THE WAIMATE ADVERTISERE TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1900.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 11, 26 June 1900, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISERE TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1900.

\- I FOR some twelve months past | the local band has been suffering from a decline, which at the present time threatens to become fatal. For some months practices were dropped altogether bnfc these have been taWa up again in connection with the Paace Demonstration. At a meeting on T ues Jay lasfc, it was resolved to call a meeting as soon as convenient, to consider the great question of " To be or not to be." As the band belongs to the public, we fuel it our duty to call their attention to this very unsatisfactory state of one of their public institutions, the blame for which, they — the public — should share equally with the band. During the past twelve months, the band has appeared in public twenty times, for only twg of which have they made a charge : For the sports £9, and for the show £5, a total of £14. ft is certainly not a businesslike proceeding for the t>and, holding as it does property worth £400, to place this- property and their own

services at the beck and call of everyone wanting them, and receive nothing in return. Of course for charitable objects they don't expect anything. The result of thia line of conduct has been a failure from two points of view ; the public have come to | look on the band as belfig at their beck and call on every occasion, requiring neither pay nor thanks, and the bandsmen themselves have become disheartened. Finding their services entirely unappreciated they have allowed the status of the band to fall very near the level of their average remuneration. The public of Wai mate must now face the question, and take action, or lose altogether a valuable town asset. Since the beginning of the war, on occasions when patriotism is running high, the necessity for a -good band is very plain. We have often before heard ihe proposal to import a band for K^ay discussed, but for many reasons we do not approve of this. For one thing, the Caledonian Society and the Agricultural and Pastoral Association i*re the Only bodies which could afford the £20 which it would co3t to get a band here for a day, and we very uanch doubt if either of these iiodies would care to spend that amount for this purpose. If T however, they did this, these two occasions would be the only ones in the year on which we would hear martial music. The town is quiet enough as it is, and the band must not be allowed to die, and must have new life infused into it. As a means to this end we won Id make suggestions to three portions of the corn in unity ; the first to the " Military," 1 and the second to the civilians. Waimate is getting quite a garrison, town now, with its Infanhy, iis Mounted Rifles, and its Cadofs. Parade* would be would be wonh calling by that name ff headed by ' a band. Anything worth having is worth paying for, and we thiuk that the le»st the two ofinlt corpscould do between them would ba to provide a free practising rojin, - and a few new uniforms. Both companies are procuring new uniforms shortly, and aa most of the bandsmen are mernbeis of ' one or othe' of the companies, it J would mean ordering a few extra • uniforms for the civilian mem- i bers. The general appearance of -, parades would more than com- - pensate for the expenses incurred. Our second suggestion is to - civilians. One reason for the j decline of the band is the want % of a conductor, Mr Harwood J having, we are sorry' to hear, | resigned from that position. A 1 good conductor is, essentiaUoal good band, and to get a good con- J ductor the best course to pnmiej| would be to induce a compeh-nil musician to take up his residence j in the town. Of course the band 1 would have to pay him, and toll enable them to do this, forty or m fifty of our leading reside;) tajj would have to become honordfgji members and pay a yearly subjj scription of a guinea for thatj | privilege. Surely we have thsM | number who could afford a guineafl a year for such a splendid. objeefcjH Then, thirdly, we would Uketjl remind bandsmen that /a fe9 I years ago the Waimate Band wagl ! not disgraced, although compefcinl] in a contest with bands \vhic|B have since proved themselves^ equal to the best bauds south o|9 the line,. There is not tb|S slightest why the band cannot bll as good, or better, now, thani|s was before. We hope to soe afl the old players join with De 9 arrivals in the place, and ral|B round tlie existing remnant, a D j9 let us once more be proad of ooffl Waimate Band, -9