BANDS CONTEST

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 71, 24 March 1934, Page 14

BANDS CONTEST

CHRISTCHTJEGH VIEW

COMPLAINT ANSWERED

A denial that the conditions governing the running of the bands contest are too drastic was made by Mr. E. Palliser, president of tho New Zealand Brass Bands' Association when he was interviewed today in connection with the reported decision of the Christchurch Bands Contest Committee to make no application for the contest in 1935 on the ground that it was not to be granted a share in the profits.

Mr. Palliser. pointed out that the terms were practically the same as those accepted by the Christehurch committee for previous contests held in that city, except that the net profits, if any, were to be divided amongst the competing bands, and not. retained by the local contest committee as previously.

At the conference of the New Zealand Brass Bands' Association held in Dunedin in 1933, continued Mr. Palliser, a policy was adopted of taking part of the profits of band contests for the benefit of New Zealand bands, and this policy had to be pursued in every way possible by the management committee. Previously the association's .rules provided for a. fee of £50 for A and B grade contests, plus a portion of the profits not exceeding 50 per cent. The terms " submitted to Christehurch by the association were as follows:— (1) That payment of-£SO should accompany the application for the 1935 contest; (2) if the application was not granted the fee was to be refunded; (3) out of the net profits the association was to retain 10 per cent, only, the balance to be distributed by the association to the bands competing on a pro rata basis of 60 per cent, towards cost of transport, and the remaining 40 per cent, to be then, equally divided amongst all the bands participating in the contest. "SOME CONSIDERATION." The difference between the terms submitted for the 1935 contest and those previously accepted by the Christehurch committee was that the profits, if any, were for the benefit of the bandsmen competing, and were not to be. retained by the local committee, as had been the case at previous contests held in Christehurch- and elsewhere. "Surely," said Mr. Palliser, "the bands taking part in the contest should be shown some consideration, more especially in view of the expenses the bands have to incur to enable them to take part. If a contest shows a profit such "profit should be allocated towards the cost of defraying at least part of the expenses incurred by the bands." In the past, he said, there had been many instances of- substantial profits from contests being distributed amongst associations and. individuals that really had no claim whatever to the-; profits. At the conclusion of one contest substantial donations were" made to Boy Scouts, the St. John Ambulance, the Primary Schools' Musical Association, the Male Voice Choir, and the Choral Society. The bands who actually made the contest found very great difficulty in raising their travelling expenses, and received nothing from the profits. ' NOMINAL PRIZES: For many years, he continued, it had been the policy of contest committees to offer large money prizes for the purpose of inducing bands from all parts of the Dominion to compete: In good times that policy was quite all right, but it involved-the obtaining: jof.guar? antees to ; the. extent -of o-four" rfigures. The bands themselves were the first to realise the difficulty of finding guarantors in times of depression, and they were quite willing to participate for nominal prizes on .the understanding that the profits of thecontest would be fairly distributed amongst those, taking part. This was very clearly indicated at the fecent contest in Wellington, when the prize money offered was the lowest on record for championship contests. The final point which the association wished,to make was,that every consideration should be given to the competitors, who ma.de great sacrifices in attending contests.