The herald., 1897-06-29
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

proves the rule
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY
Musicians Union Denies the Story Of
/ = Alleged overcharge
The members Of the Los Angeles
Musical association have taken UNI
bragg over the manner in which they
have been placed before the public in
relation to the Fourth Of July celebra-
ton and the employment Of the bands
of the association in the parade. There
seems to have been some misunder-
standing and therefore the following
signed statement made by President M.
Bert Howard, Of the association, is of
| interest:
LOS ANGELES. Cal. June 2s.
| To the Editor of the Los Angeles Her
aid: My attention has been drawn to
the published statement of the Fourth
Of July executive committee in which
| 1t is claimed that the union musicians
| OF this city demanded $40 each for an
hour and a half of actual servces with
double pay for the leader of each and
every band, and that they have enlisted
the services of the Los Angeles County
Council Of Labor to force the payment
of such an outrageous price with the
threat Of withholding the various labor
organizations from taking an active part
in the celebration.
AS president of the Los Angeles Mu-
sical association and delegate from
that body to the County Council of La
Dor, deem myself qualified to enlighten
the enquiring public as to the actual
facts regarding the negotiations for
music for the coming celebration.
Some few weeks ago the Fourth of
July committee informed US that they
desired to employ for the coming cele-
bration none but the union bands of this
city as they desired the best music OBJ
tainable for the parade and the park
concerts. They stated that funds were
not as plentiful this year as heretofore,
and asked US to make them conces-
sion as they did not think they could
afford to pay the full union price. Ae
our prices for holiday work are from 81
to $3.50 lower than are regularly paid in
nearly every large city in the United
States, we stated that we could not con-
sistently depart from our published
prices; but if the committee would
three union bands belonging to the Mu-
sical association we would donate to the
committees funds the sum of $780,
Our regular published price for holi-
day parades, ETC., is $6 per day per man;
a donation of $100 would leave the net
price s525 per man, which was our bid.
This was apparently satisfactory to the
committee and we were assured to that
effect and considered the negotiations,
so far as price for work was concerned,
as closed.
Last Wednesday evening the Los
Angeles County Council of Labor in
session assembled received authentic in
formation that the Fourth of July COM
mittee had negotiated with the Vernon
band and other non-union organizations
to paly not only in the parade but to fur
nish concert music at the parks. ano
that the union bands with the possible
exception of the one attached to the
Seventh regiment N. G. c. would not
be employed. The Council of Labor
considered that inasmuch as the city
had subscribed the sum of $1,000, added
to the amounte subscribed from other
sources for celebration purposes, the
committee was acting in very poor faith
with the public by arranging to expend
a goodly sum of the peoples money for
music of an inferior quality, that In
Justice was being done not only to the
Musical association but to the public at
large. The council authorized its sec
retary, A. Vinette, to write the commit
tee informing them that unless the
union bands were all employed with
nothing eaid restricting the use of non
union bands to fill out with should
more bands be required) the council
would decline the invitation extended to
take part in the celebration.
With the recitation Of these few facts,
I leave the matter to the fair minded
public to determine whether or not the
members of the Los Angeles Musical
association have been guilty of wanting
exorbitant compensation for holiday
work "a day when the supply of music
hardly equals the demand) or If they
have asked anything unreasonable or
unjust.
To be a competent musician (suf1-
cient to pass the required examination
Of a member of the Musical association)
REQUIRES years of practice and hard
study, and when capable of filling any
engagements required of them to the en-
tire satisfaction of the criticising pub
lie. it really seems as though their ef-
forts should be rewarded with some-
thing other than calumny as result OF
a combined effort to get them to compete
against a class of would-be musicians
who do not depend on music for iiveli-
hood, but who are willing to turn out
on a holiday and play for whatever may
be offered them.
Verify say the laborer, whether he be
musician OF mechanic, is worthy of his
hire" Respectfully yours,
NJ. BERT HOWARD,
President Los Angeles Musical associa-
ton.
Today there will be meeting of the
Ia aS inc cellS CQllntX