The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-03-15
" WEsTBROOK PEGLER

Editor.
By WEsTBRoOK PEGLER
(Copyright, 1916 by King Features syndicate)
with peculiar satisfaction I have watched
the growth of Jimmy Petrillo, the president
Ct the Musicians Union, from the size OF a
local eccentric or character, around Chicago
~ +h,t If high-octane menace to the sacred
herItae e beoueathed us by the enabattled farm
ers Of Bunker Hill and the chilblained heroes
Of Valley Forge.
T have talked shop with Jimmy many's the
time and realize that he is constantly amazed
and amused, like me, that little lineage
o,,ttersnine lust on native cunning and nerve,
bv the accidental surge OF soclo-pontlcai
wave and without reasoned intent on MS own
part should become the subject OF a PERSONA
bill of restraint In the Congress OF the o.o'A'
and one Of the most fearsome figures OF our
time. .
When speak Of James as an old time gut
tersnipe use the term merely as the most
appropriate description that ! know. ne was
a downtown and West Side neWsooy IN the
gas light and horse truck days, closer 70 ule
frontier than we realized in our childish 1amll-
iarity with gambling rooms and dops ana par
rel houses, and guttersnipe hoped many a
street car to sell enough sheets TOT a cent
apiece and a profit OF one-third to amass
a1CAS1 . WOI III OIL tdkG-uOIuS. l1AC 80
brutal winters were dirty with cold, deep STOP
when they weren't up to your brisket IN snow
and the odds against a boy Of Jimmys social
and economic level becoming power IN tne
land with or without resort to the machlne
gun were something fabulous, his old man be-
ing white wing at something like SIS week.
James has told me that he qualified Tor
card In the Chicago Federation Of Musicians
because he had learned to blow a trumpet IN
-. sn1, 7 eko1ia
It is unimportant, however, for to hold that a
boss unioneer should be able to pass an exami-
nation In the craft Of his organization would
be to depose the ruling dictators over about
half our union membership.
Will Green the president Of the A. F. OF L..
for example, was miner by trade way back
in his youth but was elected from the mine
workers by his old president John Lewis,
when John formed the clio. and broke away
from the A. F. Of L. but union president and,
especially the president q the FEEDER alton Of
Labor, surely must hold a members card In
some union, so our Jimmy Fetri1lo gave Green
a ticket In the musicians racket on the pre-
text that old Will at some time in his life
had been heard to strike some chords on
parlor organ. Phil Murray, now president OF
the c. T. o., was like Green, a coal digger
in his boyhood and also was cast out of the
mine workers by his old friend, John. 30 Phil
became a member Of the Steel Workers On
ion, whose trade he was stranger to. And
among my old snake-rattles, SOU
venir badges, bridges and speakeasy cards
I treasure 4 writ Of membership In an old
time Union Of Steamboat Men, so, as say,
we need not believe that James could PUNK,
scrape or blow q note.
Our James would like you TO believe that
he Is one Of those who made It the hard
way but most men who 60 on In that vein
are braggart takers who had 1t very easy as
Jimmy did. He was a natural born peddler
who could act the focl to judicious extent
and close a deal with shrewd laugh and
by this trait he wiggled his way into the soft
racket Of Chicago's local politics which blank
cts both the neither and the upper worlds.
At one point, If you take his word for 1t, he
was borrowed for a spell by lawless persons
and his union, Of which he had taken
strong command by this time, had to spend
$50, 900 to get him back There were those
who thought $50, 900 fragrant violation Of the
ceiling and some would have let him 60 at
any price, reasoning that If they couldn't get
another like him their luck could be worse
but the matter was not put to 4. formal
referendum.
They bailed Jimmy out, never knowing who
got the money, and for appreciation, James
let them buy him a $50, 900 home on which, of
Sudueu, inc dirty, 1OW-uoWu AutS1AdA 1NSVe-
nue. clipped him for $4,000 On the pround
that the value represented income and was
taxable as SUCH This ruling seriously impugn-
ed Jinmy's method Of acquiring the house
from his loyal subjects and strongly suggested
coercion or a rugged resolution and vote be-
cause If it had been a genuine gift 1t would
have been non-taxab1e. But James has high
capacity for disdain so he spurned the foul
implication and paid the tax.
A few years ago, our James, having clipped
the Chicago taxpayers for the cultural boon
OF public concerts paid for out Of taxes and
received as wages by his people, invaded New
tossed out old Joe Weber, the aged national
president, and took over the job himself. Soon
afterward he changed lawyers, hiring the in
effable Joe Padway, whose knowledge OF the
Union law and the tricks Of demagogues is ex-
ceeded only by his gall and 1t has been since
these two combined that Jimmy mas been
recognized as a really impressive menace.
But neither individual nor the two OF them
in concert constitutes real menace. The real
menance is found in the laws under which
they operate with perfect security and statu-
tory right Congress gave them these privi-
eges predatory as the rights Of the robber
barons of old and Congress, alone, can re-
wise and restrict them. Jimmy just happened
along with his irnpudence and nerve plus Pad
way's enormous effrontery in time to take his
tide at the flood and now ne IS soaring nigh
with Padway steering his surf BOARD.
The act recently passed by the House and
Senate TO curb Jimmy's union alone and ig-
nore +be Fundamental evils OF the broader la