Jurisdictional disputes in the motion-picture Industry : hearings before a special subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Eightieth Congress, first-session, pursuant to H. Res. 111 (1948)

282 MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES "]Mr. Birthright's statement to me makes it perfectly clear what the committee meant by the December directive. He and his colleagues meant that the building of sets belonged to the carpenters, the painting of sets belonged to (he painters, the putting up and taking down of sets belonged to the lATSE. "'Now, historically what was the lATSE?' That was the exact phrasing of Birthright's question. He said, 'It was a stagehands' union. In the days before the motion picture, shows traveled from city to city. The scenery traveled with the sliow. It was taken off the train, transported to the theater and handed over to the stagehands. Now, the stagehands simply took it, already built and painted, and put it up in the theater. And when the show was over, they took it down again. " 'Now, when the motion pictures came along, the job of the stagehands remained essentially the .'-ame. The carjientere^ built the scenery. Painters painted it. The stagehands put it up and took it down. It was upon this basis that we wrote our December award.' " Is that a correct statement ? Mr. Birthright. That is substantially correct; yes. Mr. McCann. Now, I want to read the other statement that has been Mr. DoHERTY. May I submit this observation, Mr. Chairman? Mr. McCann. Yes. Mr. DoHERTY. During our investigation out here in December of 1946, Mr. Chairman — or 1945 — we took no testimony whatsoever from any member of the Catholic Church, and we do not now understand how the Catholic Church becomes involved in this jurisdictional disI)ute in Hollywood, and I say that as a member of the Catholic faith. Mr. McCann. My friend, as a member of the Protestant faith, we think the Catholics also have a right to be interested in public affairs, and, in Father Dunne appearing before us, we assumed that he appears as a witness representing the welfare of the community. We are not hearing him as a representative of the church, but as a citizen interested in public affairs, and I think, as a Catholic, you wouldn't object to our doing it. Mr. DoiiERTY. I have no objection whatsoever. I merely express the opinion that it was with deep regret that Father Dunne didn't appear before our committee when we were out here. Mr. McCann. He was here for 2 years this last time, and that is perhaps the reason he didn't appear. Now, I am not asking Father Dunne whom he represents, because I believe every citizen has a right to come before a congressional committee and to petition that committee and to express his views, and I am quite sure that no one, no matter what his faith is, will object to any intelligent person doing so. IVIr. DoHERTY. Mr. Chairman and counsel, I shall never in my lifetime challenge that prerogative of an American citizen, and 1 hope that the Congress of the United States continues that philosophy. My only point that I am making here now is that Father Dunne or no representative of the Catholic Church appeared before our committee in 1945. Mr. McCann. May T read this statement to you now? After the statement which I have already quoted, Father Dunne testified, Mr. Birthright immediately went on to say :