The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-30
THE 1899 MAY FESTIVAL
WILL NOT BE GIVEN UNLESS SUB
sCRIPTIONS ARE SUFFICIENT.
Directors Have Sent Out a Circular
Guarantee Fund Has Been
Abandoned.

: The May music festival directors have de-
cided upon a new plan for the maintenance
of the festival which will either insure that
no money will be lost or aney will not be
continued by the present hoard. The guar
antee fund, which has been behind the fes-
rivals since their beginning, has not proven
satisfactory The burden of the financial
support of the festivals has been carried by
a comparatively few men, and in many
cases it has been considerable. Subscribers
to the guarantee, fund have not felt able
to buy tickets for the festival, because they
were almost certain to be assessed on their
subscriptions The board, after full dis
cussion of the subject, decided that it did
not care to undertake another festival I'M
der the old plan, and, therefore. decided to
practically abolish the guarantee fund and
to substitute for it the plan of asking for
subscriptions, this far in advance, for sea-
son tickets, and if these subscriptions prove
to be sufficient to justify the expense of the
festival to give it as usual next year, and,
if not, then it will be abandoned at least
by the present board. No contracts will be
made for festival next year and no ex-
pense incurred until it is absolutely certain
that the subscription for season tickets is
sufficient to justify the necessary outlay
The maintenance of the music festival is in
this way. left to the people of the city and
state. The new plan of operation is set out
in full in a circular letter which is being
sent to festival patrons and others inter
s'shall the FESTIVAL Be Continued?" saws:
1.-THE musical festival directors take this
method of bringing to your consideration a
new and it is believed, more satisfactory
plan than has heretofore been employed for
supporting and continuing the annual music
festivals, which, during the ten years of
1T. "a l,xr< Il.
velop the musical culture of and advertise
the city, The burden of the financial sup
port of the festivals has been largely borne
by q comparatively few publc-spirited citi-
zens who have not only bought tickets
each year, but have paid assessments, some
times heavy, on their subscriptions to the
festival guarantee funds 1t is known to
the directors that many guarantors this
year, knowing that they would be assessed
to meet the probable deficit. felt that they
tival, and that its receipts were in this way
considerably diminished.
"A great public enterprise like the music
festival should be supported by the public
generally, not by the few, and to secure
this result, and at the same time prevent
any financial loss on the next festival the
directors have decided to make a thorough
canvass of the city at this time for sub
scriptions, not to a guarantees fund as here
certs for the festival itself. After such a
canvass has been made If enough subscrp-
tions are received to make certain that the
receipts will be enough TO pay all expenses,
arrangements will be made for giving the
usual festival next May. No contract will
be made or expenses incurred until it is abb
solutely certain that the ticket subscrip-
tions are sufficient TO meet all expenses. and
If such subscriptions are not sufficient for
this purposein the judgment of the
directors, then the attempt to give fes-
tival next year will be abandoned, so far
as this board is concerned
1T is not possible, at this time. to say
what works will be given or what artists
employed at the festival should one be
given, but the board pledges itself to main
tain the festival at the high artistic stand
ard of previous years.
I'VE believe this plan will commend it
self to you. By ii those who desire to sup
port the festival will get tickets to it for
the money they feel they can afford to ex-
pend in this direction. and will not be called
on to help pay deficit after the festival is
over. This plan has been found to work
successfully in Cincinnati and other cities,
where big business. concerns frequently buy
many tickets fer distribution among their
out-of-town customers and friends, who are
thus brought TO the city, or for their en-
ployes who cannot afford to buy their own
tickets
1--WE respectfully ask you to subscribe for
tickets for as liberal an amount as you can
afford on the inclosed postal. BY doing
so you will help TO continue the annual
music festival. in whose success all public
spirited citizens should be interested II
this plan Is not successful there is little
probability. Of the music festivals being
continued