THE CONFERENCE OF MUSICIANS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 103, 24 January 1908, Page 9

THE CONFERENCE OF MUSICIANS.

MR. T.K. SIDEY'S BILL AMENDED. > A SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION. - The of Musicians 'was continued in tho Concert Chamber of the Town Hall yesterday. The wliolo of tho forenoon was devoted to tho consideration in committeo of Mr. T. K. Side.v's: Musicians Rill' of last session. ' Finally, in tho afternoon, the Bill was roportod with various amendments, of which tho principal -were as follow: —To the' number of societies whose membors aro to be entitled to liavo their names inserted 011 the register under tho proposed Act aro tho ..Wellington and Hawke's l)ay Societies. Application for registration must 1 be mado within six months after the passing'of the Bill instead, of within nine months. The first annual meeting of tho Council is to be held in' such district as tho • Council shall determine,, and subsequent annual meotings aro to bo dealt with and arranged for bv the Council at each' annual meeting. ; The .headquarters of tho Society arc to ho' nt Wellington. ITIIO annual Conference of members of the Society Is to be held immediately following the annual meeting'oF tlie Council. The I following clauses were deleted from tho Bill: —; . examinations in the practice and theory of music, shall bo conducted in at least nil the four cities of Auckland, Christchurch, Dunodin, and 'Wellington; all'-members" of tho Society shall bo entitled to describe themselves as such, and shall be entitled to use after their names tho letters J Keg. Mus.' or ' I.S.M.' respectively." ' The certificate to 'bo' issued"to- ihembers : (at" one giiinoa) is to clearly sot forth tbo wholo of i;ho subjects considered by tho Council that the liolder is competent to teach.. To the form of. application for membership was added: the following:—"I declare tiiat I cam my ; .living entirely by tho practice of music either alone or with such other subjects its arc necessary to the proper .equipment of a musician.'. When tho Bill was reported some doubt was displayed as to tho proper procedure to follow. Mr.. Mackintosh moved that it he formally read ii third time. So far debate upon its provisions, ho said, had been in committee, and discussion therefore had not been reported by the. Press. He had something to say as to why ho would not support the Bill. ■ Tho mooting decided to allow Mr..Mackintosh to stato his views.

Mr. Mackintosh said that, though at present ,he seomod to tie on the unpopular side, time would prove - who -worn in tho Sinco he jvas no).-a delegate of .any society he had not had an' opportunity' of. voting, therefore he wished to liavo bis views recorded. Ho declared the Conference was lion-rcpresentativo when it camo to the passing of tho Bill through Parliament for the giod of the musical profession. (Cries of dissont.) He was .quite prepared to -be told ho;was WTOII2. ; .' A. member pointed out that delegates from all the four centres \in.d elsoThere •_ were present. Tho meeting wai representative. Mr. Jlackintosli': " I merely inaile a bald statement, and 1 wisli'to prove-it." There were, say, 5000 peoplo in Wellington learning music, and thero were 00!.) teachers. Suppose they allotted thirty pupils to each of tho thirty teachers represented at tho meeting, it mado 900 pupils.' That loft 570 teachors with '1100 pupils not'provided for.. "So far as you are concerned, they can go. to Hades," said tho speaker. (Laughter.) " And that is practically, the meaning of the Bill." Parliamentarians' were amenable to votes, and anyono; could see what would result in this direction immediately tho facts lie had stated reached tho public. There were a number of teachers'in AVclling-. ton for whom ho had a lot of syiaipatliy, lxv- ; cause lie knew that they filled their'proper' placo ill tho educational statilsv and lie sympathised with the <1000 pupils. There mrist be a placc for beginners. There, were tbpso pupils, including tho young, whom it would'lks a waste of timo for'tea'ebers at tlio top to spend instruction upon. AVhen members of Parliament bail this aspect of the question placed before tlieni they would'be ainena,blo to tho larger number of votes. Ho was suro ; that the Bill would not pass. Would it bo unprofessional" on his part if ho undertook to givo the Dominion information and hoi]) to work up tbo matter l : or the protection of those ho bad mentioned? , A'oices: "Yes. ; . •.Mr. Mackintosh: AVell, I am glail you say that, because, that should go to tho Press, too. ' . ' A 'delegate said that this would go forth as a specimen of the way the musicians conducted their meetings. Mr. Mackintosh was not a dclegnto, ami he had no right practically to nddress .tho meeting. Tho chairman said that anyono present hail a right to speak. The meeting had. decided also that llr.'-Mackintosh could state his views. '• ■ Mr. Mackintosh was allowed to proceed, hilt only added that, lie know 'his remarks would not please. ', The Bill would load tho musical profession downwards. Finally the Dill was passed'amidst applause, "and it was resolved, "That provided .that the measure does not hecomo law for 1909, that another conference he held in another city than Wellington in January, 1909, either for social, educational, or legislative ipurposes." It was then resolved that tho next conference bo held at Auckland. A resolution was carried that is copy of tlio amended Bill he sent to Mr. T. K. Sidoy, M.l'. It was decided that, tho AVellington Council of the Society no.t as tho executive until the passing of the. Bill. Mr. L. AVatkins (AA'ellington) remarked that though tho local Society hacl opposed the measure iii'tho first instance, they would be loyal and assist as desired by tho majority. (Applause.) Votes of thanks to tho Mayor and City Council for tho use of the Hall, and to the (.•Ifairman (carried to .the tune of "He's a jolly good fellow"), concluded tho Conferoncp. ' On the motion of Mr. AVebbe (Auckland), tho following resolution was carried:—That the Conference here represented use all possible influence on the newspaper proprietors to engage competent critics to criicise musical recitals, concerts, etc., instead of sending general reportors to write thein up.