UNFAIR PLAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1150, 10 June 1911, Page 5

UNFAIR PLAY.

MUSICIAN AND CIVIL SERVANT. COMPETING roil ENGAGEMENTS. Following upon tho statement mad® at a bankruptcy meeting in Wellington on Thursday last, when the bankrupt, Mr. E. J. King assorted that tho Goverumont officials had been allowed to accept engagements to play at Government Housa functions, a Dominion reporter mado soma inquiries yesterday with tho object of ascertaining to what extent the allegation was justified. "It is perfectly true," replied a wellknown player, in answer to a question by tho reporter. "Whenever a string band is required for a Government function, Mr. (naming tho gentleman in question) who works in tho Department, is given the job of supplying tli« music, and his bands are mostly mado up of Civil Servants. Civil Servants are not supposed to lake outsido work, but hero is a caso which shows that tho rule is very slack. How can we coliipote against this sort of thing'( When tho matter was mentioned to the Department concerned wo were told that Mr wua a casual employee only. That may bo so. but ho has been eight years in tha Department. lloro is another pomt:fl * vc <? R Ul " u ° ff if "• band is wanted m tno afternoon." reporter 0 " qU ' to 6Ur ° of that? ftskcd tha "Certain," was the reply. "Tho thins \as getting so strong that wo mado up a deputation to tho Hon. G. Fowlds tbo by Mr AT'laren 'ti, introclu, »d /y Air, m i,aien. Iho Minister promised. to do what ho could for Mnt ™ interview!" 660 M ' LaTen ab ° u t tko Accordingly, the reporter looked up Mr ln',.= are "' nnd asked for particulais concerning the interview Mr M Lurch explained that tho interview was ? Pn™l° °»V™ d ho was not at liberty to discuss I. tho details of tho proceeding sa d was. To bppn ir n iV s I m I rtlc ? l . nr complaint had ween biought under his notice, and nt tho request of the musicians, ho had ina dc ? utat l lo, l to tho for Lducat on and put the facts of tho caw kfnr tl 'n'rV), y Po l", t - 0d out lo tho Min " ™ r t? at ,h« competition complained of IkLS m 1 T; onc " SJ(lc(1 - It was clearly cJi - rc - Wfts no desiro on tho I ? f t. 1 ' 6 musicians earning a livelihood playing engagements to unduly persocuto the Government officials conccrncd All they desired was that it should bo GUgpsjou to thcEo conccrncd tlmt they should desist from this unfair competition. Mr. M'Laren added that steps were now being taken to form a union to protect tno interests of working musicians, and' a meeting would bo held on Sunday morning to discuss tho matter. In this step they were merely following the examplo of musicians in Australia. The advantage of a union would be that competition of the kind complained of would not bo permitted, and a general sealo of fees laid down, thus preventing under-cutting— a practice which had been complained of in tho past.