CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2194, 26 October 1920, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

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(To the Editor.)

Sir. —‘‘Needs musl when the deyil drives,” but in this ease it is a bumble-footed, chin-wagging devil who provides an article ot onr (odder that drives, and to.give some ol Ids statements, i.e„ that Martin is writing the letters for the Bandmaster. the lie direct. Willi your permission, while on the subject I should like to say a word in regard to the Band. -To my mind the position is somewhat curious. Tin* Band holds the receipts for the instruments, but'being an unregistered body cannot elect their own trustees to hold any property on behalf of the Band; so that, 1 believe, is one reason why the Council were elected trustees, and another reason was in regard to the subsidy. Ho the best remedy is for the Band to organise and register under the Lne.lassilicd Societies Act, then they will be a legal body. In the meantime, as (lie Band is still in existence —tlie Foxlon Brass Band I rofer to —they can still hold tho- instruments. 1 may lie wrong. Seeing that the above Band refused to play in front of I lie Town Hall on certain nights, but seeing that the Council do not now run the pictures I should say that there is no need for it to carry out that part of the contract. Also why not play in front of the Royal Hall on the oilier nights. In most towns the proprietors engage the band, and pay them, so why not, let the Foxlon Brass Band make their own terms. Apart from that, I am sure they would help any deserving object voluntarily, as in the past. Like Saturday, when the Bandmaster shut his shop and played down the street with “his” Band, in order to help a certain cause. In the past it has always turned out, and on many occasions some of the members have lost time, which means wages, as the majority of (bom arc toilers who have to depend on their daily work for a living. Judging by the correspondence, (he Band—that is, “his” band, “my” hand, and the “Foxlon Brass Band" —is not a hapoy family. This is to he deplored, as dissension bring.-, n.--nowhere. Should the Band register, it will protect all hands, including the 'Bandmaster, for then he can uiilv he dismissed by vole oi the majority. But there is one question [ would like him to answer, lie said in reply to the Council, that lie did not think any good would come of it —that was, to discuss matters. Well, why not think the same all the lime, instead ol airing his \ie\\> through the “Herald.” If there is no sal is factory settlement, let flic Band put their ease to the public direct, and appeal to them to help out the whole Band on a satisfactory footing —uniforms, new in-iiu-

infills, ole., us the present ones are ilmnr worn out. in lamping with the suhjeet under dismission. I hank;ng von, Sir, for your spare.--! am. k " E. (i. martin.