Montana labor news., 1945-01-04

from two cents to three cents, an in
crease of SO per cent.
Another metropolitan daily makes the
ridiculous statement, -Four million dol
lars or more a year to be dumped into
the union treasury at the complete and
unchallenged disposal Of Mr.. Petrillo." ."
Then one of the more notorious Of the
/ journalistic muck-raisers who has been
lgallOw1ng in the labor batting pig-sty for
number of years states, There is no
law to compel him president Petrillo,
/ to distribute these royalties among mem
/ bers Of the union whose work is abol-
ished or cmtailed by the repetition Of
/ canned music and there is no excuse
to believe that he will put it to any such
use"-this in spite of the fact that the
president of the Federation has no such
power over its funds. The recording
fund is set up in a special account
and the proceeds are dedicated for a
specific purpose.
The terms of the -Four Employer"
Icontract with the transcription COM
paniss. it is to be pointed out, were drawn
up with the cooperation and under the
supervision of the Labor Board panel
which was designated by the National
War Labor Board to attempt to compose
the differences between the Federation
and the companies Clause IA Of this
contract cthe whole Of which was pub
lished on page 16 Of the November, 1913,
issue of the International AIusician) pro-
vides that the American Federation of
Musicians will use the Employment
fmd" only for the purposes Of fostering
and prOpagating musical culture and for
the employment Of live musicians, mem
bers of the Federation, for the rendering
of live music" It also stated that this
fund would be kept separate and apart
from all other funds Of the Federation
and that no part of the fund would be
used for the payment Of the salaries Of
any officer OF the Federation. AS was
also brought out in the contract, the
Federation has in the past submitted at
its conventions a. fun and detailed finan-
cial statement, audited by certified pub
lie accountants. in turn to be submitted
to the membership OF the Federation
and such reports are made public. A
EimIar detail statement will also be
lmade annually and iu like manner witt
respect 70 the Employment fund.
, President Petrillo has been the osten-
sible target Of all these editorials Of viii
ficaaon, but the actual target has beer
1.-The American Federation Of Musician'
with the hope that the effect will bt
/ felt by organized labor in general. Th'
iapparent reason for striking at the presi
dent is OF insert a wedge, if possible
between the general membership and it
officers HOW this attempt has failed il
exemplified in the unanimous action o
our last convention in Chicago whicl
passed resolutions Of unqualified approx
al of the action Of the president anC
executive board with the further man
date that the officers refrain from en-
tering into any contracts with any re
. cording companies, except under tn
same conditions now inclOde0 In IN
"Decca' and the -Four Employee" con
. tracts In hoping to create disunity il
our membership on this subject, the hos
, tile press is indulging in wishful think
mig for, from the temper Of the conven
ton, if there was any disagreement Will
what had been done by the officers
was based on the fact that they had no
gone far enough.
It seems strange that the press shoul'
suddenly become so much concerned owe
the relationship between union mem
: bers and its officers, with implication
$ that the members are being exploited
when in the days when unions were stil
, weak and struggling they never CAV
e them passing thought. They also be
b moan the fact that men are compelled t
ioin labor unions in order to earn hv