Variety (February 1914)

8 VARIETY "WHAT THE RATS ACCOMPLISH" PLAINLY E VIDENT EVERYWHERE Oft Repeated Question of "The Stay-Out" Answered in Nearly Every Vaudeville Contract Now Signed. Sure Progress in Quiet Way, Without ''Red Fire." In its campaign for membership, the White Rats Actor. ' Union of America has repeatedly advanced the argument it is manifestly jufair for a man or woman engaged in earning his or her livelihood in the show business to reap where he or she has not sown. It has been contended that scores and hun- dreds of artists who persistently ne- glect or refuse to ally themselves with the White Rats are constantly enjoy- ing benefits which could have been se- cured for them in no other way than through the activities of the White Rats. These same people, too, when approached on the subject of joining the W. R. A. U. will ask: "What are the White Rats accomplishing?" It is not the purpose of this article to attempt to show with any care for de- tail just what the White Rats are ac- complishing, mainly for the reason that the case of the W R. A. U. can only be proved by a careful study of the office records of the organization as they are being compiled from day to day. It may be said, witliout any con- fession of inactivity to the man who is in sympathy with modern methods of accomplishing things, that the White Rats are not "red-firing things" as it has been contended they once did. The statement that they are making much surer progress in a more quiet way can be supported with facts and figures at any time, however. The ridiculousness of the position taken by the average actor who stays out of the organization and who asks: "What are the White Rats accomplish- ing?" can be pointed out with the aid of one little example. Many of these "stayouts" are playing the smaller vaudeville circuits of the country and fully 80 per cent, of these artists are signing working contracts from week to week, which have printed on the face of them: "Contract approved by the White Rats Actors' Union of America." Contracts so marked, al- most without exception, arc the fairest kinds of contracts which nrc being issued to artists, cnihodyinp terms of employment which secure for the artist treatment which is equitable and fair. The exceptions arc contracts which are sometimes marked "Ap- proved by the White Rats Actors* Union of America' without the author- ity of the organization—and it is one of the little details of the business con- duct of the organization that these con- tracts falsely labelled are quickly driven out of the field or are adver- tised to members of the organization in particular and to artists generally as good things to keep away from. That these preferred contracts are issued in the niai^ncr tiicy are after they have been ^onc over witli the White Rats and arc marked as they are is an indication that the theatrical employers issuing them recognize the White Rats Actors' Union of America as the truly representative body of artists in this country and as a body to whom they can safely entrust such of their interests as concern employed and employer. Even the argumenta- tive stayouts will confess that these approved contracts are being issued by nearly all of the important vaudeville circuits in the country, including the one generally conceded to be the big- gest small-time circuit in existence, and a circuit, by the way, which has gone a little farther than the approved con- tract measure and long ago entered into an agreement with the White Rats to arbitrate any differences which might arise between the circuit and members of the organization. It is a principle of human nature as old as the hills that the individual is prone to take as a mere matter of fact anything which has been accomplished, DO IT NOW. The Board of Directors are delighted at the response to the articles that have appeared in Variety relative to the clubhouse, ind especially at re- ceiving the request from one of the members of purchasing 12,000 of the bonds, 11,000 for himself and 11,000 for his wife, that came in the first mail Monday morning. The receipts for last week are as follows: Rooms 1604.31 Wines and liquors 248.95 Cigars 84.08 Billiard and pool 143.35 Barber 22.35 Gymnasium 47.00 Telephone 28.00 Cards 4.10 Valet 8.15 Laundry 42.36 Lunch 189.70 Varieties 5.10 • Total $1,427.45 The total receipts for the month of January, 1914, are $6,499.63, as against $4,450.64 receipts for January, 1913, or an increase of $2,048.99. If the increase in business continues to average $2,000 WHITE RATS NEWS (The matter on this page has been furnished VARIETY by the White Rats Actors* Union of America, and is vouched for by that or^nization. VARIETY, in its editorial policy, is not responsible for it.) even though its benefits are progressive and lasting, and to forget these bene- fits in the hurry to look ahead for something else which might be ac- complished or is being accomplished with the noise and bustle of new things in action. The man who asks: "What are the White Rats accomplishing?" can an- swer his own question if he really cares to. He can read the contract which he signs with a little more care, he can check his extra-long baggage out of any depot in the country while the traveling man at his elbow frets and fumes because of higher excess charges, and there are a score of other things which he can discover very easily to convince him that the White Rats are constantly "on the job" in the interests of men and women of the theatrical profession if it is, indeed, fact, and not argument for which they arc looking. If you don't advertlw in VARIETY. don't advertise at all. per month over the same period last year, the clubhouse will have earned $24,000 in excess of last year's busi- ness, most of which will be profit. These figures plainly indicate that not only do the members desire the clubhouse, but are enthusiastically sup- porting the same, and that the Board of Directors are intelligently conduct- ing theM)usiness end of the clubhouse. Is it not fair, then, to ask the mem- bers to help those in charge of the clubhouse and the organization in hav- ing the clubhouse fully paid for and owned by the organization and its members? There is no member in the organi- zation who cannot afford to subscribe some portion of $25 toward the White Rats Bond Club, and if each member would subscribe what he can reason- ably invest in the clubhouse, before many months were past the wisdom of the Board of Directors in appealing to the rank and file of the members and relying upon their enthusiasm jfs DO IT NOW To the Trustees of the White Rats Actors' Union of America: Enclosed please find dollars towards my subscription of \. dollars to the fund to be held in trust by the Trustees of the White Rats Actors' Union of America and used by them to pur- chase White Rats Realty Bonds for the benefit of the subscribers to the fund, who will be members of the White Rats Bond Club. Name , Address loyal members of the organization will be justified. The organization is not asking for any donations, or for loans or advances, but simply inviting the members to take advantage of an opportunity of investment in New York real estate in the center of the best section of New York City—Times Square—such in- vestment to bear 6 per cent, interest. The organization feels that by so doing it is conferring a favor upon the mem- bers by affording the members an opportunity to invest in something that they will get their money back from, and at the same time enjoying the benefit and use of their money by making the clubhouse possible, the use of which is open at all times to all of the members of the organization. Have you seen the new booklet, showing pictures of the clubhouse? It is most artistic, and must arouse a feeling of pride and satisfaction in every member who has not seen the clubhouse or enjoyed its benefits. If you have not a copy, kindly send for it, and the same will be mailed to you promptly. If you have not sent in your subscription for membership in the While Rats Bond Club, do so at once upon the blank on this page. RATS' MONTHLY MEETING. The regular monthly meeting of the White Rats Actors' Union of America Tuesday evening drew an attendance particularly gratifying. Members were there in great numbers, and among them were many artists of importance paying their first visit to the councils of the organization in some time. Fifteen new members were received on final vote, as follows: Fred D. Moore (Miller, Moore and Gardner), Mark Linder (with "The Criminal"), Charles W. Irwin (Eunice Burnham and Charles Irwin), Edgar Forrest (Victorson and Forrest), Herman Lieb. Fred Burns Hamilton, Charles Worth (with "The Criminal"), James T. Duffy (Duffy and Lorenz), William H. Ma- cart (Macart and Bradford), William De Graaf Lee (Delmore and Lee), Bert Weston (Bert and Effie Weston), E. H. Close, Fletcher Norton (Norton and Earl), Chuck Hass and Eugene Red- ding. Up for first vote at the same meet- ing, to be either accepted or rejected at the meeting the first Tuesday in March. were 11 others as follows: True S. Jnmcs (J. Herbert Frank Co.) John E. Umphy, Thomas Kennedy (DaininR Kennedys), Byron Silvers (Mau'de Adams Co.), Frank Ferguson (Mar- garet Bourne and Company), Geo. F. Hall, Harry Cohen (Herman and Rice), William C. Lampc (William Lampe and Company), Henry Sher- wood (of "In the Gray of the Dawn"), Harry J. Maynard (J. J. Morrison Co.). Harry Woods (Woods-Ralton Co.). It will be observed that there are among those who are joining the W. R. A. U. from month to month an increasing percentage of men and women from the dramatic branch of the profession, a condition which would seem to indicate that the argument that the White Rats are al)le to help and protect "legits" as well as those who play in the other branches of the pro- fession, is being forced home.