The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-07-30
Petrillo's New Plans
For Concerts Scored
President OF American Federation of Musicians At
tackled for Alleged Hypocrisy in Iiamperng Music

Neville Miller, president of the
National Association of Broadcast
erS. yesterday commented as fol-
lows on the announcement of the
plan of James C. Petrillo, president
of the American Federation of Musi-
clans, to provide free symphonic
concerts:
James Caesar Petrillo's announce
ment that his union intends to give
$40 symphonic concerts in small
towns is unequalled for hypocrisy
Mr.. Petrillo has done more to pre-
vent symphonic music in the United
States than any other man in the
history of our country.
Before Mr.. Petrillo prevented the
making of all recordings of SYM
phonic music last August, the great
orchestras could reach all of our
people in all parts of the country
through the photograph record. The
recordings SO made were available
for the home, schools, broadcasting
stations and for all of our citizens
wherever situated and whenever
UlHy WallUCo w llCdl lpllOlll-
music, not merely once each in $40
communities hand-picked by the
union. The very orchestraS which
Mr.. Petrillo now wants to bring to
the people. are those which, for one
full year, have been prevented from
making photograph records. If Mr.
Petrillo were sincerely interested in
the welfare of symphonic music, he
could, by lifting his band, permit
the equivalent, not of $40, but of
hundreds of thousands of times $40
concerts.
L Royalties Profitable
Cali of the symphony organiza-
tions are on-profit institutions. A
substantial part of their revenue,
in some cases as much as one-third
was derived from royalties on phono-
graph records, SO per cent of which
according to Mr.. Petrillo's own testi-
mony before the United States sem
ate, went into the American home
and formed a permanent contribu-
ton to musical education. More
over, the musician in the symphony
orcheStras has been deprived by Mr.
Petrillo of the substantial revenue
which he previously received from
his recording activity. The must
clans in symphony orchestras re-
ceived, in addition to the royalty
obtained by the orchestra itself, a
minimum fee of $28 per man for nc
more than 30 minutes playing time
"Mr. Petrillo has, therefore, stifled
the major source of income for the
symphonic orchestras, deprived the
symphonic musicians of norma.
compensation and withdrawn from
the American people the benefits Of
recorded symphonic music.
ut should be noted that in making
this transparent gesture, Mr. Petrillc
drops the last vestige of justifica-
ton for his ban on recordings. He
has contended that records CON-
mercially used in the smaller cities
deprived local musicians of employ
ment opportunities. Yet, when the
union sets aside 100000 to bring
some music to the American people
1t does not employ local musicians
but instead spends 1t on bringing
into the communities the perform
ances of the fully employed musi-
clans who had always made record
ings.
Petrillo's Figures
'The good faith OF Mr.. Petrillo's
proposal may be attacked not only
on these grounds, but on the bash
Of HIS own figures. His announce
ment says that the men in the or
chestras will be paid for their serv-
ices, and he sets the uoymal per.