The Washington times., 1936-06-03

the top and ftle them IN GlphGL
The National Symphony Orches'
ira, according to Thomas ]. Null
lfkin, chairman Of the orchestra
members committee, will at once
apply to the Director of Public
Parks, Mr.. Marshall Finnan, for
the use of the Watergate site for
. series of summer concerts.
The action of the board Of direc.
tors of the National Symphony
Orchestra Association, which met
yesterday evening at the office Of
Mr.. Walter Bruce Howe, secretary,
and unanimously voted to send a
letter to the Musicians Union,
notifying them Of the abandon
ment Of the summer concerts,
leaves the way open for the musi.
clans that make up the National
Symphony Orchestra to present
the summer concerts on a coopera-
tive basis without the backing Of
the National Symphony Orchestra
Association.
Mr.. Mullikin expects to report
further definite arrangements by
the middle Of this month concern
ing the Watergate series Of con-
certS.
One point Of difference in re-
gard to reinStating Mr.. George
Gaul, personnel officer, is not
completely settled. The national
president Of the American Fedora
tion of Musicians, Joseph Weber,
reported yesterday that his execu-
tive committee had upheld the de-
cision of the Washington local.
The last court of appeals will be
the national convention Of the fed
Grafton which meets this month,
The association has asked that
the local musicians union extend
full membership privileges to all
imported musicians. The i'd a
prompting this action was claimed
by the association that musicians
would be able to supplement their
small earnings with the aSSocia-
ton and thus be encouraged to
stay in Washington. Mr.. Mullikin
claims that the restriction applies
only while the imported musicians
are engaged in the regular SYM
phony season at which time they
have been paid $40 a week. After
the season they are free to seek
employment in Washington if they
so desire.
Mr.. Mullikin claims that since
the time the National Symphony
Orchestra was first started to the
present, there have been 48 chairs
filled with imported musicians
and there are now just 80 who
lived in Washington five years
ago. OF these 48 imported musi-
clans, only IA are restricted in
their outside engagements during
the symphony season. The IA mu-
sicianS are so restricted because
the national law was just passed
last year affecting their status.
Mr.. Mulhkin believes that the
only method possible to hold the
best musicians and thus maintain
and raise the artistic standard of
the orchestra will be to find means
to raise the compensation of the
musicians. In December, 1885,
the National Symphony Orches-
ira petitioned the National Sym
phony Association for a raise in
pay of S. a week, but were un-
conditionally turned down. They
further petitioned the association
asking for a pro-rata increase in
compensation if the proceeds Of
the concerts would warrant it and
were again refused.
The personnel Of the orchestra
feel that they have sacrificed q
great deal in order to keep up the
National Symphony Orchestra.
With the exception Of q few first
chair players, the pay for the sea-
son Of % weeks was 1920. The be-
lated decision on the part of the
board of directors of the associa-
ton has further handicapped the
orchestra in making plans for a
cooperative series of summer con-
certS.
The following letter was sent to
John E. Birdsen, Secretary Of the
Musicians Protective Union, Lo-
cal 161, yesterday by the Board
Of Directors of the National Sym
phony Orchestra Association:
Dear Mr.. BirdSell: / acknowl-
edge the receipt of your letter of
May 29th and in reply refer to the
correspondence between us begin
ming with my letter Of Hay 18th in
which. on behalf of the Board of
the National Symphony Orchestra