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THE CITY ORGANIST.

PROTEST FROM ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

The following letter was addressed yesterday to his Worship the Mayor:— Dear Sir, —We note with amazement and extreme protest the wording of the report of the Finance Committee at last night’s meeting of the council, which reads as follows:

The report of the Finance Committee dealing with the matter was as follows :

“Your committee begs to report having considered the matter of the appointment of city organist. "As already reported, 20 applications were received for the position, and these have been carefully investigated by a sub-committee, to which was added the four co-opted members who had been associated with the committee in the preparation of the schedule of duties for the position. “ Wc have, therefore, to submit the names of four of the applicants, from whom it is suggested the appointment should he made. “ The names are— Leslie Curnow, Melbourne. Herbert Davis, Melbourne. V. E. Galway, Dunedin. W. Paget Gale, Dunedin.

“ The sub-committee dealing with the subject further recommends that tlte appointment take effect at the expiry of six months from February ], 1030, and that in the meantime an offer be made to Dr Price, the retiring city organist of Melbourne, to take up the duties for the time named, viz., six months, from February 1, 1930, at a fee of £450, with the proviso that, should Dr Price not accept the offer, then the permanent appointment take effect from February 1, 1930.”

—from which we four “co-opted members ” are more than inferentially made to appear ns joining in the recommendation made by this committee. We, therefore, deem it our duty to lay before your council and the public our connection with-the matter.

We were invited by the late Mayor, Mr Taverner, to act as advisors in the matter of appointing a city organist. Subsequently, when applications came in, at a meeting recently presided over by your self, we were handed the applications with a request to inspect them and give our opinion thereon. This we did in the following memorandum:— The undersigned have gone carefully through the applications from organists which you kindly sent round to

us individually, and have also met and talked over the matter very fully with a view to putting before you, if possible, a united opinion and recommendation, We happily were very ■well agreed, and thought that we ought to put such before you without delay. Our view is that Dr Galway is the most suitable applicant to fill the position in a permanent way, and we recommend that ho should be so appointed. But we also are unanimous in thinking that Dr Price’s proposal to fill the position for six months on the terms offered by him would be a very good way to give eclat to the opening performances and to the first six months following. It would give the public a very special opportunity of hearing the best the instrument can do under a master performer, and afford much satisfaction to the musical public in particular, as well as be very educative to the younger portion of the community. We venture to think that Dr Galway himself might probably be favourable to such an introduction of the organ to the public to whom it will belong. Should the council see well to accept these two proposals, we feel'that a better inauguration and continuance of the organ’s life and benefit to the community could hardly be desired, and we heartily urge it upon the council’s favourable regard. (Sighed) Geo. M. Thomson. P. R. Sargood. Alfred Eels. A. S. Paterson.

At a special meeting of your sub-com-mittee, held on December 16, presided over by Councillor J. J. Clark, at which were present yourself, Councillors Wilson and Mitchell, and the town clerk, our report was considered. Councillor Clark strongly urged that the usual method adopted in council should be followed, namely, that three names should be submitted through the Finance Com mittee to the general council. Wc agreed to consider the addition of two alternative names to our report, and did so (while the other members retired), and we added thereto names as per the following minute:— With reference to our report of December 13, 1029, to which we adhere, we submit two alternative names should the council desire such, namely. Leslie Curnow Herbert Davis of Melbourne. Councillor Clark at once called attention to the fact that we had not included another local applicant in our recommendation.

Your sub-committee then passed a minute (embodying this recommendation) up to the Finance Committee as under

That the names of Messrs Galway, Curnow, and Davis, be sent to the council for selection. That the appointment take effect in six months’ time. That Dr Price he asked to act as

organist for six months.

Wa venture to think that in the time available, namely, Monday to Wednesday, it was impossible for all councillors to examine thoroughly all tho 20 applications and give an impartial vote thereon. We cannot but feel that we have been used as a means to blind the public, and resent your council’s action accordingly. There have been persistent rumours that certain commitments had already been made by certain councillors, which, if true, would indicate that any recommendation we might make was foredoomed and useless. —Yours faithfully, (Signed) Geo. M. Thomson. P. R. Sargood. Alf. Ffxs. . A. S. Paterson. Dunedin. December 19.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19291220.2.89

Bibliographic details

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20905, 20 December 1929, Page 12

Word Count
895

THE CITY ORGANIST. Otago Daily Times, Issue 20905, 20 December 1929, Page 12

THE CITY ORGANIST. Otago Daily Times, Issue 20905, 20 December 1929, Page 12