Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1944-11-01
Hard Boiled Bosses
Seek to Use IF. r"
Plain Facts of the PetriIIo Cose Show War Effort
Is NOT Affected; Why Should White House
Become Involved?

It's difficult to understand why President Roosevelt has permitted
himself to be dragged into the Pertri1o case, The facts are very simple.
Petrino is president of the American Federation of Musicians
Canned music has made frightful inroads on the job opportunities of
musicians. Perillo. a alert, aggressive leader, is endeavoring to keep
his members "of the dole"
He proposes that for every record made with the aid of members
of the Musicians Union, the employer shall contribute one-quarter of
one cent to the unions unemployment fund.
1t is believed this will produce about $5OoOOo a year. The money
will be used to hire union musicians to provide the public with free
concerts of good music.
Not more than five per cent Of the fund is to be used for admins
tration. A committee of three, one from the Adustry, one from labor
and one from the public, will be created, with full authority to examine
the books and to otherwise supervise expenditures.
The union has even suggested that the War Labor Board nam this
committee. Instead of accepting the invitation, the board has attacked
Petillo and the union with unusual ferocity.
Apparently the boards object has been to provide the newspape
with the material to cruelty Petrilo, and they have taken advantage of
the opening in the most despicabe fashion.
In order to get jurisdiction owe the Petrnlo case, the Labor Board
anyone urgaing that the way to beat Hitler and the Japs is to fire
The musicians pointed out that 1O5 companies had agreed to TIL
unions terms and that only two were holding out. Those are the big
fellows"-RCA-victor and the Columbia Recording Company-sub-
salaries of the Radio Trust.
They ar making staggering profits, but they prefer to spend the
money in newspaper advertising and other forms of propaganda, rather
than us it to provide jobs for musicians displaced by canned music.
The Labor Board referred the case to the President. He consulted
with Economic stabilizer vinson, and the latter promptly reported that
companies which had agreements with the union arr making all the
records required by the armed forces and also satisfying civilian de-
That's what enraged the two big companies-they saw the little
fellows getting away with the business. So they made a final anneaI To
the President and for some reason, which LABOR does not pretend to-
explain !: = made a public appeal to President Petrillo to accept the
terms of the two big "holdouts"
Petrilo referred the matter to his executive board, which unanim-
ously decided that the Musicians could not afford to buckle down to the
two .rge companies because that would invalidate the agreement they
had with the 1O5 small companies. eH
OF course, the President should have dropped the matter right
there, but the antilabor press, headed by the New York "Times"
clannored for drastic action against Petrlo. describing him as
Caesar" who, in the midst of a global war, dared to interfere with the
production of canned music!
Now the papers report that the Department of Justice is endeavor
ing ito dig up some law" which will enable the administration to force
Peuilo to surrender.
If true, it is a very cheap performance. 1t is silly to suggest that the
war effort is affected in any way. The little companies experience nj
difficulty in absorbing the one-quarter cent per record contribution
Therefore, the consuming public isl not injured, as the two big companies
have been suggesting in the Incorporate statements they issue from
time to time.
AS a matter of fact, it is just a controversy between a labor union
and two hard-boiled and extremely rich employers. The White House
should refuse to pull the bosses chestnuts ot of the fire.