Evening star., 1944-12-07
D. {. House Unit
Backs Fund Plea
OF Police Band.
Unanimous Vote
Indorses Bill
With z Changes
By DON S. WARREN.

spokesmen for the American Fedora
ton of Musicians, the House Dis
trict Committee today ordered a
favorable report on the bill to
authorize use of city funds to cover
maintenance costs of the Metropoli-
tan Police Department Band.
In moves to meet some of the
union objections, two amendments
were voted: One to restrict band
membership to members of the Po-
lice Department, with the under
standing this would include civilian
AS we'll as uniformed personnel; and
the other to restrict performances
to functions where no admission
fees are charged, except for charity
affairs
Chairman Randolph of the Dis
trlct Committee announced the vote
was unanimous and it was expected
the bill would be put on the House
calendar for action as soon as the
language of the amendments is per-
fected and a formal report drafted
Two Leave Before Vote.
Two members of the committee
had left the session before the vote
was taken.
The District Committee today also
ordered favorable reports on a bill
to apply the Uniform Stock Transfer
Act to the District and to authorize
the Commissioners to permit the
Standard Oil Co. to lay pipeline
under South Capitol street. Com
mittee action was deferred on a bill
to permit the Women's Christian
Association to dissolve and transfer
It's property on Thirteenth street
NV, between R and S streets, to
the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA. Ac-
ton was postponed because tenants
of the home, now numbering 20,
protested they would have no other
place to go.
The amendments attached to the
Police Band bill did not satisfy the
union spokesmen, for Joseph Pad
way. appearing as spokesman for
Local 16l of the A. F. of M. and who
is general counsel to the American
Federation of Labor, continued to
oppose the bill after the amend
ments were agreed upon.
ReneWs Union Proposal.
AS far as he would go was to re-
new the union suggestion that the
S1l 500 proposed for financing the
Police Band would be acceptable
only if an equal amount were ap-
propriated for the hire of private
musicians to play for municipal
functions. He anticipated these
would be union musicians.
Mr.. Pathways contention was that
police bands playing for police af-
fairs and charitable events even
tually and inevitably play for func-
tions where union musicians-"whol
make their living by music"-might |
otherwise be hired
It's all right to talk about police |
bands playing for charitable crgan-
lzations and for crippled children.
Mr.. Padway said, but you can't
separate crippled children from a
ship launching at the Kaiser ship
yards where the shipbuilder could
afford to hire professional musi-
clans"
Clear 1t With Caesar"
During debate over the amend
ments, Representative Smith. Dem
ocrat of Virginia asked, Whats
this all about?" declaring he could
not understand why the member
ship of the band must be restricted
to policemen-"unless this is a case
where we must clear this question
with Caesar (James c. Petrillo-
and If that is so, let's vote
Mr.. Petrillo is the head of the
American Federation of Musicians.
Representative Auchincloss, Re-
publican, of New Jersey, who had
sponsored the membership amend
ment, said he didn't believe the
Police Department should be able to
hire a piccolo player as a policeman
just because he could play piccolo
and in response to Mr.. Smiths re-
mark he added:
I'm not here to support Caesar
Petrillo. If you are trying to pin
that rose on me, I'll throw it right
back on you"
mo, no." said Mr.. Smith. Il know
you too we'll for that"
There was suggestion that the
bill be further amended so that
members of the Fire Department
be eligible to join the band, but
George j. Richardson, secretary of
the International Association of
Firefghters, said he didn't think
f1remen were interested because
music won't put out a fire"
To this union spokesman added:
"And you can't catch pants burg
lar with music, either"