MUNICIPAL BAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1929, Page 2

MUNICIPAL BAND

ARREARS OF SALARY CONDUCTOR DISSATISFIED So fai’ as financial matters are concerned, there is considerable discord in the affairs of the Greymouth Municipal Band, and some of it was voiced in the course of the annual meeting, held last evening, when the conductor, Mr. A. McMaster, put some pertinent questions concerning his salary, which is in arrears.

Mr. McMaster commenced by stating that he had put some questions at a meeting of the Band held on Sunday last, but he had received little satisfaction. He referred to his own personal finance in connection with the Band, which was in very pool’ condition. That meeting was of a representative nature, and he wanted to know if the Band was going to honour some of the promises it had made to him. The members of the Band did not seem to realise the position they were in. He would like to ask what the position was with regard to the promise made to him a little over two years ago, to raise his salary from £lOO to £l5O per year. He had never received any of that guaranteed rise, and,, furthermore, his salary of £lOO was in arrears to tHe extent of about £5O. The present meeting did not disclose the Band’s financial position in any way, and he would like to know definitely what were the Band’s intentions. He might carrry on from now until Doomsday, and, instead of getting financially right, he might go further back. He had done the very best he could in every way to further the Band’s interests, but it had been difficult to get any definite idea as to how things were going. Mr. W. D. Murray (secretary): So far as back salary is concerned, I will give you an absolute, straightout assurance now, that within a fortnight or three weeks it will be paid.

Mr. H. Leach: Just the £lOO per year? Mr. Murray: The amount due on his salary now. Mr. McMaster: I am not blaming the secretary or anyone in particular. It is the Band’s business. I want to know what about that £5O rise. Is it to be honoured, or not? Mr. Leach said he thought it was moved in committee that the £5O lie paid if the Band could see its way clear to do so. The Band had not got the money to do it. Over £2OO per year was required for salaries alone, and he did not see how the Band could offer the conductor any more than it was giving at the present time. Mr. McMaster: But when is it going to come? It will go from bad to worse. Mr. Leach pointed out that the members were putting in four or five hours per week, but did not get any remuneration. He thought that £lOO per year was quite sufficient for the conductor.

Mr. Murray recalled the fact that, a deputation from the Band waited upon the Borough Council about two years ago, with a request that the Council increase its subsidy. If an increased subsidy were forthcoming, the amount of the increase was to go to the conductor. All the Council could do. was to increase the subsidy from £6O to £lO4, and the conductor’s salary was accordingly raised to £lOO. Mr. E. V. Ellery said that the arrangement referred to was not placed before a general meeting of members for their consideration.

“It was published ‘in the Press,” replied Mr. Murray. Mr. Ellery said it was very rarely that general meetings were called now, whereas in previous years recommendations made by the committee were placed before general meetings monthly. Members did not understand what the committee was doing. Mr. Murray: It will be done in future.

Mr. A. Cornell stated that only one committee meeting had been held since the Wanganui contest, so that there had been nothing much to place before a general meeting. Mr. McMaster declared that he was not trying to bleed the Band, but he wanted to be on a solid footing as to what was to be done. About two years ago, when he received an offer/ from another Band, he was offered a £5O rise by the Greymouth Band, and stayed with them. Such a resolution should not have been passed unless an attempt was made in some way to carry it out. No excuse had been put forward. If the Band, through no fault of its own, could not afford to pay his salary, he would act as conductor for nothing; but, so far as he could see, the public had been fairly generous, and the Band had been fairly prosperous. He did not see why it could not pay £l5O per year. Other bands were giving their conductors more, and did not seem to find any difficulty about it.

Mr. Leach said that the population was greater at othei' places, and the bands received higher subsidies. All the Greymouth Band got was £lOO from the Borough Council, and the rest of the funds had to be raised by public subscriptions and proceeds from entertainments. The Band was going back, and could not afford to pay the conductor more than £lOO per year.

APPEAL TO COUNCIL Mr. Murray suggested that another deputation be sent to the Borough Council, and that the request for an increased subsidy be renewed. The subsidies given to other bands in NewZealand could be quoted. Napier had decided recently to subsidise their band to the extent of £350 per year. If the Napier Council could give £350, surely Greymouth could give £l5O. Mr. Ellery said that the Greymouth Band was the lowest subsidised in New Zealand. Mr. H. Vincent stated that the Palmerston North Band received a subsidy of £250. Mr. McMaster stated that the lever used when the deputation previously went to the Borough Council was that the conductor’s salary was to be raised. The Council increased the subsidy by £44, but his salary did not go up. It was still the same as when the Borough Council gave a £6O subsidy. What was the extra subsidy given for? Mr. Leach: It was raised from £6O to £lOO for your salary straight out, so that we would not have to go around the town looking for it. We' knew it was forthcoming every year. ME Ellery said that he reckoned the conductor was underpaid, but the finances of the Band did not warrant too much. The President (Dr. J. W. Mcßrearty) -

expressed the opinion that the conductor had a very hard position, as he was responsible for both the senior and junior bands. Mr. Ellery suggested that, if any extra subsidy were secured from the Borough Council, it should be given to the conductor. The promise made to him should be honoured. Mr. Murray moved that a deputation be sent to the Borough Council, with a request for a higher subsidy. The resolution was seconded by Dr. Mcßrearty and carried, Mr. Murray stating that he had all the data regarding other bands available. Mr. McMaster: That does not cover my question yet: The subsidy asked for was for a certain purpose, and I want to know why the money was not allotted to that certain purpose. Mr. Leach: We were not receiving £lOO pei* year from the people of Greymouth at that time, and we approached the Council to make sure that we would have enough to pay your salary. Mr. J. Smith said he was under the impression that the extra amount was given so that the conductor’s salary could be raised. At that time, the conductor had an offer from another band. Mr.. Murray said that the deputation to the Borough Council asked for £l5O, to pay the conductor’s salary, but all the Council could see its way clear to give was a subsidy of £lO4. The President repeated the announcement made by Mr. Murray, that the arrears of the conductor’s salary of £lOO per year would be paid within the next three weeks, and a deputation woulcl be appointed by the committee to request an increased subsidy from the Borough Council.

FINANCIAL, POSITION. After reading the balance-sheet, the Secretary stated that it had been agreed that it should be posted on the wall for the information of members, and that it should be discussed at a meeting to be held on Sunday next. The assets were stated as follow: — New instruments £729, old instruments £lBO, bandroom. £2OO, music £3O, uniforms £270, piano £l5, furniture and fittings £2O, shield £3O, cash in hand £ll/15/3; total £1485/15/3. The liabilities totalled £573/6/1 some of the chief items being as follow: —New instruments £174/6/; current account, Begg and Co., £53/5/3; uniforms, £53/10/-; “Star,” £65/8/6; “Argus,” £4B/10/2; overdraft, £24 10/9; salaries, £43; H. Leach, £2B 10/9. The excess of assets over liabilities was £912/9/2.

The expenses incurred by the Band’s visit to the Dominion contest at Wanganui totalled £463/11/3. The secretary’s annual report disclosed that the year began with a debit of £285, and ended with a debit of £540.

Mr Murray stated that the past two months had been very trying, inasmuch as people would not come out of doors to entertainments, as a result of the earthquakes. The Band would have to try and put on something attractive with the object of raising funds, and he had been negotiating with people willing to help. It was proposed to bold a Daffodil Show in September. Another suggestion was that the assistance of the ladies be sought to conduct a children’s fancy dress ball, to be held in the Drill Shed, with the supper in the Druids’ Hall. An adults’ ball was also proposed. Recent functions of that nature had not been very successful, but it was hoped that the people would soon recover from the effects Of the earthquakes. The Reefton concert company, “Knuts in May,’ was willing to visit GreymOuth in aid of the Band’s funds, and Mr A. A. Rouse, of Greymouth, had under consideration the presentation of a playette. The entertainments lie had mentioned, said Mr Murray, should bring in a good amount. The schemes were “in the air” at present and the authority of the baud members was required to go on with them.

Mr Vincent asked whether anythng further had been done regarding the proposed West Coast bands’ contest. It was a “wash-out,” replied the Secretary, as no other band on the West Coast would compete. At an informal meeting held during the week, it had been decided to call the contest off. Some West Coast bands had promised to compete, but had now decided not to do so. The earthquakes had had a lot to do with the position, particularly at tho Westport end of the district. Mr Contessa suggested that the band should not compete at the next Dominion contest, in order to give the funds a chance to accumulate. Tho Secretary replied that the Band could see how things went meanwhile, and Mr Ellery also expressed the opinion that it was premature to discuss the next contest, at this stage.