New Zealand Band.

Thames Star, Volume XXXX, Issue 10409, 9 September 1903, Page 1

New Zealand Band.

Interviewed at Invercairgilil o-n his refeuirii firomi England, Sergeant Ferguson, of th.el Ne-w Zealand Bamd, wiho was a passengeir by the Mbnowaii to- t^he. Blufff, declined- to say m.Uich of the finti.noial maittersi cionearning tihe bands as they will ba the sulbijecti o>£ full inquiry when .th:O -bandsniastor, seoi'etaiy, .andi ■otlicr .members of the band retiuiiii to the colony. On arrival in England the band (he said) piit im a solid week's praistkie before commemoing rtihe tour, and naivinigl aairived fulily two .mioiit.h.& before Mr lies desired them) they accepted .an .enga.geimem.t. fironnl lihe Union Jack dub to. tour tbo provinces. The object of this club is to build >a huge home, costing some £60,000, near"'tihe "Wiaiterlooi railway station, but> tlie tenms of this engagem.ent tine indiifvidiiual imiem'bers of tha band \v«ra ■noifi made acquainted! with until about the baginningi of July, and then the imierobors becoming! dissaifctsfiedi, 'and 'as ten of .tneir numiber decided to 'lea.vß the .tioua 11 was abandoned, and the cable message announcing tlift finainoial faiihure of tlie banid' sent out to the 'colony- Tlie band), 'however, reoeired' well-earned splendid Pre; 9 notices, and were eonnipaired fa.vouTably with- the best bands in England. It was when playing 1 at iSlhirewsibiuay that they raiet Majoa" Haggiaird, tlie secsretory of the Union Jacik Ck:b, and learned tiheir tru© relationship to tihat Institutioni, 'and though several eoncarts ware given, during tihe next week or so, di,&s:aitis,faictioni 'reigned in oan%p, and 1 eventually ten- of the memiberis decided to leave for hoime by the Gothid. These members include Abler, Reid and Deary, (of Cirristcihui-eh), Hopkinson (of tlie West Coast), and Glennie and Bansen (of vSoutliland), and otlieu-s-