“Relief Felt Over Twin City Strike Ending”

Headline: “Relief Felt Over Twin City Strike Ending”

Minneapolis—Theater patrons of the Twin Cities breathed sighs of relef when announcement was made of the settlement of the general strike and the feeling of security is to be enhances today with return of many union employes, with the balance to resume their duties at the theaters next Sunday.

Ending a period of fear, engendered by bombing of theaters, throwing of stench mixtures in theaters and on patrons, and assault on a non-union operator, the compromise was a welcome one and business is expected to show a decided spurt as a result.

Peculiarly, operation of the theaters over the six weeks’ period with non-union employes, did not materially cut grosses at the various houses. The fact is more surprising, when it is realized that the Twin Cities are strongly unionized, and hot beds of labor radicalism. This is due to the campaign conducted by theater owners in carrying their case to the public. The theatermen had been prepared for a finish fight, and it was not until arrival of William Canavan, head of the international union of stagehands and operators, that any compromise appeared possible.

The unions, it is said, were prepared to extend the strike to every theater of the Orpheum and Pantages circuit, a fact declared to have weighed heavily in the compromise, although the balance of Twin City showmen were ready to “go to the mat” running open shop unless they secured a contract which would give them as “Greater Amusements” here put it, “the undeniable right to run their own business.”