MAORIS IN AMERICA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 872, 30 July 1910, Page 4

MAORIS IN AMERICA.

REFUSE TO WORK ON SUNDAY. Chicago, June 3. Chicago has seen the Maoris — and been astonished. Chicago is the second largest city in the United States, and it takes a lot to astonish it ; but when Chicagoans learned that the Maoris, who were hilled as ” wild savages from New Zealand—the most startling act on the vaudeville stage,” would not perform on Sundays they were amazed. The Maoris bad a nine months’ engagement with Shubert and Anderson to appear at the New York Hippodrome, and it happened that the Hippodrome season —which has proved a record one financially—closed two weeks before the Maoris’ contract expired. But Shubert and Anderson, instead of losing anything, saw a means of “ sub-letting,” and made a contract with William Morris, the big vaudeville manager, for the Maoris to perform for two weeks at the American Music Hall in Chicago. This contract, as the Maoris’ manager (Mr Whyte) soon learned called for performances “each and every day ” during the two weeks. The Chicago Music Hall, like most of the places ot amusement in this city, remains open on Sundays—performances every afternoon and evening of the week. Mr Whyte immediately notified the management that the Maoris would not be available for Sunday performances, they having had a distinct understanding on this matter with Shubert and Anderson’s representative before they left Rotorua. Pressure _ was brought to bear both by William Morris and Shubert and Anderson, but the Maoris remained firm. Sunday came and they did not appear, and in spite of the difficulty they were paid every penny due to them.