Pudgy James Caesar Petrillo, boss of U.S. music, got the first real drubbing of his career. Last week a WLB panel urged that his A.F. of L. musicians be ordered to end their 19-month no-recording strike against R.C.A., Columbia and R.C.A.-Victor. It beat down all his objections with the fury of a kettledrummer in a Wagnerian climax.
The panel, by 2-to-1 vote, ruled that it had no power to compel the giants of the recording industry to pay $500,000 a year direct tribute to Petrillo's treasury (TIME, Oct. 11). Petrillo wants the money put into an unemployed musicians fund—which he alone...