BOROUGH BAND AND COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2200, 9 November 1920, Page 3

BOROUGH BAND AND COUNCIL.

A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION

The long-standing dispute between the Borough Council and the local brass band concerning (be ownership of the band instruments appears to have been arnica,lily settled at hist night's Council meeting, when a deputation from rhe Band, consisting of Messrs •!. Newth, Colder, Aitcheson, ami Harold Graham, accepted the Council's invitation mid attended the Council meeting for the purpose of discussing the finest ion with the Mayor and Councillors.

The Mayor snid lie ivas glad the (h')nitJition had come along, end fell sure that some agreement would lie arrived at. Personally, lie was ((idle willing that Ihe domicil should assist lac Band provided some saii,..factory working basis could he come 10. He read I lie agreemeni

digued bv three members of the Band in 19.1 1, agreeing to reinrn the instrumenls lo the Council when tailed upon. Mr Xewth said that Ihe limliTiincuts were only vested in the Council as trustees. An earlier agreement than the one read by the Mayor made (his (piile dear, hut im i'orlunalely I lie agreement had been lost.

There was some discussion on the (|iu‘stion of ownership or trusteeship, but no final decision could be arrived at.

Me Aitehisou said that Baud members wauled that body put on a proper basis. I bey would be piepared to carry on as a borough baud provided it was a properly constituted one. Otherwise they wanted tO( form a citizens’ band.

’Mr bolder said that at the present time there yvere three factions in the Band —one which favoured a borough baud, one a citizens’ band, and the other—-and this was probably the strongest —favoured “no band at all.” Tt appeared to him the Band was on the point of dissolution. If the Band did disband lie favoured the instrumenls being banded to the Council. There was a desultory discussion, Councillors generally .favouring the prop**." al tor Ibe Council lo forego any claim they might have on the instruments and allowing the Baud to work out its own salvation. In re-' ply to the Mayor, Mr Bolder said if Ibis were done be would do his best to organise a live'baud. It was eventually decided, on the motion of Cr. McMurray, that the Council resign the trusteeship of the baud instruments, and that the instruments be handed over to the Band, provided that the Band becomes a properly registered body.