Evening star., 1947-10-19

than the royalty income, Mr.. Pc
trillo said.
I'VE don't care. about the royal
ties
The Taft-Hartley Act forbids row.
alties to unions except for health
and welfare funds jointly admins
tered by workers and employers and
periodically audited. The AIM row.
alties, Mr.. Petrillo once said, are
used Ito spread musical culture and
to give employment to musicians
who have been put out Of work by
the records we have been making
Mr.. Petrillo said todav's actor,
had nothing to do with the Taft
Hartley Act"
Sees Self destruction.
Discussing his unions stand, Mr.
Petrillo said: I'VE don't know of
any other business that would make
an instrument that would destroy
themselves and we're going to stop
making the instruments that have
been destroying us. They would
eventually put us out of business if
we continued making them"
Mr.. Petrillo said the federation
had considered making its own
records and transcriptions, but that
its lawyers had advised that the
AIM might be liable to prosecution
under the antitrust laws.
A spokesman for Decca, said in
New York that the company would
have no statement until it received
notification of the unions action
and had time to study it. The Radio
Manufacturers Association said
through its Washington Office it
would support other segements of the
affected industries in any move to
oppose the ban.
In Hollywood, the ban was greeted
by a mixed chorus from record in
terests with a refrain resembling,
"he can't do this to u.s."
Larry Crosby, brother-manager of
Singer Bing who is Decca's king
pin, said wryly: Maybe we'd bet
ter turn the country over to Pet
rillo-and let him handle every
thing"
The ban would affect Bing's radio
show, which is Transcribed, and his
record business, too, Larry acknowl-
edged, adding:
Frankly, we're looking to our
Government for assistance"
One spokesman identified with
a top recording company said,
We've been expecting this-the
whole industry has been recording
like crazy for several months. Well
probably keep right on until New
York's Eve"
Major companies could record
across the border in Mexico, then
ship master records back here for
pressing, said this same source,
who asked his name be withheld.
Sigmund Romberg, of New York,
president of the Songwriters' Pro-
tective Association, through which
the composers make contracts with
recording firms, could not be
reached for comment but others
associated with this phase of the
music business expressed surprise
at the action. One man said, lit
is inconceivable that the union
would prevent songWriters from
having their work placed on rec
ordS available to the public"
Will Hurt Singing Stars.
George Evans, public relations
man for Dinah Shore, Lena Horne.
Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington and
a number Of other top recording
stars, said in New York that the
musicians action 'eventually would
hurt the income of singing stars"
Mr.. Evans said that financially,
the average top radio stars-Sinatra,
Shore, Bing Crosby-have an in
come from royalty. on recordings
ranging between $150,000 and $780,
900 q year. For the time being a lot
of old recordings will be sold and in
come should not be hurt"
in addition, Mr. Evans said, many
singing artists have a backlog of
40 to go recordings which have not
yet been released to the public.
Describing recordings as "a major
part of the entertainment industry" :"
Mr. Evans estimated that $500 radio
disk jockeys, who act as masters-of-
ceremonies on record programs,
utilize an aggregate amount of time
far exceeding live broadcasting" and
in this way IAN artist can be before
his audience "a hours a day."