Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1894 — DEMOCRATIC TIMES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DEMOCRATIC TIMES

HIT THE THEATRICAL PROFESSION VERY HARD. the Box-Office Receipt! a Fair Indication of the Prosperity that Followed the Election of Cleveland and Hl* Party. It is time to give particular attention to the condition of the theatrical profession in the United States this year as compared with 1592 and 1893, and show the large number of unemployed actors who have been the re-jipienta-bf charity from a fund, especially collected for that purpose.

In order to investigate this condition more fully a number of the leading theaters in different states in the country have been asked to furnish a comparative statement of their receipts during the first three months of 1893 and 1894; Taking 100 to represent their receipts from January to March, 1893, the figures in the second and third columns represent the receipts during the corresponding three months of the two years, as follows:' Number Receipts, January of thea- rt> March, Loss. States. ters. 1893. 1894, 1895. Alabama 2 290 148 57 Georgia 3 300 200 100 Illinois 5 .500 301 199 Indiana....... 2 200 141 59 lowa 1 100 81 19 Kansas 2 200 150 50 Kentucky 1 100 90 10 Maryland.../. 1 100 93 - 7 Massachusetts. 5 500 492 98 Michigan 2 200 179 21 Minnesota.... 1 100 60 40 Mississippi... 1 100 100 New H'pshire.. 2 200 141 59 New Jersey... 3 300 171 129 New York.... 3 300 238 62 Ohio.. 2 200 109 91 Pennsylvania. 5 500 418 82 Tenn esse 1 100 77 23 Texas 1 100 67 33 West Virginia. 1 100 52 48 Washington... 1 100 60 40 W isconsin..... 2 200 135 65

Total 47 4,700 3,408 1,292 Average loss, 27 per cent. The forgoing shows reports from forty-seven of the leading theaters of the United States. For every $4,700 received by these theaters during the first three months of 1393 their receipts amounted to only $3, -iOS during the first three months of the present year, the loss being $1,292, or 27 per cent for the whole country. While the actor is not directly protected by a tariff, it is very evident that the prosperity of the country under a protective tariff affords larger receipts to those engaged in the theatrical profession than the disturbed condition of the country will permit under the

mere threat of free trade. When people are not earning money at all, or are not earning good wages, it is impossible for them to spend money upon amusements. Protection to American industries means prosperity to the theatrical business.

ACT L 1892.

ACT IL 1894.