The Wilmington morning star., 1946-06-12
Fair Enough
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORK, June II. In conlurlng the
kind of government that Joe PadWay would
impose on the people OF the United States In
the guise Of democracy it is falr to con-
slider the terms of life inflicted on the I'M
fortunate men and women who are compelled
to be members of the American Federation
Of Musicians, Of which he is general counsel.
This loud-mouthed union skate, recognized as
a leader of labor by Franklin D. Roosevelt
who sent him to England in that phony guise,
is not a Union man, or labor man at all, but
a lawyer with a fat practice in union law. He
has drawn pay from some of the r%ottenest
rackets in our criminal history and sung the
praises of notorious betrayers and prosecutors
Of unionizcd workers. He has grown rich at
the expense Of millions of workers who never
elected him to any position.
In order to work for a living the musician
must join the union under the dictatorship of
Jimmy Petrillo. On joining he must take an
oath that swears away his freedom, independ-
ence and manhood. He takes a solemn vow to
support the unions constitution and by = laws
and submit to it's mandates and obey all laws
emanating therefrom.
1t is persecution on its face to make any
citizen take this oath because the union con-
stitution gives Petrillo absolute power to sub
stitute his own will for the constitutions writ
ten terms and provides that if a member COM
mits some act not forbidden by the c~onstitu-
ton and bylaws, that act may be declared
illegal and the victim may be tried and pun
ished at Petrillos own wtim. Hitler had no
greater powers. The musician who will not
accept these terms can't work and Roosevelt
upheld this compulsion and blocked every at
tempt to make this union reconcile its consti-
tuition with the Constitution of the United
States.
In view of the hopeless conditions imposed
by the first article, the dictatorship article, of
the musicians constitution, the others seem
| superf11ouS. However, others exist, emphasiz-
ing the arrogant brutality Of this organization
and the oynicism of Padway in upholding it.
One section says that airy local union which
submits to unfair, arbitrary or improper con-
ditions forced upon it by the arbitrary ruling
of packed meetings or through the influence
of members who control the situation must
submit % such decision as the high officers
of the national union may reach.
Padway is a smart lawyer. He knows what
this means. He knows it means that the exc
cutive group can take over a local, destroy
it's autonomy or its very existence and rob the
rank and file of the RICH. to vote on local
issues. Who decides in such cases what ICON
ditions'' are unfair, arbitrary or Improper?'
The big mob decides. Who decides whether
any ruling is "arbitrary?' The same big mob.
Who decides whether a meeting is packed
Oh WuSIilSl IllClllOS1S Xix o1tUoeAOA,
whatever that may mean? Again the national
officers.
But Is there any provision forbidding unfair,
arbitrary or improper condition in the meet
ings and actions of the national executive
board? Absolutely none. 1t is a supreme coun-
ell and Petrillo, himself, is the alEhighest with
Padway, the friend and spokesman Of s9abor,"
as Roosevelt held him, at his elbow to advise
him in the exercise Of his power. They, them
selves, are packed meetings" They make
arbitrary rulings" They always control the
situation"
If Petrillo or the executive board arbitrarily
pulls a man off his job on strike" he shall be
entitled" to one-half OF his actual loss of pay |
for not more than Is weeks. This is less than
the unemployment rate and period IN many
states. But observe that this says only he
shall be "entitled' to this pay. 1t does not
say he shall be paid and that is an impor-
tant and intentional difference. Observe, also,
that nobody asks the musician whether he
wants to strike. He doesn't matter. He swears
to obey a constitution which he didn't write,
which ne hates and fears and which he has
no power to change. That constitution gives
Petrillo and the mob on top the power to
pull" him even for the purpose o. extorting
personal graft from a producer or orchestra
leader. Petrillo, himself, said he borrowed
money from orchestra leaders in Chicago to
reimburse the local treasury the 5O,000 which
it put up as ransom" the time he said he
was Kidnapped" The propriety Of such Dor
rowing from men whom he had the power to
destroy at will may be examined at your lei
sure.
Here IS another condition inflicted on Ameri-
cans by this client of the immigrant Padway
in compliance with that notion Of democracy
which Padway would like to impose on the
whole nation:
1.-THE executive board may decide appeals,
complaints, charges and all other matters COM
ing before it, without formal meeting or ses-
sion of the board and without hearing the in
terested parties or witnesses in person. And,
while it may consider affidavits, as evil
dence, it doesn't have tc. And it may pre-
scribe and change the method and procedure
for any trial. In palmer words it may con-
vict and punish without any pretense of a
trial.
So the economic life or death of the en-
shaved American citizen may be decided by
a bunch of highbinders who don't even have
to hold a meeting or near the defendant. And
this is tie law governing the lives Of 200, 900
Americans.
Is Padway really that sort Of man, Padway,
the general counsel of the AT. of L., and the
tealnsters' union, the disting uished friend of
the sainted F.. D. Roosevelt, and spokesman
for the American labor movement?
I, will tell you what sort OF man he is by
quoting from a letter he wrote to his dirty
friend, George Scalise, an old-time trader in
IL ill., ---- |