The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-23

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IA MEMBER of the committee" adds insult
to injury by card in last nights News re-
garding the contemplate sum Of money mig
gardly doled out of handsome profits to Prof.
Carl Barus. This committeeman says the
Professor did not ask anything for his serv-
ices, that they paid him $500 more than he
asked and that he has profted by the success
he made out Of the festival by the professional
advantage it will be to him. 1t is also stated
that the profits of the festival will be over
$4,000 This handsome balance, and the re-
marks of this committeeman, which show
that the paltry sum Of money was purposely
given with the grudging calculation that it
would just about reimburse the Professor for
his actual outlay, adds to the shame the pub
lie must feel The Journal is glad
to acknowledge the unselfsh service
of the members of the committee in
behalf of the monument fund; but,
on their own showing, who has donated SO
l.
tically forced to give three months of
his time and his professional skill and
ability to the creation and development
of the chorus, being paid just what would
save him from an actual money loss in addition
to his other contributions? This committee
man says that the Journal should remember
that they were handling "a sacr,saa fund"
Granted. Then by what reasoning does this
committeeman acquit himself from wrong in
giving exorbitant prices to local musiciansS or
how will he defend himself from the charge
of having taken from this sacred fund $500
for the Professor at all, when, according to
his statement, they could just as we'll have
gouged Professor Barus out of that much be-
cause he made no "charge" for his services,
and the $500 was a gratuity The truth is,
that the sending of the $500 to the Professor,
under the circumstances. is piece Of petit
ness of which everybody is ashamed, except,
possibly, the members of the committee re-
sponsible for it, and that is the feeling of
every one who has become cognizant Of the
fact and has spoken of it at all. Had the fes-
tival proven financial failure, then it
might have been proper to have merely reim
but when the committee are able to show a
balance Of SIS, 900 to their credit, to pay the
director on the same scale they pay second
fiddler in the orchestra, and that on the
avowed basis Of a compensation, as this COM
mitteeman comedies, is littleness that the
people of indianapolis, who contributed this
"sacred fund" will be likely to resent. Pro-
fessor Barus desires us to say that he has
been reimbursed for mis- expenses, and that he
donated his services to the monument fund.
This is creditable to the Professor; but if the
matter shall be left that way, he ought to
have the credit of making the most valuable
and the largest contribution of anybody, and
there will arise the suggestion whether the
great enough to warrant SO heavy forced
contribution from man like Professor Barus.
We speak for many, we know, when we say
that it is to be hoped the people of the city,
who so enjoyed the result of Professor Barus's
labors, may soon have the opportunity Of see
ing him again at the stand, with that chorus
in front Of him, in complimentary enter
tainment This incident, left in this shape,
will not aid in securing permanent festival
chorus in Indianapolis