PATRIOTIC BAND

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 96, 24 April 1916, Page 3

PATRIOTIC BAND

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—Would you kindly grant me space to ask the question how the Patriotic Society intend to find the money to provide instruments for the above band (late Jupp's Band). From what I can gather, something like £700 is. required to equip a band with a. set of silver-plated instruments. I understand the band is asking the society to provide for the yearly upkeep, and states the sum of £200 as being needed for its working expenses, namely, £80 for conductor and £30 each for two solo cornet players, £140 being thus required for salaries I should have imagined the present money held' by the society has been paid in for our wounded soldiers, and not for. equipping bands. As you will see, Mr. Editor, close on £1000 is required to set. out this band for its first year's working expenses. My contention is that it would be more like patriotism if the money was handed over to the Wounded Soldiers' Club. Surely the local bands could supply all that is needed in the way of music, etc., during the war. Of what purpose would the band serve if the war finished during the next few months? Bas the society so much money in hand uhat it has to squander it in that way? Hoping, Sir, that others will also take this most important matter up, and help to stop this reckless expenditure, which has, nothing to justify it.—l am,' etc. PATRIOTIC. 16th April, 1916. [When the complaint was referred to Mr. J. Lewis, secretary of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Patriotic; Society, he made the following statement:—"ln the first place, we do not intend to spend one penny of the money collected for wounded soldiers ahd their dependants in connection with the band. Already a large amount of money has been promised to cover the purchase of instruments. As regards details—further expenses in the wny of conductor's salary, cornet player's salary, etc. —this matter has still to be discussed by the committee. It is not the society's genera] rule to answer anonymous letters, but in order to prevent the correspondent's views getting abroad uncontradicted, it is desirable that the public should be put into touch with the facts straight away. The band will cost no more to run than it has done in the past before it came under the auspices of the Patriotic Society, and the same nieans will be adopted in regard to raising money in connection with the band as have been used in the past. The society has undertaken to raise a sufficient sum of money for a new set of instruments, and I will be glad if 'Patriotic' will send along his amount, which will be duly acknowledged in The Post. In conclusion, I may state that Jupp's Band was the only band we could rely on at the time of the carnival."]