MANIOTOTO BAND

Dunstan Times, Issue 3464, 7 April 1930, Page 5

MANIOTOTO BAND

To the Editor,

Sir, It is now common knowledge, the Maniototo Band, after securing first place in the C grade at the recent Band Contest, was disqualified for a technical breach of the rules. Although having cause to feel aggrieved at the decision, inasmuch as no notice oi any protest or enquiry, and no opportunity to reply to the charge made was given to us, wo, as a Band, recognised that by playing more outside players than permitted by the rules, we were guilty ot a breach. At the time, w; had good grounds to believe that had we cared to make a formal protest against the composition of certain hands that profited by our misfortune, the Bands Association would have had no option but to disqualify them also, but we were content to take up a sporting attitude, say nothing, and let things remain as they were. We ourselves could not thereby have recovered our lost prize money, so we saw no object in starting further trouble.

In taking up that attitude, we believed that those profiting thereby would recognise the manner in which their “laurels’’ had been won, and would refrain from rubbing it in. In the “Dnnstan Times” of March 24th, however, under the heading “ Naseby Notes” appear certain statements which com pel me, however, reluctantly to place a few facts before the Public.

The Naseby Band 4th in the competition. As a result of my band and West Harbour being disqualified, it was promoted to second place. In the article under review, it is said of the Naseby Band, ‘ In the own selection the band secured second place and £2O in prize money after a most searching enquiry had been made by the Bands Association into the number of professional players each band had played. Later it is said, ‘Tt is pleasant to bandsmen to know that their honours were secured on sheer merit.”

In reply to these, to say the least of it, provocative statements, I lay the following charges against the Naseby Band -

(a) Two players from the St Kilda Band were included. One outsider only is permitted. It was for a similar breach that we were disqualified. (b) One player hailed from Christchurch, another from Alexandra, and a third from Matakanui. All these players were outside players, in that they resided a long way beyond the twelve mile limit imposed by the rules. The Christchurch man was a professional player in Theatre Orchestras. (c) Another player was a member of our Band until six weeks before the Contest A : list of bandsmen is supposed to be sent to the Asociation three months before the Contest. These facts were known to us at the time of the Contest, and we refrained from raising them for reasons already stated.

I can only leave it to the Public to draw their own conclusions. At the time of the Exhibition Contest, when this Band (then in its infancy) secured third place, I found that a wholesale disregard of the rules was tli j fashion D pou renoinstrating, I was informed that the rules were never intended to be enforsed strictly against C grade bands. What purpose the rules then served, was not clear to me, but 1 could get no satisfaction unless I lodged a formal protest. Sad I done so we should probably have moved up into first place, but such a procedure was repugant to the Band. In face of the experience, is it any wonder that we transgressed this time? We make no attempt to deny our own back-sliding, but be we resent the fantastic statements in this article and the imputations to be drawn from them. In conclusion, my Band is at any suitable time prepared to meet the Naseby Band in fair competition, with regular members ot each band only, and an independent judge Such a contest would, at all events, settle what has grown to be a very vexed question. 1 am etc., William Norris. Conductor Maniototo Brass Band,