100 years ago in Spokane: A new union dustup embroiled the city’s Hippodrome Theater

The Hippodrome Theater, site of a walkout earlier in the month by union musicians, announced that it was replacing all of its musicians, projectionists and stage hands with nonunion men.

The manager claimed that this was “solely in the interest of economy, made necessary by the reduced summer rates that recently went into effect.”

He denied that it had anything to do with the previous disagreement, which began when the manager tried to fire clarinetist Bert Miller over what the manager called “sour notes.”

The musicians union was said to have accepted the Hippodrome’s decision with reluctance. Five nonunion musicians were replacing them, and the manager declared that they would be “fully competent.”

From the hotel beat: The Shriners were preparing to hold a convention in Spokane, and they were convinced that Spokane hotel owners were bigger robbers than Jesse James or Robin Hood.

At least, that’s what the Shriners said they concluded after seeing the hotel rates they were being charged. They even jokingly claimed that Harry Tracy, the most notorious bandit of this region, was a “piker” compared to the hotel owners.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1975: U.S. begins to evacuate its citizens from Saigon in Operation Frequent Wind in response to advancing North Vietnamese forces, bringing an end to U.S. involvement in the war.

1992: Jury acquits LAPD officers in Rodney King case; massive riots begin in the city.