MUSICIANS OUT OF HARMONY

NZ Truth, Issue 1107, 17 February 1927, Page 6

MUSICIANS OUT OF HARMONY

Conductor and Publicity Director At Daggers Drawn

"He held the pistol at my head and threatened me with his terms, but when I pointed out to him that that would be a breach of his contract -of engagement, and that the whole proposition was impossible, he said no more about it and carried on m the old way." While m Canada, Hill was m the same position as any other member of the band, his salary being m arrear, but since he had been back m New Zealand he had received £75, which placed him m a better position than the others, with whom he had said he would stand m. The whole Canadian tour was a loss and the agreement was entered into with the C.P.R. m order to help the band out. He did not consider that Hill was personally responsible for the. money as he made out he was.

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The position was that he was jointly and severally responsible with Baile and Beacroft. The intentions of the band, if possible, were that they would return to Sydney, reorganise, and if Mr. Stewart m Canada could push on with the contracts for engagements the banb*. would return to Canada and discharge all its obligations. Questioned about finance where' Hill was concerned, Baile angrily remarked: "Hill has received from me £150 16s. since we arrived here, whereas my men have not received 150 pence. That j is the sort of man he is." Lawyer Thomas then opened a gruelling cross-examination. Counsel: So you did not like Hill's

action m ' Canada over this 10 per cent, demand you have told us about? —I did not. I thought then and do now that it was despicable. It savored more of blackmail thaif anything else. So you have not a good opinion of Hill? — No, my opinion of him ds not very high. Did you not tell Mr. Brbdie, of the C.P.R., that Hill was a blackguard and a crook?— Why should I? . Did you or did you not?— No, I did not tell him anything of the kind. THE SOFT ANSWER There was a lively exchange between counsel and Baile at this stage 'over what was actually said, and Baile — with a bland smile — turned, to counsel and began: "My dear fellow — " Lawyer Thomas just about hit the roof. "Don't you 'Dear fellow* me!Don't be so impertinent ! " , ■ "Very well, go ahead," was the soft answer. .',.'.' Counsel: Well, if you thought Hill was what you suggest he was, why did you not tell the C;P.R. your opinion of him?— l don't ' think the; C-P-R. knew what it was .doing m allowing Hill to get on with it. ; , "Why did you not tell the C.P ; R. what you thought? I see/Mr. Baile,' it was a case with you of getting away from Canada' at any cost," remarked counsel. ' ' , . , You were . stranded m Canada and you, signed the agreement ori the ground that you would sign anything to get away, eh? — No, I V don't think Hill made himself personally responsible for the- money. He shared the responsibility with me and Beacroft. You are quite aware that one of the inducements, held out to the C.P.R. to lend this money was .that Hill was to bring out to Canada a New Zealand band, and that he was to conduct your band when it returned to this Dominion to give him the added status for the tour? — He told me that. JAZZ ON BOARD ' But yoii have not allowed him to conduct your band once since you got back? — No, I don't 'think I would be doing the honest thing by the band or the people of New, Zealand m allowing him to conduct,, "And yet, you told the C.P.R. that you would let him conduct? •, .. . . ."■■ Counsel wandered away into some musical discussion on the points of a good conductor.. - This stung Baile to anger and he shouted from the box: "You don't know what you are talking about!" "No, I might not know much about music". Counsel started imitating 'the. playing of a wind instrument. "I might not know very much, but I should not want to go to a German brass band to learn, either," he retorted with some heat.

This jibe against "German brass bands" stung Baile to the quick, and Lawyer Hunter stepped into the breach with the outraged remark that the Australian combination was the finest m the. world. ••'•■'.. Lawyer Thomas: Has HHI ever conducted your band? — Yes, once on the boat In Jazz work. Baile volunteered the information that he had seen Hill conducting quartettes on the boat and he was not impressed. He did not think that Hill would make a suitable conductor for the Australian band. * Lawyer Thomas: Do you know that he is the conductor of the Waikato regimental band?— That may be so, but I have never seen a good regimental band yet. You haven't? What about some of the English regimental bands? — Oh, they are different. A BITTER PILL To the magistrate, Baile admitted that Hill had conducted the jazz music well. Coming to the row at Blenheim, Baile said that Hill had deliberately defied his instructions. He should have gone south to Timaru and Dunedin. . He finally terminated Hill's services, affirming that his contract had expired by^: effluxion of time, and that there was no breach of the Canadian agreement with the C.P.R. whatever. In this tale of -financial gloom v and bickering the information that ! the New Zealand tour was profitable shone like a beacon. , • ■ But Baile's woes were added to when the magistrate finally gave judgment against him for £56 ls. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Baile never turned a hair. Meanwhile, it is alleged, the bandsmen are still creditors for wages to the tune of £700. The next act m this musical comedydrama will; be staged, no doubt, when Sydney is reached. Will Baile and Beacroft have the cash to pay the band; and further, how will « the benevolent C.|P.R. fare? Time and Baile and Beacroft -^alone can tell. "A dem'd, damp, moist, -unpleasant bodyT' 7- y — Dickens, m "Nicholas Nickleby." Everybody knows what an unpleasant thing a' cold is. If you use- Baxter's Lung Preserver frequently, you need not worry about coughs and coldsor sore throats. This fine old tested remedy soothes chesth and throats, cuts phlegm, and is also an invaluable tonic. Famous fpr over a half -century. '. Obtainable at all chemists and stores. I Generous-sized, bottle 2s. 6d.*