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)

MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES 2355 delegates, which was in effect an open fornni of the lA for discussion of all matters affecting the alliance, including tlie question of the 2-ijercent assessment. After several hours of discussion on these matters the delegates voted to adjourn the session and ever.vone agreed that the matter was closed. It is the considered opinion of the general executive hoard that no good can come to the alliance by trying to reopen it now. President Walsh is giving the alliance strong leadership and at the same time is maintaining a greater degree of democracy than we have ever had before. He is succeeding in his endeavors to undo the harm that has been done to our alliance but liis task is being made innneasurably harder by those who would seek to capitalize on our past misfortune. Our members should recall his closing words to the 11)42 convention in Columbus when he said : "I came to this convention not knowing just what was going to happen, but I came in with the thought in mind that we would go out of here with a clean slate and start off anew. Anything that happens from now on we, tlie ollicers of the alliance, are responsible for; we, the officers of the alliance, will have to answer for." For what has happened in the past we must all take our own measure of responsiltility, l)ut for what has happened since November !). 1!)41, when President Walsh was elected, we, tlie officers, are making no apologies. In an organization such as the I A the confidence of the meml)ership in its officers is a prerequisite to its success. Those who seek to undermine the contidence of the membership in their officers are working for the destruction of the alliance. In this connection may we again quote President Walsh and ask you to give serious considei'ation to the closing words of his report to our recent St. Louis convention. He said : "Lt»ok with suspicion on thctse who seek to plant the seeds of discord within our ranks !)y attempting to divide us liy ranging group against group. That way lies the road to disaster and disintegration. Now is the time to close ranks and solidify our position, to rededicate ourselves to the principle on which the alliance was founded and adherence to which has made it great — the simple, old adage of "one for all and all for one.' If we do this, nothing will be able to destroy the alliance, which means so nuich to us and our loved ones." The Browne-Kiolf incident in the life of the lA is closed. It is imjierative to the interests of the future of the alliance that the public be permitted to forget it. It is expected that this official declaration by the executive board will end this matter for good. General Executive Board: Richard F. Walsh, International President; Harland Holniden. First Vice President; William P. Covert, Second Vice President: Floyd M. Billingsley, Third Vice President; James J. Brennan, Fourth Vice Pi-esittent : R. M. Kennedy, Fifth Vice President; Felix D. Snow. Sixth Vice President: Carl G. (^ooper. Seventh Vice President : W. C Barrett. Eighth Vice President; Louise Wriglit, Ninth Vice President; Louis Knmse, General Secretary Treasurer. Now, I brin^ this to your attention, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, because the lA makes the very definite charge that the purpose of Mr. Sorrell in continnino; his attacks upon the lATSE with respect to the history of Browne and BiofF, is not done because he knows or has any proof or believes that there is racketeerinjj in the lATSP^ since November 1941, but because of malice in a desire to continue the turmoil in studio labor. While the convention felt in that declaration which I read to you that the Browne-Bioff incident ought to be closed and it ouo;ht not again to be rehashed in public view, I urged upon Mr. Walsh and he gladly consented that no congressional committee can properly investigate this situation unless we were willing to open the whole thing up; if there is anything wrong in the I ATSE under the present administration we want to know it so tliat we can clean it up. One thing more about that incident, and I say this because I am a lawyer.