Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 38, Number 200, 30 June 1913 — Page 3

INHABITANTS OF MOVING PICTURE CITY, PLANNING TO INCORPORATE AND ELECT MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMEN, THWARTED WHEN " ACTRESSES START SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT

Universal City, California, Only Municipality In World In Which Entire Population Consists of "Movie" Stars Swept by a "Votes For Women" Crusade Indian Squaws Join Uprising and Compel Braves to Desert Party.

Women Candidates For Office Cable to Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont For Advice on Suffrage Crusade Issuing of Franchise to Street Railway Company, Building of Artesian Wells, City Hall, and Appointment of Police and Fire Departments Checked by Suffragist Sympathizers Picture Work Neglected.

8UFFRAGE CANDIDATES. Mayor Lois Weber. Corporation Counsel Ethel Grandon. Aldermen Edna Maieon, Natalie Delantan. Chief of Police Laura Oakley.

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES.

PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATES.

Mayor Aubrey M. Kennedy. Corporation Counsel James Dayton. Aldermen A. R. Whitcomb, D. C. Hoadley. Chief of Police L. M. Levey.

Mayor W. L. Foster. Corporation Counsel Arthur A. Alder. Aldermen P. E. McGuire, F. G. Norton. Chief of Police Daniel Horn.

In history on which every candidate is a woman. Charges of Graft Loudly Denied. Having been nominated for mayor. Lois Weber took an even more active interest In the campaign. She delivered the ultimatum that the suffrage ticket must win by fair means or fouL Two charges of graft have been made unofficially against Democratic and Progressive nominees by members of the suffrage party. It is charged that Democratic candidates several weeks ago opened negotiations with officials of a traction company operating a suburban ltne between Los Angeles and Universal City and who are desirous of obtaining a franchise to lay tracks through the main streets of the new municipality to bring about the necessary influence In event they were given sufficient financial support during the present campaign. A similar charge has been made against certain leaders In the Progressive faction, who. according to the women office seekers, have held long conferences recently with several contractors from Los Angeles who are seeking the acceptance of their bids to build artesian wells in Universal City and to construct new cottages and lay out the streets. Both the Progressive and Democratic candidates who have been labeled by the suffrage opponents as being Involved in the pre-election conspiracies have placarded every telephone pole and board fence In the city with emphatic denials of the verbal allegations made against them.

"The women want the vote," reads

one glaring three color poster pasted on a conspicuous fence. "The Democrats won out in November. We are going to win on May 20. The suffragettes have Instituted stories of graft as a part of their campaign against us. We deny every such allegation and will upon request prove the utter falsity of each misleading assertion." A group of Socialists, Including two

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NIVERSAL CITY.

Cal.. the only municipality in the world inhabited exclusively by moving picture actors and actresses, soon to be incorporated

with a mayor, board of aldermen and a police and fire department, Is ravaged by a suffrage movement which has sprung up almost overnight. Christened little more than three months ago. Universal City is now permanently established on the map of southern California with a total population of 1,34 a. Every one of the thousand and more residents Is actively Identified with the making of moving pictures.

Announcement recently that an elec-

"There will be a meeting In studio No. 1 at once," said Leonard after Director Otis Turner had dismissed the performers. "We want as many men as possible to be there." Margarita Fischer, who plays leads with Mr. Leonard, and Kthel Grandon, star of the 101 Bison company, overheard the announcement of the meeting. Feminine curiosity prompted an investigation, even at the risk of losing their positions at supper, so Miss Fischer and Miss Grandon remained at a discreet distance while the men filed away, in' groups of two or three, to studio No. 1. Choosing an opportune moment, the two girls quietly secreted themselves behind a mass of "props" and listened. "Let these men run us and Universal City too? Never!" sputtered the nowangered Miss Fischer as she hurried

Miss Grandon away from the studio at

tlon wip the suft

jEHd on May 20 precipitated the conclusion of the men's meeting.

e flurry which has assumed I Women can vote up in Los Angeles,

to be on hand at the mass meeting that night. The meeting was held at studio No. 7, and an overwhelming majority of the four hundred and seventy-one women voters were present. It was a sort of indignation meeting. At least every woman present was Indignant at the thought that she was to be left out of city politics. Lois Weber, the leading woman of the Rex company, voiced the sentiment of the meeting In her maiden suffrage speech: "We have been patient long enough. We live In California and have the right to vote, and we're going to exercise It, We are four hundred and seventy-one strong, against one hundred and fifty Indians, seventy-five cowboys, three hundred cavalry and infantry soldiers, twenty-two carpenters, fifteen scene painters, two hundred actors, one hundred laborers and twelve men cooks. That's eight hun-

anarchists and an anti-suffragist, tried to organize a party following, but the

resourceful suffragists broke up their meeting with a few cat calls and threats to spoil any films In which the Socialist members worked unless they fell in line and listened to reason. Solicit Advice From Mrs. Belmont. One of the first steps the suffragettes of Universal City took was to cable to Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont at the Strand. In

WHAT MAY HAPPEN (Camera Man to Mayor and Councilman) "Come on, you fellow forget the politics! w"v got to have your city hall for a scene."

when they are boiling with political wrath and party alliances It Is policy for us to sit back and let them fight their own battles." At all of the eight studios there are daily arguments between the candidates of the three parties. One picture has been spoiled by the leading lady of the Nestor company, who forgot her business and launched forth Into a heated suffrage argument with her leading man while the frantic director was trying to film a ball room scene. Squaws Grow Militant Threaten Braves. The women are threatening to resort to methods of sabotage as practiced In London and Paris by militant politicals. They promise to spoil thousands of feet of film unless the men will treat their movement with more dignity and agree to give them their support. v One squaw with a particularly stubborn spouse who rides bucking bronchos in some of the best 101 Bison company pictures has sworn that she will put cockleburs under her husband's horse blanket and make his

calico pony buck in deadly earnest In the next picture if his chlefship doesn't

agree to "vote right" The directors of the various compa

nies are all sitting on the fence, afraid

to get down on either side for fear of stepping on the tender toes of their

temperamental actors and actresses.

They don't dare express an opinion or espouse any of the three causes for

fear some earnest politician will spoil

a picture.

The men, having visions of being

haled to court by a lady police, ex

amlned before a lady judge, having their pay enevelopes taxed by a lady assessor and tapped by a lady collec

tor, are in open revolt. Their chief

argument Is that women graft enough privately from their husbands and that

they shouldn't be allowed to get Into

the business of public graft.

The men's camp is divided between

free speech are to be had In the two public halls. The women have already scored one victory by hiring the famous Universal Round-up Cowboy band to play at their meetings and drown out the voices of male political agitators in the streets. Princess Mona Darkfeather. leading woman of 101 Bison company No. S.

Margarita Fischer Making Her First Suffrage Speech. has pledged nereelf to swing the Indian vote. She has conducted two suc

cessful powwows among her people, at

which the peace pipe wasn't passed. The forthcoming election is exceedingly important because a street railway company has been making over

tures for a franchise to lay Its tracks through the city, and artesian well

fear of getting no meals at aU. Tns suffrage question has already penetrated to the bis kitchen where over a thousand moving picture people tak dinner and supper together dally. Men do the cooking In this kitchen, but women serve the meals, so they have the ruling band after alL Suffrage sympathizers are getting big helpings nowadays, white many Progressive and Democrats are going hungry, even after passing up their plates for a third and fourth scanty helping. An Interesting question of naturalization arises because two hundred and forty-one of the voters are Indiana. A yet many cases of Indian voters are In question. There is also some talk about the fact that three hundred of the inhabitants are discharged United States soldiers, and the right of some of these men to vote Is being questioned. There is a great deal of betting on the outcome. Groups of actors and actresses get Into heated arguments before and after work. One freak bet has been registered between a motherly suffragette and a cowboy. In the

event that the women's ticket loses that suffragette has agreed to put in two days at ditch digging on the new artesian well works. If the suffragettes win. however, the cowboy has agreed to do a week's washing for the winner. It is rumored that Chief Black Bear has bet hts suffragette wife against a fifty dollar pony on the Democrats. It the Democrats win he rets a rood . horse; if they lose he rets rid of a suffragette wife. When last seen Chief r.lack Bear had a smug smile of satisfaction on his bronze face. He looked aa though he were "heap satisfied" over having a pretty sure thing, sort of a "heads I win. tails you lose" proposition. It will be interesting to follow this first attempt of women to rain entire control of a municipality the size of U&l-

f candidate roRPOUCtVlp -'-yrJlj.?y-?ir - - - -- --- - - "'.-fl '"vC V1 iViStr1 Ki-rC'Re COMWittlOMAX LpsI1 AMmmJ PHILLIPS Ml ALLEY- C V X A'WVI IgfgT""? ' 7 JP -V. WANTS TO BE MAyOR r,?Vi V V -" ft V TT

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Black Pete to Indian Bravet "We'd better be goin afore we lose our scalps. That fellow argued with her."

proportions so alarming that the voters are anxiously urging the appointment of a temporary police department before the official election Is held. Secret Meeting Reveals Political Plot. The trouble started at the conclusion of a recent rehearsal for a big three reel feature film. In which every actress In Universal City was to appear. No previous announcement had been made by the men leaders in the movement to incorporate Universal City that the election of city officials was contemplated or even that a state cl arter would be sought. The effect of a little speech made by Robert Leonard of Rex company fame, therefore, ba : O.oubly surprising results.

and If there Is any voting to be done at Universal City we are going to do as much of it as anybody. Maybe more!" And with this ultimatum the young ladies set out on visits to the various cottages. They talked propaganda and roused the women to action. Many suppers were served either cold or burned in Universal City that night. But the women were awakening. Women Hold Indignation Meeting. Miss Grandon even extended her visIt to the wigwams of the ninety-one Indian squaws who cook hominy and Indian pudding for the 150 braves working with them In pictures at Universal City. The sister squaws were interested in the movement and agreed

dred and seventy-four In the enemy's camp almost twice as many votes as we have. "Now. the only way for us to win Is tor each woman to bring at least one vote besides her own. That will give us a big majority. Since most of us are married and can only properly bring in one extra vote, we will count on the old and young maids for three or four votes apiece." "Heap good talk!" cried an old Indian squaw sitting well down front. "I bring-um three." Thereupon the meeting was adjourned and the audience, with a swish of skirts, began by nominating a slate of officers. It is the first municipal ticket

ART ORTEGA-AN INDIAN

: BRAVE ic PR06RE5IVE CANDIDATE FOR HEALTH

COMMlSSIONf R

London, asking her for advice on how i to get the suffrage vote. They wired Miss Inez Milholland at the Vanderbilt hotel in New York for helpful suggestions. Pending replies to these messages, the Universal City suffragettes have taken things into their own hands and acted where action was necessary. Lois Weber, suffrage candidate for mayor, baa threatened to give Phillips Smalley, her husband and leading man in Rex company No 1. weak support in an important picture in which they are playing unless he will agree to vote the women's ticket. All of the residents of this suffrage torn municipality, including the tribe of Indians, the regiment of soldiers and the cowboys, are in the employ of the Universal Film Manufacturing company of New York. Officials of the company have determined to let the actors and actresses fight their own battles and settle their various political differences without any interference. "We don't even dare betray our party Inclinations," declared Mr. Carl Laemmle, president of the Universal Film Manufacturing company. "If we did there would be an awful cry of "partiality from our west coast organization. Actors and actresses are temperamental, even under ordinary circum

stances, and difficult to manage, but

the two. parties. They are debating whether to throw up their hands right now. in the fear that there is going to be trouble if the women don't have their way. Director Breaks Up Democratic Gathering. The suffragettes are still laughing over the failure of a recent Democratic mass meeting. Phillips Smalley organized the meeting to "get back" at his leading lady, Lois Weber, who had made many political threats against him. Right In the midst of an eloquent speech Smalley was pulled off the stump by the director of his company and taken in an auto six miles Into the country to appear in a forest scene In an unfinished picture. His mouth was still open in a final denunciation of the women's candidate when he disappeared Into the tonneau of the big auto, leaving his audience dumfounded. Seizing the opportunity. Margarita Fischer mounted the vacated stump and made a rampant, redhot suffrage speech until her shamefaced audience dwindled. Women Score First Real Campaign Victory. At night, when all the actors are free, they turn out into the streets and drift from corner to corner, listening to rival

speakers. The embryo city is ablaze ; with torchlights, and free food and '

bids are to be placed shortly. Other big movements are axowt. A bank, hotels and a race track have been planned. The women are all in tavor of a cooperative store and kltuien Idea which has been talked about, but most of the men are silent on the subject for

versa! City. If It succeeds aad tn women really ret Into the coveted offices, then it will be Just twice as Interesting to see how they pan out. Anyway it's an unusual situation, and in this case if the best man wins It will probably be a woman.

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Studios and Part of Universal City.