“The Kilties.”

Waikato Argus, Volume XXVI, Issue 4019, 24 February 1909, Page 2

“The Kilties.”

The Kilties arrived in Cambridge by the express from Auckland yesterday and immediately marched to the Domain Grounds headed by the pipers. There close on 1 200 assembled near the rotunda, and under the shade of the trees, listened with keen enjoyment to the attractive programme submitted. Hursts of ap plause were frequent, and the items were repeatedly encored. In the evening the Alexandra Hall was packed from top to bottom with a most enthusiastic crowd. It is doubtful if ever before the capacity I of the old building was strained to 1 such an extent. Hundreds had to | stand and at an early hour the sale | of tickets was prohibited by the authorities. A beautiful and varied programme j was presented, consisting of band | selections, instrumental solos, | choruses and vocal solos, while the Clan Johnson troup of dancers created quite a storm, a repetition of the performance being insisted upon. I Almost every item was encored and j the demands were good naturedly , acceded to. There is no question, | but that this is the finest organisation that has visited the Dominion, 1 and those who are unable to be pres- | ent at the open air performance at | Claudelands this afternoon should not miss the opportunity of hearing this 1 world famed band in the evening, as j such a chance is only likely to occur , once in a lifetime. A procession will leave the Town I Hall at 2.30 p.m. for the Claudelands showground via the new footbridge, , the Kilties will be officially received by the Deputy Mayor at 3 p.m., and the concert will be proceeded with five minutes later. At 7.30 p.m. the visitors will parade from the railway station headed by the local band, the members of which will be the guests of the Kilties this evening. With a fine day there is every indication that something in the nature of a record will be established. Our Cambridge correspondent writes:—“ There is no doubt the Kilties is a first class band, and they play music such as we in the Waikato seldom have the opportunity of hearing, unless it is by a brass band, and it is impossible to give an efficient rendering of such overtures as ‘ Zampa,” “William Tell,” “Rosamunde,” and numerous selections without the aid of reeds or strings. The very name “Kilties,’’ brought every Scotchman within cooee of Cambridge, and when Pipe Major Johnstone appeared on the scene and played a solo, he was greeted with great applause. Many of the band items were encored, and very generously responded to with very pleasing selections. The dancing of the Johnstone troupe was much appreciated; also the cornet solos by the conductor, Mr Albert Cook; and I never yet heard a better tone from a trombone than that given last evening by Mr R. E. Clark. There was only one thing that marred the performances yesterday, and that was the continual talk- 1 ing that went on almost uninterruptedly both in the domain and the hall. Why people pay to go to a performance and then talk all the time I cannot understand. They are emphatic nuisances to those who wish to hear the music and there should be some method of dealing with them.

Mr T. P. T. Power, manager of the Kilties’ Band, which is giving performances at Hamilton this afternoon and evening, writes: Sir, —Noticing in several papers a paragraph relating to one of the members of the Kilties’ Band, alleged by the Dominion to be stranded in Wellington, I trust in fairness to myself and members of the band you will publish my reply forwarded to the Benevolent Trustees in Wellington a few days ago. First of all, Mr Scholes was born in England, and played with several of the Home bands, including the Besses o’ th’ Barn and Kingston Mills. (Note, he now calls himself an American.) Mr Scholes was hurt several weeks ago while wrestling, and was sent to a hospital at Temuka. When he entered the hospital he stated that he had seven or eight pounds in hand, and the Kiltie in charge gave him at least eleven pounds. The men afterwards sent him a purse of about ten pounds, and I sent him nine pounds. He then said he wanted to go home, and the men and myself, knowing his financial position, told him he must buy his own ticket. Mr Scholes is a rich man. He holds three fine properties in his home town in America, which bring him in a fine sum monthly. Ho also boasts of having a fat bank account. He stated to me that he only came on this trip to sec the world and

“have a good time.” The family of three that are depending on him are making more money than he was witn us. One earns 18 dollars per week, and another earns 10 dollars per week. He himself was only playing fourth cornet and drawing £3 per week and hotel expenses, whch cost me about £5 10s per week. Mr Mattice, of the Kilties, offered to lend Scholes the necessary amount to go home, knowing that he is perfectly good, hut he refused the offer. When he says we have twenty-five men out of thirty in the band who are Americans, he is only carrying out his threat which he made in a letter to me a few weeks ago, to the elTect that if I didn’t give him his fare home he would publish the above story. Scholes’ story is absolutely false, and 1 can prove this, and so can every member of the band. I don’t think I need add anything more, except that Mr Scholes has no necessity to presume on New Zealand charity so long as we are in the country and he is prepared to act squarely by us.