MUSICIANS’ AWARD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 221, 18 August 1937, Page 8

MUSICIANS’ AWARD.

QUESTION OF EMPLOYER. BAND LEADER’S POSITION. “A lot of people have been giving themselves unnecessary anxiety,” remarked His Honour Mr Justice O’Regan in the Arbitration Court yesterday afternoon, when he was outlining the position of who was the employer under the "Wellington district performing musicians’ award, His Honour saying that the leader of the band or orchestra was the employer, not the hall committee or dance committee. The matter was raised by Mr S. I. McKenzie, who had previously appeared before the Court on behalf of a number of organisations which it had been desired to add to the award as parties, Mr McKenzie entered an objection to the application, and yesterday he drew the Court’s attention to what ho said was some confusion existing in the minds of a number of pei-sons about the matter of who was the employer of the musicians. _ His. Honour remarked that in Taranaki the Court had. given a written judgment on the subject, there being a number of dance committees and school committees which were alarmed as to possibly having to pay certain rates. The position was really very simple. They (the committees) did not employ the musicians direct. The committees made a contract with an individual and that individual employed the players. The bandsman, or band leader, was then the contractor to the committee. The question, being one of contract, the Court had no jurisdiction as to saying what should be the rate charged by the contractor to the committee in each case.