MEETING OF DELEGATES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12728, 14 February 1907, Page 8

MEETING OF DELEGATES.

A sj>eciiil meeting of delegates from bnmis was held yesterday afternoon. Mr .Maurice Cohen, President of the North I*l md Bands' Association, occupied the chair, and the following bands were represented :—Auckland Garrison, Wellington Garrison, Wangamri Garrison, l'almerston North Braes. Ruahine oth Hattalton. Taranaki (.iarri«in, •Stratford Municipal. Newtown Hratw, ivaiul (Ist Auckland Mounted Uiflee), Gieborne City. Deniiiston Bnitss, Ist Auckland Battalion, »S)Hth Christohtirch Braes. Woolston Napier Garrison, Maeterton Municipal, Hastings Town, Dunedin Citizens, Inrercaraill Garrison, Municipal, Oimaru Citizens. Nelson Garrison. Timaru Marine, 2nd Nelson Infantry Battalion. Mornington Brass, Dunedin Navak llnuss, Jupp's Brass, Marton Brass, Codes' Melbourne Bra« 6, N.Z.W. Hand, Newcastle.

The object of the meeting was to consider the question of tlie annlgamation of Associations ol the Nortli ami .south Islands, and also the possibility of federation with the Hand Alleviations of Australia.

Tho President said that thorp was no reason that lie could ,w why the whole colony should not be welded topether in one Uniul Association. The Nort-h Island Bind Association, by its eleven ye-ars" existence, proved that tho work could bo <!ono. $\\c\\ an jiatwciation would do great work for braxs bands. It would result in the municipal authorities lie ing brought to understand tho responsibilities which re«»ted on them to faster the artistic tastes 01 tho people. The object of consolidating themselves into one Ikxlv was to brills pressure to boar on the municipal authorities to recogniee the riecessity for their subsidising binds. They Mould, perhaps, like to know how such a system could be worked. The restitution of the North Island Band Association would have to Im> altered. There should l>e a governing Council in a locality which would be permanent. The colony should be divided into territorial districts, each having a Centre to report to tho Council. The Centre would form t nucleus of the Hand Contest Committee, should ■a mutest be held in the district. The Council should be formed of members elected, who iv.ip.ht vote by proxy, and he- thought that the members should be elected permanently, so as to secure continuity ot action. 'JTie main functions of the Council woukl ive governmental and appellate. He then proposed the following resolution:—"That in tho opinion of this-meeting of delegates of New Zealand bands, specially called for the purpose of discussing the formation ol » Nc-w Zcalnnd Bnws Hands Association, it ia eminently desirable that an organisation controlling the whole ot tli« colony 1» formed, on the lines ot tho Nortli Island Bands Association."

Mr Anderson wx-ondctl the motion, which was carried.

The President then moved:—"That a copy of tho foregoing resolution be submitted to the North Island Br-m Bands' Association at its annual general ireeting, with the request that such steps bo taken to enlarge its constitution as will enable it to carry out the spirit and intent of such resolution."

Mr Holben seconded the; motion which was carried.

In reply to a question, the president' said he had an idea of reciprocity being established between tho Australian Federation and the proposed N.Z.8.8. Association by interchange of monrbership at contests. This was what he thought might be carried out.

Mr Thompson, the representative of tho Newcastle Band, said that he wished to point out that the contest feet* on this occasion were very heavy. Under th© New iSouth Wales Band Association rules the ontry fee was only £1 Is. In New South Wales they divkiod their bands into two grades. He thought that the money received from tho municipalities should be put into the fund for contest purposes. Tho New South Wales Association had proved that the provision of free music for the public was doing good for the State. Hβ hoped that the New Zealand bandsmen would see their way clear to form a New Zealand Bands' Association. He had been instructed to say that hie Association would gladly federate with. th«m. The New South Wales Aesociation had a system of registration «t judges, ami h* should like to see that «yst«n carried out here. In the recent Sydney contest they had recognised that it was necessary to have a committee of three judges, as there was far too much work for one, besides which it was far safer for the bands to have throe men's judgment than one's. He should suggest that there should be a careful system of discipline instituted, and also that frequent meetings of deiegatte, not further apart than a month, should bo heM. , Tho President *aid tlie oenditione he.ro were different from those existing in N.B. Wales. He trusted that the federation with the Australian States would become an accomplished fact.