BANDS AND SUNDAY CONCERTS.

Southland Times, Issue 18860, 28 June 1920, Page 2

BANDS AND SUNDAY CONCERTS.

To the Editor. Sir, —Again I am compelled to crava sufficient space to reply to ah effusion on fhe above subject by a correspondent signing himself W. Hardy. Like your other two correspondents “Tweedledum” and “Taurus,” ;Mr‘ Hardy is highly indignant at my to the Ministers’ Association as a wowseristic body. Now sir, as Mr Hardy says “I am young and innocent,” and when I used the word wowseristic I didn’t think it would become the bombshell your correspondents have made of it. However for Mr Hardy’s information I might state that I approached one of our legal people during the week and asked for a definition of the word wowser, as I have not been long enough on this cold clammy earth to understand its meaning myself. The reply I got was: “That a wowser is a being who hates to see other people enjoying themselves, is a killjoy, ever on the alert to compel others to his way of thinking and a meddler in the cause of freedom generally.” Now Mr Hardy I am well aware that the Ministers’ Association is composed of cultured, refined and intellectual gentlemen, and as such,, and in their individual capacities, I will not take second place to you in my respect for them, no matter what denomination they belong to, but when they combine, and as a combination endeavour to foist their ideas on everyone else by stopping every little innocent pleasure we have, even to the bands playing on Sunday evenings, then I kick, as any other broadminded man should do. However, enough about the Ministers’ Association. I am sorry they are not on our side. If they were I am sure we would soon shake the old Council up. Mr Hardy refers to the Wanganui Band, and says that they may pay their conductor ££so a year, but that is too large a sum for any of our local bands to pay. Might I ask him why? He says Wanganui plays at important contests and must have an expert conductor. He evidently doesn’t think that the local bands also play at important contests, and at the last Dunedin contest, which was one of the most important yet held in the Southern Hemisphere, the great Wanganui Baud were beaten intone selection and for music on the 'march by one of the local bands, but then of course Invercargill is not Wanganui and it would be impossible to give the local bands the same support as the northern town, for those in authority are composed of a different kidney to the northerners. Mr H. says; “Sunday belongs to the worshippers of the town.” Ye gods and little fishes, this is the first time ' 1 have heard of Sunday belonging to any one particular section of the people. I wonder what the poor non-worshippers do with themselves on Sunday. I guess if Mr Hardy and his friends had their way, these poor unfortunates would bury themselves in their and wait anxiously for Monday morning till their daily toil brought them relief. Now you councillors, I appeal to you in the name of humanity to come to the rescue of these poor unfortunates, throwing open your theatre and reserves so that these poor misguided creatures may at least spend a little bit of Sunday in a Christian like manner, by listening to good music for an hour and a half. I am sure Mr Hardy, who must be a thorough Christian, will grant us that small piece out of his, and his fellow worshippers’ day. Thanking you for space, —I am, etc., DISGUSTED BANDSMAN. June 27.