THE CITY’S BAND SUBSIDY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8352, 12 February 1913, Page 9

THE CITY’S BAND SUBSIDY

To the Editor “N.Z. Times.” Sir. —I am writing to you for the purpose of showing the public of Wellington how the \V atersiders’ Band has been treated with regard to the city subsidy. -In the first place, we made an application for the subsidy in the usual way, but it was defeated on the casting vote of the Mayor (Mr McLaren). After this, there were several letters in the press dealing with the question,. and as a result of this, X waited on the town clerk, Mr Palmer, and discussed the matter with him. The result of the interview was that the band should play a programme ef music at Newtown Park, and a kind of judgment was to be passed on the .band as to its abilities. The band fell in with the town clerk’s suggestion and played its programme, but Mr Palmer fed me to believe that there was no trial performance at all, but if the band played its programme tho band would tlien bo included in too schedule. Since then we have recsi red a communiation from tho town clerk enclosing Mr Maughan Barnett’s report. In the report Mr Barnett says that the band has possibilities, but in his opinion the band is not quite yet worthy of the council’s subsidy. Now, the funny part of this business is this: In the first place the band was formed six months ago, and I take it that the idea of the city subsidy was to encourage young bands to play music in the city parks, etc. Secondly, since we got our final notice from the council the band has had applies lions from a good number of public bodies for its services free, notably, Citv Sports’ Carnival (which is signed bv the Mayor himself), Zoological Sol ciety, Hospital Board (for which the band is turning out on Sunday next), and a good number of other bodies. The band has also played at Day s Bay for the Ferry Company, and lias given satisfaction to the management. The band is also at the disposal of any body of citizens who are getting up anything for a charitable purpose,. I may men tion in this connection, that wo have several cases in hand at present. Seeing that wa are * vonng band, and the body of men wo represent have gone to a lot of expense to provide music, not onlv for themselves, but for the whole of the city, and taking also into consideration that we directly represent bv far more citizens than any band in Wellington, 1 think the band deserves better treatment at the hands of our citv fathers. —I am, etc., W. H. DOUGLAS, Bandmaster Watersiders’ Baud. "Wellington, February 11th.