PRESTO
AN ILLUMINATING DOCUMENT
Report of the President of the Piano, Organ and Musical Instrument Work=
ers of America, Giving an Account of His "Stewardship," Which
Must Be of Peculiar Interest to AH Trade Readers.
The following report of Chas. A. Dold, of the
l'iano, Organ & Musical Instrument Workers'
Union, will prove of interest to every employer in
the field of music industry and trade—every em-
ployer in whatsoever trade or industry. This re-
port was made on the occasion of the convention of
the musical instrument workers last August. It is
given here in full, with the exception of several par-
agraphs which had to do with the re-establishing
of the monthly paper which was edited by Mr. Dold
several years ago and was discontinued by resolu-
tion of the union; a paragraph about the feasibility
of establishing an "international piano factory"; a
reference to the political affiliations of the unions;
and the concluding remarks of Mr. Dold in which
an eloquent peroration was devoted to expressions
of his appreciation of the manner in which his fol-
lowers had sustained his efforts.
Nine years have elapsed since the delegates of the
Piano, Organ and Musical Instrument Workers last
met in convention. Nine years, during which the
World War for Democracy was fought and ended.
Nine years reminiscent with abuses, coercion and
oppression n f l h e workers of the musical instrument
industry. Nine long years.
History Making Unrest.
The world-wide unrest of the workers, the daily
history making unrest, is as keenly perceptible with-
in the ranks of our fellow workers as within the
ranks of any other trade or calling. There is per-
haps no trade where the workers, their wives and
their families have suffered more at the hands of
money-mad and unscrupulous employers than those
employed in the musical instrument industry, be it
in factory or wareroom. For nine years they have
tolerated the iniquities imposed by the employer
with but here and there a voice of protest. For
nine years they have permitted their innocent chil-
dren to feel the lash of their employers' greed. As
the years rolled on, however, the murmurs of discon-
tent became more and more emphatic. A demand
for action was heard on many sides. The non-union
man as well as the union man shared in this demand.
The call for a convention was the result.
At this writing the entire musical instrument in-
dustry is seething with unrest. It is for you, fellow
delegates, to devise ways and means which will in
no uncertain manner stop the avarice and greed of
our employers which has pauperized the worker and
made millions for the employer.
During these nine years, excepting the last two or
three years, no improvement can be recorded as far
as the worker's conditions are concerned. Lack of
organization made the employer master of the sit-
uation, to do as he pleased, to pay wages as he saw
fit, to work as many hours as his interests asked for.
At no time were the interests of the worker given
even the slightest consideration.
Changes Come.
Within the last three years things began to change
due to the great World War, which drew from the
industrial field thousands upon thousands of our best
and most able workmen. Help became scarce. The
bosses began to dicker with individuals in matter of
wages—something heretofore unheard of. In iso-
lated groups, workers made demands for additional
pay, and some were granted. These demands were
granted not because of the good will of the employ-
er, but because of force of circumstances. If the
employes had only had the courage to organize as
our fellow workers departed for the fields of battle
in foreign lands; if they had then organized to do
battle for democracy at home, we would be able to
relate a different story at this writing. The inherent
fear, the doctrine of master and man of the medieval
nge, made cowards of the workers, and the bosses
though sorely pressed, triumphed in their campaign
of greed. However, I believe the day of reckoning
is at hand. Upon all sides we hear the call, "Or-
ganize."
Let the worker come into his own I feel that if
this convention legislates judiciously, a 100 per cent
organization of our workers will soon be had. This
will mean hapoy homes, happy childhood, happy
famines. It will mean the long deferred indepen-
dence for the musical instrument workers.
Organization.
Organization efforts cost money, and while it is
true that from past wages it was almost impossible
for the worker to contribute any large amount to the
unicn. it was equally true that a 100 per cent organ-
ization has given to the worker a more than 100 per
cent return upon his investment. Arrangements
should be made whereby an active organizing cam-
paign mieht be inaugurated which will embrace every
nook and corner
of the United States and Canada
wherever p ; ano organ and musical instruments may
lie manufactured.
While you a<"e considering the weal and woe of
the worker of the musical instrument industrv, cop-
ies of the second issue of the rejuvenated Journal
will be submitted for your approval. By a vote of
the International Executive Board, held at Pitts-
burgh, Pa., in July, 1919, which vote was later ap-
proved by a referendum of our members, it was
decided to republish the Journal, providing a suffi-
cient number of subscribers could be had to make
the venture a financial success. Complying with
these decisions, I at .once communicated with all
affiliated local unions, requesting them to take up
subscriptions for the proposed Journal so an early
republication might take place. The result of these
solicitations for subscriptions netted in round num-
bers, about 400 subscribers—not sufficient to pay the
cost of printing of the first issue.
Believes in Journal.
The writer believes that the need of a trade jour-
nal is an absolute necessity. The writer bases this
opinion on the fact that when publication of our
former journal ceased, the membership began to fall
off. While I do not want to assume that the loss of
membership at that time was due to the discontin-
uance of the Journal, I fully believe that the stop-
page of the only means of communication with our
members played an important part. Being firmly
convinced of the beneficent effect the publication of
a trade journal will have on our organization, I
respectfully recommend for serious consideration of
the delegates the adoption of an amendment to our
Constitution providing for compulsory subscription
to the Journal at a rate of $1 per year. I further
recommend that $1 of the initiation fee of new appli-
cants be set aside as Journal subscription.
Piece Work and Contract System.
The greatest curse of any industry is the piece
work and contract system. They are used by the
employer as a means to wring from the worker
every ounce of vitality at the lowest possible cost to
the employer.
England and Germany have long since recognized
these systems as the musical instrument industry's
greatest evils. They have succeeded in their abolish-
ment through constant, systematic and energetic
work. Piece work and contract system do not exist
in the musical industry of England and Germany.
The abolishment of these great evils was not accom-
plished without struggle. Time and time again were
the workers up in battle array against the effort of
the organized employers on these propositions. Only
recently an effort was made by the organized em-
October 16, 1920.
ployers of the musical instrument industry of Eng-
land to again substitute piece work and bonus system
for the prevailing day work plan. It necessitated a
strike of twelve weeks to convince the bosses of the
error of their way. 1 am happy to report that our
fellow workers of England won an unqualified vic-
tory. They returned to their work, with the day
work system fully maintained.
The efforts of our workers should be directed to-
ward the immediate abolishment of the piece work
and contract systems. To continue these systems
means to assist the employer in using the human
being—the strength of the worker—as a means to
satisfy his greed for gold. The contract system,
above all, should be eliminated at once at all hazard,
as nothing is more dangerous in industrial life than
the contract system.
I recommend that a camoaign to eliminate the
contract and piece work system be started at once
inaugurated with the setting of a day, say October
1, 1921, when the workers of the musical instrument
industry shall refuse to work except on systems
adopted by our English and German fellow workers
—the day work system.
Universal Wage.
A universal wage—a minimum wage—a wage set
by the worker, and not by the bosses, should char-
acterize the future of the musical instrument indus-
try. Who has a better right to set a price for labor
than he who performs it? Who is more competent
to judge and understand the fairness of a wage
than the worker himself? Wages must be adequate.
Wages must be sufficient not only to permit the
worker to eke out a bare existence, but to permit
him to enjoy life as nature and honest mankind in-
tended he should.
Adequate wages, just wages, will never be the
worker's lot as long as he permits the employer to
be the judge. Years and years of evidence have
proven this to be an indisputable fact. The employer,
wherever and whenever possible, sets the wages of
the worker at the lowest possible minimum. He not
only sets a low minimum, but he differentiates be-
tween workers and workers. He may employ two
men at like work, both producing the same amount,
but still pay them different wages. Employers in
one town or city pay different wages for the same
work in factories owned by them in other towns
or cities. One case in particular, which came under
our observation, was where a firm operated two
piano factories in two different cities about twenty-
eight miles apart, both factories making identical
styles of pianos, the one factory, however, being
organized and the other not. Lo and behold! What
was the result? The one factory worked ten hours
per day and the other, nine. In one factorv. the
organized factory s the workers received about 25 per
cent more for their work than did the workers in
the unorganized factory. This goes to show that the
(Continued on 'page 10.)
FEATURING REPUBLIC ROLLS IN OHIO
Yahrling & Rayner,'of Youngstown, Ohio, used a
distinctive new way of presenting Republic player
rolls during the recent convention of the Ohio Piano
Trade Association in that city. The original Lib-
erty Bell which is the trade mark of the Republic
player product, has been used to splendid advantage,
and combined with the playerpiano and a number of
the Republic player rolls, made a window of great
sales possibilities.
Yahrling & Rayner also introduced in the same
window the newest addition to the playerpiano fam-
ily, the playerpiano phonograph. This can be seen
at the extreme left in the illustration. Dealers at-
tending the convention have undoubtedly carried
home with them the spirit of progressiveness of both
the Yahrling & Rayner Company and the Republic
Player Roll Corp.
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