Arizona republican., 1917-01-28
MUSICIANS OWE
 HEAVY DEBT T0
 ORGANIZATION
- A@ g
By Eugene RedewilI

By Eugene RedewilI
 Some little discussion has been given lately to the subject of Union |
 ism in the city of Phoenix, and so
 that the public will have a better
 knowledge of the benefits and advan-
 tages offered by those who have joined |
 together for the welfare of their voca-
 tion and livelihood-the following facts |
 and ideas are expressed for what val
 ue they might be in forming the pub
 lies judgment.
 Unionism is the same for the em-
 ploye as a trust is for the employer.
 Many large firms employ within the
 law trust" tactics which can only be
 met in a similar manner by union
 on the part of the employe In the
 case of the musician, he finds it neces-
 sary to belong to the union to uphold
 his art. If he cannot get a living wage
 for his time given to education and.l
 perfecting the goods he has to deliver,
 he will in these times of high cost of
 living, give up his art and leave it to
 the mechanical instruments, the Vic
 troa and the Player Piano
 For example, take Phoenix of twenty years ago We had no orchestras out
 side of saloon, teachers imparted
 their knowledge on most any musical
 instrument from fifty cents to a dol
 lar per lesson The best musicians
 would not locate here unless for pur- pose of gain in health. Can you name
 any musician who came to our city
 fifteen years ago and remained any
 length of time2 The cause of this was
 lack of musicians of their same grade
 of ability. the newcomer becoming
 disheartened at the local Mexican and
 colored orchestras whose services
 could be had for a few dollars per
 evening entertainment, and after look
 ing the field over, or slightly injured
 in health they would depart for their old haunt in New York, Chicago, Gin |
 cinnati or other strong union cities | where their talents could be marketed for more money and musical atmos- | phere more abundant
 The individual is schoOed to be will i ing to pay for service the modern | password of up-to-d date business ] methods. but as member of the gen. -eral publicslhe IS generally adverse to unions, while he is practically Util- l iZihg the same methods in his private business all the while. How the mer- chant does howl and express dissatis- faction when the goods he buys at wholesale does not come up to a stand ard of quality. or when his morning mail informs him of a raise in prices; yet if this same labor service when passed on to him in the form of a unioniZed price for labor he classes it as dynamiting plot to holdup on the part of the unions. All this class of otherwise fair minded man needs is a little. seducation on the viewpoint of the labor bodies
 All the great musicians of the past ages .twhere there were no unions) died in poverty It benefited the world that Beethoven could not make a living wage at playing. because he took to the soul satisfying vocation of composing. The greatest musicians of American saw many years ago, that in order to draw out their inspirations that their bodies should be properly and protected from the ele- ments of weather.
 Of course, all sides of the question can be abused by extremists. Because the Los Angeles Times and other property have been blown up by dyna- mite, and traced to a certain man of certain union, is no reason why the unions as a whole should not be con sdered fair, any more than all banks should be considered unsafe because a certain bank president was found guilty of wrecking his bank contain ing the peoples money. The only union trouble experienced in musical circles in America happened years ago when Mascagni, the composer of the opera Cavalliera Rusticana, endeavor- ed to produce his opera with a lot of non union musicians. The rehearsals were so poor and unsatisfying, by the trying to bet by on couple Jf dollars per man per performance, hat the orchestra was dismissed and the union orchestra taking it's place. Do you know that the great orchestra that played in the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, is union? So is . the Chicago, Cincinnati Minneapolis, | San Francisco and other orchestras. f The great artists are union musicians r IS well All the stars have appeared with these great musical bodies, and his would not be permissible if theyl 1 were not in perfect accord with the lnion musicians.
 The Minneapolis Symphony orches- .ra which plays in Phoenix on Febru ary End is union. To give an insight to their qualifications and value to ,ity it may be well to cite the facts of their case The city of Minneapolis realized that to have the finest or .hestra in America she would have to raise the money. So an annual fund . 1f S75000 per year is raised to keep C his world selected body of musicians ( .ogether. The union provides that the f owest salary to this class of artists q is $55 per week and all expenses. ( Oberhoffer, Americafs greatest con- { 1uctor. receives a salary of s10,000 per i year There are higher wages than ( that paid to union musicians. Cam I oaganini, the greatest opera conductor )f the world receives over $30,O0O per year for his combined musical ser l vices. These figures show the suc- !, ,esses of the union, and the public benefits by getting quality, in short 2 he serves the best who is well paid : One big financier solved the question Y 1f finding big men to work for him, f which is quoted If you want a $1000O a per year man pay one S1O.00O per I year;;" if he is any man at all he will C ny and earn his salary. And so, the f natter is sifted down to mere mat c CT of price and a living wage, not that he unions are a menace to society, but t