BAND MUSIC AND THE SABBATH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 230, 25 September 1908, Page 6

BAND MUSIC AND THE SABBATH.

CTTY COUNCIL'S ATTITUDE.. REVERSED. A WARM DISCUSSION. IHE VOTING EVEN. Nearly an hour and a half of the time of ihe City I mmc-il was consumed last ni_"ut in an involved discussion arising from fcveral requests from bands that Ihfv .-honid be allowed to play in Albert I.irk on Sunday. The Newton Brass Band asked permission to u.-r Albert Park some, Sunday afternoon as they wished to do somet'iin_ for an injured bandsman who had ;,n ai'lins wife. The Secretary of the Auckland <~irrison Band renewed the request to the Council for permission to give a ba.nd performance in tiie Albert Park un Sunday. October 4th. in aid- of their instrument fund, as it was " the g_neral "opinion of the people of this progressive city that the hand should be allowed to give a performance 'o assist their funds." Further they would like to see .the question discussed at a full meeting of the Council, as there was no by-law prohibiting the bands from giving performances and taking up collections, v%hen the public were willing to give small donations. The Salvation Army requested permission to give a musical | programme in the Albert Park on Sun-I day next, and to take np a collection in | aid of the Prison Work of the Army. I They pointed out that permission for | similar performances had been given in j the past. Tbp requests of the Newton Band and the Salvation Army Band, being for charitable purposes, were granted. | Th" Mayor said he thought, that the) Council wttp unanimously in favour of ! gT.intinir pormis.-ion where chanty was the object. The only question was! ■whether or not the Council would grant I permission to the hands to collect for |

their own fund?. His opinion, was that the bands whirh discoursed music gratuitously in thp parks should- bp allowed to make a collection one Sunday durine thp year in aid nf their own funds. TTip motion was seconded. Councillor Grey: " Ca-n the Council do that in view of the resolution of the last meeting'? " Councillor Entrican: " I don't think _o." ""' Notice of motion is requiredC said several coimriliors. Councillor Patter.son protested against thp wishes of thr majority- of the Council being obstructed- by a technicality. At this stage it appeared to be tne general opinion of the Council that notice of motion wa? necessary. Councillor Entrican intimated that he would move that the request should be referred to the Parks Committee to lay down some hard and fast rule so as to secure thp park.* lo " the people.'' If they granted thp parks indiscriminately i o some they would bave to allow it to h" u~oA by others, and lecturers, etc., would- then frequent these rpservps. A Councillor: " That would be no solution of the difficulty." Councillor Farr: "We have all formed our own views, and don't need two wepks to think it over. Suspend the standing orders." Councillor Patterson, in referring to Cr. Entriean's attitude, remarked that the latter was "looked upon'as one of the most broad-minded men of the city. tou-rillor Entrican: "1 don't think bo." cSmiles.) The Mayor agreed with. Councillor Panthat it would facilitate matters to suspend tht? standing orders. Cr. Grey objected that this would be the laws of the Council. The Mayor: "TTip position, then, is ■that. Councillor Patterson gives notice of motion."' Councillor Entrican moved to refer the matter i o the. Parks Committee. (Criesof " No. no.") The Mayor said that if Councillor Grey ajrreed Lo the suspension of the standing orders, that would meet the case. He asked Councillor Grey if he still objected. Councillor Grey said that he still objected. He objected to the principle of carrying-a thing at one meeting, and overriding it at the next. Someone mentioned that Cr. Entrican had a motion before the meeting. The Mayor: " 1 can't take the motion. Tberp is no Parks Committee."' Councillor Entrican: "The Works Committee is the Park? Committee." His Worship: " If you make it the "Works Committee I can take it."' Councillor Parr regretted that the matter was assuming an importance wbich was fictitious, and that Councillor Grey should be >n perverse minded as to obstruct the wish of the Council. There was absolutely no principle as suggested by him. Councillor Grey did not know what he was talking about when he said that they could not suspend the standing orders. Of Councillor Entrican's motion he said that the Council had practically said that it would not allow any Committee to frame regulations, and that bong so it was contrary to the rules of debate and- to the standing orders that it should bp moved. ( ouncillor Entrican stated that with f:ie consent of the seconder he was prepared to withdraw the motion. He questioned if a motion to suspend the standin. orders would He carried. < ounr-iliors: " dh. yea; oh, yes! " l ouncillor Entrican: " I could not vote for it.----i oiineiiJnr Parr: "The majority would." In reply to Co'ineillor Patterson. Councillor Grey still refused to give wa v. The Mayor here pointed out. thatt'r. Patterson's motion could not get over the difficulty, as October 4 would have expired before the Council met israin. He moved tint the Rnnd should be allowed To five a performance ™ ];. which vi. n ,!ifTp TP , lt date to , hal nanlpd ' hi i ip ordinal request- which th? ( ouncil refined. .■-onvr*. seconded immediately. ' T. Entrican: How many gratuitous performances has this band given in the par*? The Mayor said that he haA not facts by him to answer the question with, but tne bind had always been very willing to piny without hope of reward." _ Cr. Entrican said that the prevailingimpression that a. grea.t maaiv of the bands had been playing gratuitously was wrong: the Mayor had been paviri"- the Mn.is. Had the bands been giving gratuitous performances he would agree to Them collecting on one. day for themCr. Tudehopo reflected on the charitableness of the bandsmen, who -would ''not play without being paid," He proceeded to draw a parallel for musiclorors and feotball ent4-__i_st_. If becacse people l&seg' -anisic iaanis i»sare Stowed to jj__y in thtr-parlp; ,te_Vj___L t^fe-^-^EBgass-^^opua^p:, 4

instrument fund, the football pnbli. should be entertained by Sunday matches and the teams allowed to collect towards ! a fund for caps- ! Cr. Knight at length rose to announce; hi-s intention of adhering to bis former | attitude to oppose the bands in the parks ' on the Sabbath. There were enough j musicians in Auckland to hold the parks j on every one of the .52 Sundays which I occur in the yearly round of the globe, i The parks belonged to the people, and! there was no reason why they should be j molested when they repaired there on ' Sundays. He would not vote against the bands to-night, but would oppose tbe principle of permitting them to play in j parks on Sundays. Cr. Bagnall. who moved the motion on the previous occasion the matter was before the Council that the bands should be. permitted to play on Sundays in tbe parks, said that while people might be asked to contribute tn some collection, they were not compelled to do so. Almost every Sunday a collection box would be met on the street, and -no one objected tn that. He put forward a plea, for assistance for the bands. Cr. Smeeton dwelt on '"the sanctity of the Sabbath." and expressed his aversion to the Mayor's motion. Cr. Parr said that he and his Worship had always set their faces against allowing Sunday performances for private gain, but the present request was not in that category. He combated Cr. Entrican's proposal by arguing that each application should be treated on its merits: ! all applications should not be subject to | one hard and fast rule. "T may be a heathen, a pagan," he continued, ''but 1 j can't see anything ethically or morally j I wrong in this band playing excellent,! educative music to the people of Auck- j ! land in a lovely park on a Sunday, not ) for the benefit of their own pockets, but j j for the much-needed new instruments. I This is the opinion of 99 out of 100 citi- | | zens of Auckland." j I Cr. Mackay said that he would vote . | against the motion on tbe principle that; people going to the parks to "enjoy the ■ I fresh air and perhaps study a little, 1 botany" should be importuned. He had heard and enjoyed music in parks, and seen no collection taken up. Cr. Parr I quickly) : That's why you enjoyed it. (Laughter.) Proceeding. Cr. Mackay advocated a municipal band. Cr. Grey, holding that the Mayor could not put his motion without first rescinding the one passed at the previous meeting, said -that he would challenge the motion if it was put. J The Mayor replied that no principle, j was involved respecting the application j betore the previous meeting. A date was stipulated. He ruled against Or. Grey, ad expressed the opinion that tbe city • should have a municipal band. He said 1 that many bandsmen were hard-working! men. and the people should not he pre- • vemted from showing their appreciation of the entertaining by being proovbited j from placing a. coin in the plate. It was erroneous to think that anyone was I asked to contribute. I His Worship's motion was then put. j Six voted for it. and it was opposed by six. Those who favoured the motion were j Crs. Casey, Bapiall, Patterson, Somers, | Parr, and tbe Mayor. The Mayor gave j bis casting vote in favour of the motion, j Cr. Grey protested against his Wor- j ship's action, but Cr. Entrlcan said that the Mayor had acted within his poweTS. j Cr. Grey, however, still protested. Cr. Parr: I move that we shall proceed to the next business. This is extremely i unseemly. | The subject was then departed from j after it had occupied what eventually

i proved to be two-thirds of the time of the meeting. | A Band Performance. —The secretary of j the Onehunga Band wrote thanking the , Council for the consideration given to its I request for the use of the park, and statling -that an endeavour would be. made to arrange a bands* performance on Wednesday evening. September 30.— The application was granted.