A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN INVESTIGATION (NOTE. These exhibits are on file with the United States Senate Subcommittee 1. Articles of association of Associated Musicians of Greater New York, and application for affiliation with American Federation of Musicians, issued August 2. Application for membership Associated Musicians of Greater New York, 3. Articles of association and bylaws of the Associated Musicians of Greater in accordance with the decision of the convention held in Los Angeles, Calif., 5. Constitution and bylaws and standing resolutions of the American Federa- tion of Musicians of the United States and Canada, as amended and adopted at the thirty-eighth annual convention held at Chicago, Ill., June 19, 1924, printed 6. Photostats of audit by certified public accountants of books of account of Local 802, Associated Musicians of Greater New York, for the year ending Decem- INVESTIGATION OF SO-CALLED "RACKETS" WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1934 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE INVESTIGATING RACKETS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2.30 p.m., in the committee room of the Capitol, Washington, D.C., Senator Royal S. Copeland (chairman) presiding. Present: Senator Copeland (chairman), Senator Murphy, and Col. F. S. Hutchinson, chief of investigation. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. We had a meeting of this committee, a subcommittee of the Committee on Commerce, and arranged to investigate kidnaping and racketeering. We have had meetings on this subject in New York. Incidentally, in the meetings in Chicago and Detroit a good deal was brought out on this subject. In the New York meeting it developed that there is tremendous criticism on the part of members of various internationals, particularly in the building trades, about the lack of autonomy and the failure of the members of unions to have their grievances aired and properly dealt with. As put by the witnesses the kick-back has become an evil which has crept into our industrial life. I assume that that time is understood. A contractor promises the prevailing wage and then secretly takes back a part of that daily wage. We have before us today a. complaint made by the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local No. 802, of the American Federation of Musicians. This complaint which is made here—and I am saying these things for the record in order that those who read it may understand what we have in mind-the complaint made by this local union is similar to the complaints that we have had from other meetings. As I understand the organization of labor, the American Federation is the general body which has to do with the upbuilding of the interests of the working men in the United States. If I am correctly informed, that organization has nothing to do with the details of operation of the local unions and has no authority over the matter of wages and conditions of labor except so far as they are general and are dealt with in that way by the federation. The local union is affiliated with the international and the claim is made that the officers of each branch of the international is selfperpetuating; that there is no democracy in the selection of their officers, and that in consequence a continuing body has charge of the welfare of the members of the union. I think the statement I make is 8135-34-VOL 2, PT 1— -1 1 |