Page 9

MUSEMENT EVENTS IN ST. LOUIS
ST. LOUIS OFFICE-BASIL WEBB, Manager--201 GEM THEATER BUILDING
PICTURE ORDINANCE                            TRANSIT CO. CHARGED
HITS AT TENT SHOWS                            WITH DISCRIMINATION
No Film Exhibitions Under Canvas If New Bill Becomes Law. Car Line Does Not Touch West End Heights As In Former Years and
Other Points Covered.                          Extra Fare Is Exacted.
There was a ptlic leariig of the
orlinuaice  presented  by  Bilding
Colmiissiocr Smith of St. Louis, be-
force a committee of the House of
elegaties at 4 p. m. Tuesday last.
This ordinance has been framed by
Commissioner Smith so as to clearly
define all the requuirements that an
exhibitor sall conform with and also
for the purpose of granting certain
powers to thel Building Commissioner.
The three most vital points of the
ordinancce are  as  follows: Firstly,
,houi the ordiiancc go into effect no
motiono picitire exhibitions under can-
Was will be permitted by Iaw  in St.
louis. Secoudly, that a platforim of
ecific size made of non-combutstible
iaterial  aiy be used in front of the
crcei  Thirdly. that  the  Buildinig
Cormmissioner shall have power at all
iitics to advise the License Comniis-
ionier to revoke any license should all
the reqnirements of the ordinance not
he lived up to.
Comminssionier Simith  opened   the
hterig bl explaining to the commit-
tee several aneidnients which lie had
Irai itip siuce the ordinauce was first
freidil. lie menitioned that the ordi-
tiiie would speciically put tle teit
shows out of business. Ile explained
thit his reatons for this were that lie,
hy virtue of his office, had no ai-
thority over tents save as far as the
hooth wcas concerned.  IHe further
tted that he considered them  dan-
gerous for the reason that they were
comtposed  entirely  of  combustible
Amendments Interpolated.
Robert iicl.aran, a prominent St.
Iouis attorney, spoke oii behalf of
the Motion Picture Exhibitors Society
inl fLtvor of the bill. Ile interpolated
I everl slight amendiuients.
Frik  )racksell, president of the
lotion Picture 1ExIxhibitors Society,
also spoke in favor of the ordinance
iandu made oie strong remarks as to
the ailer of canvas picture exhihi-
tions.
Juldge Robertson spoke oin behalf
If some exhibitors who were opposed
to the lill, and made some striking
remirks whicl sowed how very little
leknci  about the motion    picture
busine-ss  l1t stated that he would
neither speak for nor against tents,
but Ile tholuuhtlt that a special ordi-
ttlce shoirld be drawn up to cover
too regulate them,. He waxed indig-
nant over the effort, as lie claimed, of
('inuissioner Smith to attain a po-
'itio more autocratic than that of
the C'zar.
Attorey Taylor R. Young spoke in
bhaltf of those exhibitors who owned
'Iows in tents. The sumt and sub-
'tance of his remarks were really a
litriolic  attack  oii  Commissioner
Simith.  H1e claimied  that the  teit
'fhw hurt the business of the large
theatrs and tile theater owners were
trlilg to use unfair methods to put
tlemli oit of business. Ie claimed
tiat the ordiiuce was unconistitu-
nil bot  according to the state
tiltiiiilthi federal lax. Hie denied
tho thereuwa anyextra dangerin a
idiit 'shuot and claimed  that there
icier htl been loss of life from  a
ie i one of thiei.
Lynn Against Bill.
harry I.vIi  who owns several tent
showrs ill St. Louis, spoke     very
I troigly agaiinst this effort to quash
Picture shows under   canvas.    He
elaimed that this was the only safe
ily to show pictures. ie also made
the extraordinary  claiim  that fili
would not ignite, but that it would
just burn.
After Louis Aloe had mtade sone
remarks in favor of passing the bill,
Mr. Hilkenbaumer. chairman of the
committee, called ott Commissioner
Smith to close the proceedings. Mr.
Smith answered the questions of the
opposition and explained his stand-
point. lie claimed that in a case
The West End Heights theater.
under the management of the Oppen-
heimers, opened last Sunday to as
large  iisiness  as  the  entirely  inade-
quate car service permitted. In for-
mer years all of the Market and Tay-
lor cars have run to the West End
Heights, hut for some unknown rea-
son this year none of the Taylor ave-
nue cars run further than the Forest
Park Highlands, and not miuch more
--A
----,
John Adams.
A popular singer at the I.vceum theater who celebrates the 100th con-
secutive week of his engizagement the re on Saturday. \lay 22.
wvhere the safety of lives were it stake
that it \a. nceessarv for soneone to
have  arbitrary pwiers.  le  also
furtier pointeI out the dangers of
tc'it  shows.  After  Commissioner
Smith had inisihed speaking the coin-
inlittee adjourned.
Nearly cecry picture show onier iii
th' city wia- present anid every oe of
then realized what xvital importance
there ias to the issuce of this ordi-
tiance  They gahied one point they
had been fighting for for a loug time
when Commissioner Smith took the
stand and stated that lie saw no objec-
tion to platforms ini a miotion picture
house.
There is very little doubt that the
bill will pass and then it will probably
be adopted in every large city in the
states.
than ihalf of the Market street cars
mIade the complete trip. Since Forest
Park lIighlalds is situtatei one mile
east of the ieights, it lioked very
imuch its thoiugi soic unfair discrim-
ination  vas being  cxertcd by   the
transit company. In fact, so appar-
cut xvas this fact that many piassen-
gers  who iitetnded to   go   to the
H1eights xre forced on arrival at the
I1ighlands to pay ain extra nickel in
order to reach their destination.
Louis Obert, one of the owners of
West End Heights, stated that lie be-
lieved that it was spite work on the
part of the transit company due to a
suit which was pending in the Clay-
tot courts.  He declared that the
transit company were suing the West
End Heights company for the pos-
session of a strip of ground 220 ft.
long by 15 ft. wide. 'The grant of this
ground was originally made to the
St. Louis & Merrimac Railway, but
the grant was never used and has
therefore lapsed. Mr. Obert further
stated that this ground was now used
by them for carriage sheds. He also
said that he had offered to give up the
strip of land to the transit company
on condition that they would move
the carriage sheds and convert them
into automobile shelters. The transit
company has refused all efforts to
comnipromise and appears to be using
unfair discrimination in car service
against the West End Heights com-
pll" -
Capt. Robt. McCulloch, the presi-
dent of the United Railways com-
pany, repudiates the fact that any-
thing is being done otherwise than in
the best interests of the pubhlic.
The fact remains, however, that
thousands of people were prevented
from attending the Heights last Sun-
day, and those who did go there were
crowded to a most tuicomfortable ex-
tent. It is hoped that this bad feeling
will be patched tip, for the Oppenu-
heiners have got together an entirely
excellent company at the West nIld
I eights theater, and it is too had that
,uccess should be lhandicapped il this
Nay.
SINGER CELEBRATES
A CENTURY BOOKING.
John Adams Has Sung for One
Hundred Consecutive Weeks at
the Lyceum Theater.
J11i ^danis, the postlir haritone,
celebrates a unique record this week,
for when next Saturday coimes around
he Will have sing for one hundred
consecutive weeks at the Lyceum the-
ater.  lr. Adams made his first great
success with Dockstader's Minstrels.
After that lie went into vaundeville
with Duffv and lierzog under lie laime
of That Trio. This act proved to be
onie of the most successful that has
aippeared on the variety stage. The
following season lie weut with the
Dainty Duchess company over the
Eastern Wheel. Mr. Adamlus' elilest
son was tuifortunately takeii sick and
,o his father decided to seek a steady
cingagement in this city So that he
could biv a ioie and settle down.
After in eitirely successful season
singing with the haud at Delmar Gar-
den iMr. Adams was engaged byMrs.
Talbot, the malager of the Lyceum
theater, and lie has remained there
ever since.
Alr. Adams is easily the highest
paid singer of illustrated songs that
has held a steady positioi. Since lie
has worked at the Lyceum, lie has
numiierous offers of road positions at
extremely bic salaries, these offers iii-
clude. The Quartet, That Quartet,
Docktader's Minstrels, Al G. Fields'
Minstrels aid others. M.Adaim has
become attached to his home and
further realizes that a steady job of
-2 weeks a year. ata good salary, is
worth all the road positions that are
going.
The New Monioe Theater.
M\r. Al Wittman, the cashier of the
License  Commissioners   office, is
building a new motion picture theater
at the corner of Chippewa and Ore-
gon streets. This theater will be the
first one built tinder the new ordi-
(Continued on page 27.)
/A
40
S    WHY THEY
CALL HIM THE
3 OLS N TENOR
300SON300
30OT
0 0anSt
ab
9
mii22, 1909.
I I
THE SHOW WORLD
$ s