HASTINGS CITIZENS’ BAND.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 283, 15 November 1923, Page 3

HASTINGS CITIZENS’ BAND.

(To the Editor)

Sir, —May I crave a little of your valuable space for the purpose of further ventilating the affairs of our band. It is, of course, generally known that we have not yet succeeded; in raising sufficient funds to enable us to liquidate the heavy liabilities we had to take over from the former regime two years ago, and it has been suggested to üby more than one prominent citizen, that we will never be able and that it would be better to give up the idea of doing so, but this would amount tc repudiation of the band’s financial responsibilities, and I am quite sure that if such an idea was submitted to a vote of the band as at present constituted, not one single member would support it. Should the band adopt such a sug gestion it would most certainly forfeit the goodwill and support of all those who have hitherto given it a helping hand. No; we must pay our creditor*.20s in the pound. We must not overlook the fact that this comparative!} small section of our townspeople, in eluding our landlords, have been carry ing the band for years, and it is due to their leniency that the town has a band of any sort at the present moment. Now, as to the sources of revenue, experience has shown that we cannot hope for much from the collec. lions taken up at the band’s open-air concerts. From careful estimates made thes£ concert collections average but a fraction over a penny per head of the adult attendance. Collectors are able to prove that more than half of those availing themselves of this class of entertainment contribute nil. On the occasion of Sunday night’s concert, in Cornwall Park, 258 adults entered by the. Fitzroy Avenue gates. 138 of these passed the collection box by. the balance 120 contributed £2 9s‘ lOd. The amount the other three gate? brought the total collection up to onlv £3 6s. less expenses 12s 6d, net £2 13s 6d. Obviously these collections will not help us much to reduce our heavy liabilities. What are we to do? We still owe the Salvation. Army a balance of £lOO, on the last new uniforms, ordered by the old organisation in 1921, and for the credit of the town we are most anxious to be able to pay this off. and to enable this to be done a member of our citizens’ committee has generously offered to donate £25 on condition that we find three others who will give a similar amount each. Needless to say, we shall be most happy to hear from any lady, or gentlemen, willing to assist in this connection. Two months ago we drafted a scheme by which we proposed to systematically canvass the town, but we were persuaded to defer the step at the time in order not to clash with the Progress League’s carnival. However, We have now decided to give effect tc this scheme on Saturday, the 24th inst. but we shall require the assistance of 74 collectors, and we shall lie very glad indeed to hear from any friends who are able and willing to assist. On behalf of the band. 1 think it only right to add that the members have for weeks past been working very hard indeed with a view to reaching a degree of efficiency to merit the support of the public, in wiping out this incubus debt. That a band is indispensible to any town has been demonstrated almost daily in Hastings during the past few weeks. So great has been the demand for the services of our band that it has for some time past averaged four public parades a week, exclusive of the time necessary to devote to practice. The members’ ready response and effective help during Carnival Week has been the subject of very favourable comment throughout the town, and Lieut. Fox has received from the Progress League a letter in which eulogistic reference was made to the valuable assistance rendered by th? band during its recent functions- Will we get the help we require ? Yours, etc., R. W. JONES, Chairman of Committee. November 14, 1923.