CONSCIENCE AND £50.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 975, 16 November 1910, Page 5

CONSCIENCE AND £50.

SUNDAY BAND PERFORMANCES. ' FOR MONEY, OR FOR CHARITY? Under the terms of tho £50 subsidy ' which is paid by the Wellington City Council to tho five city bands—the Tramways, Garrison, Central Mission, Pipers', and Jupp's Bands —each band is required to give, during the year, eight open-air Sunday performances, ; and five week-night concerts, tho dates ■ and bandstands being allotted by the corporation. Hitherto the Central Misi sion Band has-been permitted to earn > its subsidy by giving week-night con- '• certs, but the corporation has given a i hint that tho specification with respect ■ to the eight Sunday .performances i should bo 'adhered to.' The' Mission \ Band is willing to meet the obligation > by giving at least eight Sunday afternoon performances in tho Hospital grounds, collections to bo taken up for ■ charitable objects. This has not.mot with the approval of tho other bands, and with tho object of urging tho claims of,.tho Mission Band, a very large deputation, representative of religious and charitable institutions, waited upon tho Finance Committee of the' council yesterday afternoon. Tho ■ principal speakers on behalf of the de- [. putation. were: the Revs. E. Blamires, of the Central Mission, A. Dewdney ; (Brooklyn Baptist Church), and Mr. H. ! N. Holmes, general secretary of tho ■ Y.M.C.A. The Case for the Band. Introducing the deputation the Rev. i Mr. Blamires said that the band had . given, hundreds of performances on , Sundays, and amongst these were to bo noted the charitable work that had , been done at tho hospital. According i to statistics supplied by Mr. G. Willis, - secretary of' the Hospital Board, t'h'o ; band had, during tho" last' five years, ; raised £115 ios.. 4d. in collections in - aid of the hospital, and to that sum was to bo added tho Government' subsidy of 245. in the £, or £138 18s. sd. i The other four bands, together, had in the samo'period raised £19 6s. Bd. in - Collections, and earned Government i subsidies totalling ■ £23 4s. , It would be very difficult, taking into consideration tho calls mado on the band on Sundays and other days, apart altogether from the series.'stipulated for by tho council, to comply with tho . request that eight Sunday performances should bo given under similar conditions to those under • which tho other . bands carried out their programmes, and ho hoped therefore that tho council would see its way to allow the Mission Band to arrange to give : tho eight Sunday performances at tho hospital only. If ! they were forced to play at Island Bay . or Lyall Bay, that would interfere with i their work at the hospital. Out of 240 • performances given by tho band last i year, there had been registered by somo '.of the members no fewer than 238 S attendances. Religious Scruples. [ ■ Speaking on behalf of tho -Wellington Ministers' Association, tho Rev. A. '■ Dewdney said that he was iu entire : sympathy with the request of .the band, ■ which had, in its chanable work at the hospital, very much more than paid i back what it had received by .way of • subsidy. It would bo an ofl'cnco to 1 their religious' scruples if they wcro ' asked to' give public performances on Sunday, except in" tho hospital grounds. \ Tho Mayor: If tho subsidy were withdrawn, would the band 'withdraw from ' tho hospital? Mr. Dewdney: Oh, no. Mr. H: N. Holmes said that tho council'should not insist upon an. obligation which trenched upon tho religious convictions and abiding faith of tho band. ' ■'■. ■ i ■ • "The Heathens of Lyall Bay." Councillor Fletcher asked how many performances the Mission Band had given ai'the hospital grounds in that five-year'period: ' ' Mr. Blamires replied that 1 35 had been given, averaging in earnings for charitable purposes about £6 for each performance. On the same basis of calculation, tho other hands had given about 8 or. 9 charity performances. The Mayor: Do you think that a four-fifths majority of the bands should settle the question? "Mr. Blamires: This is not a question for the bands, but for the council. Bandsman Evans, of the Tramways Band, said that. it was all very, well for the deputation to talk about religious scruples. The tramway men also might havo religious scruples, but they

could not afford to air them. It had been remarked that the Mission Band performances at tho hospital grounds were of the nature- of a religious service. • If that wcro so then there would bo more merit in that band giving a performance for the uplifting of tho heathens at' Lyall Bay. (Laughter.) Tho speaker objected to any distinctions between the character of their icspective Sunday programmes. If the pcrV formance was a service, it was a musi--2 cal service, as was that of the Tram- , ways Band. Tho real issue, continued ] the speaker, was a simple question of justice. Under existing- conditions, the ' members of tho Tramways Band were > tied down to every Sunday, either for s duty on the cars, or in the band, right e tip till March. IV tho Mission Band were compelled to take its share of publie performances on Sunday afternoons, a certain measure of relief' would be af- " forded the tramway men. a Mr. Blamires said that so far as the t object was a religions or charitable one, ; the band was prepared to go anywhere. n They objected to playing for money, or a swelling the tramway.traffic receipts. The Mayor: You'have missed the .1 point. The band would bo at liberty, r whether it played at Lyall Bay or anyt where else, under the auspices •of the ;, council, to take up a-collection and o hand it to charity, y Mr. Blamires: Is that so? i- The Mayor: W r hy not? The council , would not object, I am sure, f Tho deputation then withdrew, and o the matter was considered in commit- :- too.