Evening star., 1940-04-14
A Test of Leadership


the orchestra association and the
Musicians Protective Union-a pos
sibility admittedly remote-this aft
ernoon's concert will be the last
concert, and the attempt to estab-
ish a great symphony orchestra in
the Nations Capital, which for nine
years has shown such consistently
hopeful progress, will come to moth
ing.
The failure thus threatened is
nothing less than tragic. The dis
solution of the orchestra, not only
today's orchestra, but the outstand-
ing organization which has seemed
so assured for the future, would be
a serious loss to Washington and to
the cultural life of the community.
The implications of the loss are even
more serious. For If this orchestra,
with its fine record of the past nine
years, cannot succeed, the inevitable
efforts to replace it are foredoomed
to failure. The National Symphony
Orchestra has had the advantage OF
sound business management, the
services of a skilled and popular con-
ductor and the backing Of larger
group of sincerely interested patrons
than any organization of its type
ever received before in Washington.
In nine years of steady Improvement
and growth it has enjoyed increasing
support from the public of Washing
ton and other cities. These things
are not easily obtained, and, lost
now, they are gone.
The threatened end of the orches-
ira now is not due to lack of popular
support or financial failure. 1t is
not due to the mismanagement so
often associated with artistic ven-
lures. It is not due to any rebellious
spirit of discomfort among the musi-
clans, whose skill has so largely con-
tributed to success of the orchestra
as a musical organization, nor is 1t
due to any disagreement over the
obvious fact that the musicians are
underpaid.
But, overshadowing the possibly
faulty decisions both of the orchestra
association board and the union rep
resentatives and passing over the
relatively small differences which
seem to keep them apart, there is
one fact which cannot fail to impress
any one who attempts fairly to judge
the issues. And that is the indisput-
able failure Of the union manage
ment to take a long-range view Of
the Importance to the community
and to the musicians themselves of
keeping the orchestra alive. Unless
there can be a more philosophical
attitude by the union management
and more reasonable willingness to
work with time in the solution of
the serious economic problem of or
chestra maintenance and growth,
the orchestra is dead and the pres
tige of the unions leadership will
have suffered in consequence.
The Star does not contend that
the demands of the union are un-
reasonable, nor is it prepared to
agree that the orchestra association
is correct in it's conclusion that
money to meet even the modified
demands cannot be raised. The un-
deniable facts are, however, that the
orchestra board, which has the re-
sponsibility of money-raising and
management and is composed OF
able men and women whose services
are wholly voluntary and altruis-
tic-without profit to themselves
has, in accepting the Labor Depart
ment's proposed compromise for
mula, gone as far as it feels it can 60.
Looking back over the past nine
years. the increases in the orchestra
personnel. the increases in opportu-
nifty for the musicians, the increases
in wages l147 per cent?, the steadily
increasing public support, and,
against the background, looking for
ward to the promise which the next
nine years hold for the orchestra,
the union leaders are rendering a
distinct disservice to themselves, to
the community and to the cause of
music in refusing to accept the
Labor Departments impartially sug-
gested compromise formula, already
accepted by the orchestra board.
For the sake of the orchestra, for
Washington and for the musicians
who are slowly winning for them
selves the compensation which their
skill deserves, The Star hopes for the
reconsideration and acceptance Of
the Labor Departments plan which
wise union leadership would give.