RECENT BAND CONTEST

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1914, Page 2

RECENT BAND CONTEST

ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES BY BANDSMEN. MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE. (BY TELEGIUPH.- PRESS ASSOCIATION.) PALMERSTON N., 26th March. The North Island Brass Band executive met this evening, when several letters were read in regard to recent irregularities at the Auckland contest. Mr. L. Cohen presided over a full meeting of the executive. Mr. Cohen contended that a more dignified way would have been for the judge not to-have ignored the association and first gone to the press and circulated statements which would be hard to repudiate, seeing that they had been so widely circulated both in Australia and New Zealand. They had a great difficulty to face in dealing with this question, especially as the executive were distributed all over the island, and there was- also the- difficulty- of getting the offending bandsmen together. If they decided to hold an enquiry the men charged should be in a position to hear the charges from the lips of those who made them. Two bands had been singled out, while others were said to be implicated. Lieutenant Herd (Wellington) and Mr. T. Russell (Wanganui) denied that their bands were the offenders. A lengthy discussion ensued as to the course of procedure, and it was eventually decided to take the evidence of members of the executive who were present when the alleged irregularities took place. Finally, it was proposed by Mr. Williamson (Auckland) and seconded by Sergeant-Ma jor Anderson — "That the executive, having dealt with the letter from the Auckland Band Contest Committee, and having heard the evidence of members of the executive who were present at the contest, will take no» further action, owing to the difficulty of deciding which bandsmen -were culpable. At the same time the executive regrets that any particular bands should have been singled out for blame." The executive passed a vote of thanks to the Auckland Contest Committee for their excellent arrangements at the last contest.