At the conclusion of his speech, Joseph E. Rogers, who spoke on “How Ontario Deals With the Traveling Show’’, read the following, entitled *‘An Act Respecting Circuses and Traveling Shows’’ (R. §S. ©. 1914, Chapter 214, With Amendments to 1922): His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows: 1, This Act may be cited as the Traveling Shows Act. 2 No menagerie, circus, wild west show, trained animal show, traveling carnival show, or show of any kind whatsoever, shall be ex owner, proprietor, manager or person having control thereof, who exhibits the same or any part thereof without obtaining a license shall incur a penalty of not less than $200, and not more than $500, for every day upon which such show or any part thereof has been exhibited at any place in Ontario. 7. No municipal corporation shall issue a license to any show to which section 2 applies until the applicant produces a license from the treasurer of Ontario authorizing the exhibition in the municipality, and any member or officer of a municipal corporation who is a party to the issue of a license in violation of the provisions of this section shall incur a penalty of S20 S. The members of the Provincial Police Force and the members of the Dominion Police Force shall have access free of all charge to all shows mentioned in section 2, and to every horse race, agricultural, horticultural or inition, ball game, theater or pubdand to the grounds, tents and uildings in which such shows, races, exhibitions and gatherings are held, during the hours in whieh the public is admitted thereto, and any person hindering, preventing or refusing such free access after any such officer has de manded admission and displayed his badge of office shall incur a penalty not exceeding $10, aud not less than $50, or in the diseretion of the convicting magistrate may be imprisoned for any term not eXceeding three months. 9 The penalties imposed by this Act shall be recovered under The Ontario Summary Convictions Act, but any prosecution for an offense under this Act may be commenced at iny time within twelve months after the committing of the offense. 10. All penalties recovered under this Act, and all fees paid for licenses under the provisions of this Act, shall be paid over to the Treasurer of the Province of Ontario for the use of the Province, 11. The license fees payable under this Act shall be in addition to any fees imposed by municipalities, 12. Any contract or agreement whereby any person undertakes to procure a license under the Traveling Shows Act for the owner, proprietor, manager, agent or person in charge of a menagerie, circus, wild west show, carnival company, trained animal show or show of any kind whatsoever, to which this Act applies, or to provide for payment of or to pay for such license or to indemnify such owner, proprietor, manager, agent or person in charge of such show against payment for the same AUDITORIUM, SOUTH TEXAS STATE FAIR ——_————_— 4 This is one of the substantial and attractive buildings erected by the fair association at Beaumont, Tex., and is concrete evidence that the association is building for per manency. The Beaumont fair has been held for fifteen years, but this is the first time that it has been held in its own permanent buildings, and the innovation has proved a wonderful success. hibited at any place in Ontario unless the owner, proprietor, manager, agent or person in eharge of such show first obtains a license for that purpose from the Treasurer of Ontario, 3. Every applicant for a license shall make and file in the office of the treasurer a statutory declaration setting forth the number of days upon which the show is to be exhibited in Ontario and the localities in which the performences or exhibitions are to be held, and for such license shall pay in advance to the treasurer the sums following for every day upon which the show is to be exhibited in Ontario: For every circus, menagerie, wild west show, traveling carnival show and not more than one side-show, if traveling with over twenty cars, $150; with twenty cars or less, $75; for every trained animal show, $25; for each additional side-show, $10. And for every other show such sum as may be determined by the treasurer for every day upon which the show is licensed to be exhibited, Where the treasurer is satisfied that owing to inforeseen circumstances a performance or exhibition has not been held on any day for which the license fee hag been paid, he may direct the repayment to the licensee out of the (Consolidated Revenue Fund of a proportionate part of the license fee so paid in adVance, 4. If any such show is exhibited as part of an Industrial Exhibition or Agricultural Fair the applicant shall pay such license fee as the treasurer may Impose, but not in excess of the fees fixed by section 3 for the particular class of show, and the treasurer may have regard to any special circumstances of the case and may if he deems it advisable impose a nominal fee. >. (1) Upon receiving the statutory declaration hereinbefore mentioned and upon payment of the license fee, the treasurer may, in his discretion, issue a license and may at any time revoke the same upon being satisfied that the show is made the occasion for violat'on of the law or that gambling or any game of chance has been carried on in connection therewith (2) In case of the revocation of a license, the amount received for the sawe shall be refunded to the licensee, less the'Sum paid per day for every day during which exhi)itions have been given ynder such license prior to the revocation thereof, Any person in charge of a slow, or the ‘ as a condition of the exhibiting of any such show or of any performance thereof or which relieves or purports to relieve such owner, proprietor, manager, agent or person in charge from any liability or responsibility with respect to such license, shall be unlawful and shall be null and void. 13. It shall be good defense to any action brought by the owner, proprietor, manager or other person in charge of the show in respect to any exhibition or performance or intended or proposed exhibition or performance or in respect to any matter arising out of the same that such owner, proprietor, agent or other person bas with respect to such exhibition or performance or intended or proposed exhibition or performance entered into a contract declared by the preceding section to be unlawful. LEW ROSENTHAL SAYS THE PAST SEASON WAS SPLENDID Chicago, Dec. 1.—Lew Rosenthal, of the Lew tosenthal Amusement Enterprises, was a Billboard caller this week and reported that he did a big business the past season. Mr. Rosenthal said he booked fifty fairs in lowa and Wisconsin, and that his service got a wonderful indorsement from the different fair secretaries Mr. Rosenthal’s headquarters are in the Majestic Theater, Dubuque, Ia. He has also opened up a new department booking vaudeville and film houges in lowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska, also Minnesota, and is in addition booking indoor attractions. OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR Had a Most Successful Fair—Officers Elected for Next Year “It'e a Great Fair’ was the general comment regarding the Oklahoma State Fair and exposition at Oklahoma City the last week in September, This was evidenced by the high class of entertainment and amusement features and by the large number of exbibite in every department, The attendance was about the same as in previous years, but a more interested and a better entertained gtate Fair crowd was never seen in Oklahoma. The financial gtatement presented at the annual, members’ meeting held November 14 oom showed a profit of $18,143 and ev well pleased with the outcome. John E. 0 Neil was elected president of the State Fair f the year 1923, the other officers remaipin: the same as in 1922: J. M. Owen and Orin Ashton, vice-presidents; J. L. Wilkin, treasurer: I. S. Mahan, general manager: , Hemphill, secretary; Vera G. MeQuiikin as. sistant secretary: W. H. idite Ss are among them new swine barns and swine pevition 'm provements to the live stock pavilion anj an extension to the Women's Department Along with the exhibitors of other depart. ments the manufacturer and the dealer wore never more deserving of the purple for the excellence of their individual displays. Tho manufacturers’ and merchants’ displays, the automobile show, the farm machinery and jp. plement show were each more elaborate than in preceding years and of absorbing interest to the investigator. And the concessionaires: To many of the oldtimers the Oklahoma State Fair is only an. other term for home-coming week. They ali seem to prosper at Oklahoma City—perhaps that’s the reason they all like to come back EXPANSION PROGRAM Of West Virginia State Fair Includes Outlay of $200,000 Before the 1923 Fair Wheeling, W. Va., Dec. 2.—Plans for the im Provement of the West Virginia State Fair Association, to cost in the peighborhood of 200,000, will soon be under way, having been decided upon at a meeting of the board of directors, who were guests at the McLure Hote! or George W. Hannan, chairman of the executive committee of the board. The improvements outlined by the board of directors include the building of a much larger exhibition hall to cost approximately $100,000, an additional $10,000 to be spent for the ealargement of the building housing the stock, and £25,000 for various amusements such as a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, etc. Pians are in the hands of the board of 4directors for the foregoing improvements an4 many more of less importance, After going over the plans carefully and after a general discussion of the proposed additions, the board resolved that. work should also be started on the building of the enlarged exposition hall, extension of stock pens and amusement features as suggested, 1922 Greatest Year _ George W. Lutz, president of the West Virginia Fair Association, spoke of the operatious of the fair association in past years, of the wonderful growth and particularly of the last fair. Mr. Lutz said the 1922 fair was the largest attended and most satisfactory year in the history of the association. He said there were considerable earnings made despite the fact that the cost of premiums in all departments showed an increase of $15,000 over any previous year. The policy of the association is not to attempt to conduct fairs and exhibitions at «a protit, but that every dollar earned is put back with a view of making it better and bigger each year, Exhibition Hall The present exhibition hall has been too small during the last few years. The new structure will be 400 feet long and fifty feet in width, two stories high and of fireproof construction thruout. Amusements of ail kinds will be provided along with the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, ete, The stock pens will be twice as large as the present one. The exhibition hall will be three times as large as the present building and will be erected on the West side of the track. It will be an up-to-date structure in all respects and one that will attract the interest of merchants and manufacturers of not only Wheeling and neighboring towns, but thruout this section of the country. In addition to the above-mentioned improyements and additions mandy minor improvements are contemplated. May Seek Citizens’ Aid The association will call upon the eitizens of Wheeling for financial assistance in this great forward step in the purchase of bonds to be issued. =e pane outlined are the biggest ever sttempt toward improvements since the taking over of the fair and exposition by the present board of directors in 1912. Since 1912 or 1915 there has been spent over $150,000 in improvements to the plant and with the additional $200,000 or more the total improvements since the reorganizing will amount to probably more than $350,000. Frank Wirth, representing Wirth-Blumenfeld Fair Booking Association, was awarded the contract for supplying the free attractions for the 1923 fair season. In addition to this the Wirth-Blumenfeid Company was author ized to go ahead and secure the biggest nov elties available A specially selected program which ineludes quite a number of imported acts has been agreed upon. This te the second year that this firm bas secured the contract, CANADIAN PAVILION -— = At British Empire Exposition Ottawa, Can., Dee. 1.—Hon. Charles Stewert, Canadian Minister of Interior, ip an interview last week with Major BE, A. Beleher, assis'e"* general manager of the British Empire Exhlbition to be held at Wembley Park, Londo, England, in 1924, eaid that Canada would por ticipategand will have a pavilion covering ©)" proximately 150,000 square feet. The amount of Canagian money to be spent was not state . but the space taken is the same as t's taken Australia, spending $1,250,000. ad exhibition will continue for six months aon April, 1924, @md on a conservative basis ‘t x estimated that over 10,000,000 people will ** before itg close,