Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-08
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

= these dispatches sometimes
appear to ignore fine acts of gen.
erous humanity on the part of
unions OF the American Fedora
ton of Labor and tend to en-
phasize the sordid.
For this i am deeply sorry. so
today's essay will prove that, in
some cases at least, the boys do
take beautiful care of their own.
BY way of establishing a con-
trast to heighten the nobility of
these deeds let us first consider
some unhappy cases.
First is the routine, familiar
experience of brother X, as he
prefers to be known lest he be
canned out of the musicians
union and deprived of his joyous
fellowship in the brotherhood of
labor with Jimmy Petrillo, who
governs the union at combined
salaries and allowances exceed
ing $4,000 a year.
Brother X is what you might
call a professor, meaning a mu-
stefan who plays solo in dumps
at night, and in order to obtain
jobs he must hire an agent.
He recently got two weeks
work in a dump in an adjoining
state at $40 a week after five
weeks idleness, and his finan-
cial score was whitfield down to
SIS a week by the following de-
auctions and expenses:
Ten per cent to the agent, 10
per cent to the local in whose
jurisdiction the job was situated,
10 percent ofLthe first week s
pay to that local as dues for one
quarter, 10 per cent to his home
local for quarters dues, and So
a week for carfare. Total pay.
$50; total dues, commissions and
expenses, $50.
THERE is an unemployment
L fund raised by assessment
on members of his home local,
but Brother X has been ad-
vised that he must be out of
work for years. continuously, in
order to participate and, never
theless, must be a member in
good standing. meaning that he
must have paid his dues steadily,
though unemployed ali that time.
So the unemployment fund
Is not for him, and he is in
clined to take a rather gloomy
view of unionism as a personal
issue.
Moreover, further to accen-
tuate the sordid before we turn
on the sunlight of nobility, the
same union within the past year
has rejected proposals to confer
paid-up life membership on
members who have been in con-
tinuous good standing for IS
years or more.
But now, if you will shield
your eyes from the glare, you
will be shown how generous the
musicians union is-not only to
Jimmy Petrillo with his $4,000
year plus. and never strike
or layoff. but to Mr.. Joe Weber.
the ex-president, who enjoyed
many years of uninterrupted
luxury in that position until
Petrillo pushed him out in 1910.
Mr.. Weber, like Brother
Bowen. the former president of
the bricklayers, was made presi-
dent emeritus or technical ad-
wiser to his union. at approx
mately $4,000 a year for life, in
addition to his compensation and
perquisites as vice president of
the American Federation of
Labor and member of its execu-
tive council.
President Emeritus Bowen
gets approximately $4,000
year for life from. the brick
layers. with no strikes or lay
offs. come rain. snow or sick
ness.
A ND not long ago, wishing to
"A express further their affec-
ton for brother Joe Weber. the
Musicians Union voted to pro-
vide him with an automobile for
his own use, together with a
saiaried chauffeur and all the
cost of maintaining and running
the car. and all insurance and
any and all damages and legal
services resulting from acct
dents. plus permission to trade
in such car and get a new one
whenever he likes.
Brother X, who plays in
dumps and kicks back so much
of his pay for the privilege. is
paying Brother Weber's salary
and the costs of the car and
extras, but he seems a surly
brute, so we will not ask him
whether he does this willingly.
He might make a scene.
And, furthermore. the press
mems union has voted emeritus
status for life to President
George Berry, the millionaire
labor leader and country squire
of Tennessee. with a salary plus
an office and secretary, If and
whenever any one succeeds in
easing him out of the job in
which he became an employer
himself and a magnate in the
printing and land business.
These citations are offered
inst IN show that as some critics