COMPLAINTS OF OVERWORK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15185, 3 July 1911, Page 3

COMPLAINTS OF OVERWORK.

THE-FINANCIAL SIDE. CFnou Our C.vn Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 1. Complaints are being made both ,by members of the Sheffield Choir and by the public in large numbers at the way in which the choir is being overworked. Dr Kingston Fyffe, M.D., and u. well-known musician, in a letter in to-day's New Zealand .Times, voices the general opinion that several members of the choir, as well as the public, are becoming concerned as to what is to become of the profits of the tour, seeing that it is being run on Em-pire-building lines. As it is understood the great majority of the choir get no salaries, and, furthermore, as New Zealand citizens have boarded and lodged considerable numbers of the choir, it is urged in many quarters that a balance sheet of the New Zealand tour should be published in due course. The expenses, of tourse, are heavy, but the takings are unprecedentedly large. A pantomime com-

pany, such as Mr J. C. Williamson, sends on tour, has probably a heavier expenditure, because very high salaries are paid to the principals, and the. chorus, mechanical staff, and others are also well paid, and there is very heavy expense in the matter of transport of scenery. The expenses in such a case must greatly exceed those of the choir, while the takings are probably not half as much, putting it on a very low estimate, as these of the choir. However, the publication of a oalance sheet of the New Zealand tour would settle the question, and perhaps allay a good deal of the adverse criticism that at present is on everyone's lips. KEPLV BY DE, HARRISS. CHRISTCHURCH, July 2. In an interview Dr Harriss dealt frankly with financial matters, and with the statement that the choir was being overworked. As to the financial a-spect of affairs, Dr ilnrriss .-.tnted that the realisation of his scheme of 10 years ago to make the British Empire better known to the people of the British Isles and to advertise the British dominions overseas had cost him £15,000 of his own money, and not <> penny of anyone else's. ,AJI he required was that the people of the overseas dominions shoiilu pay the way of the choir. Lord Strathcona, who wa6 greatly interesttd in the scheme, offered Dr Harriss a cheque* hr 210,000, which he gratefully declined Tie calculated that 'he expense of the present tour of the choir will cost £50,000, tod that amount did not inzlude the sums spent in the initial stages of the movirent. In respect to the choir's visit to South Africa he expected a deficit of £30(J'i iiwinu; to thesniallnessof the halls. Even in Canada, where the halls accommodated from 6000 to 8000 people, the 12 days' visit of the choir resulted in a- loss of something like £800. As to lite billetintr of members of the choir, Dr Harriss stated that it -was voluntarily offered. To have asked for it to be done would have been far too delicate a matter for him to suggest. As to the choir being overworked, he explained that a recent matinee was not included in the original plan, and involved the choir travelling on Friday. The brief members of the choir were unable to deferent places was due to the fact that the members of th cchoir were unable to devote a greater period than six months and two weeks to the tour, and ho was attempting to do the best possible in the circumstances