Evening star., 1901-11-05
MUSICIANS CONTROVERSY
STATEMENT OF WALTER r. SMITH
ON THE SUBJECT.
Alleged False Position of the Amerf-
can Federation of Musfcians-
Aimed at Enlisted Men.

Mr.. Walter F. Smith, who has for many
years been connected with the United
States Marine Band, made Statement 10
a Star reporter today in reference to the
musicians controversy which has resulted
in dismissing three Marine Band musicians
from the orchestra Of the Academy OF Mu-
sic and three from the orchestra Of the
Bi1ou Theater. Mr.. Smith said:
in view of the many and conflicting re-
ports that have appeared in the papers OF
Washington recently concerning the mu-
sicians' controversy desire to make a brief
statement of the position taken i'm the mat
ter by Washington Musical Assembly, No.
430S, X. of L. Washington Musical Assem-
bly, is the Oldest musical organization IN
the country, L believe, that has from itg
beginning been identified with the cause OF
labor. Under its constitution enlisted men
were freely admitted, but at no time have
they constituted a majority. AS an evil
dence of the feeling entertained upon the
part of the civilian musicians toward their
military comrades / will quote from a let
ter written in 1900 when an act of Congress
prohibiting enlisted men from accepting
outside employment was up for considera-
ton, by one of the leading musicians of our
city:
work unlimited injury to the musical inter-
ests of Washington and her musical frn-
ternity, in that the first blow inflicted
would be an influx of musicians to this
city, which would result In increased COM
petition and the thereby inevitable result
of low prices and wages. The relations be-
tween this organization (Marine Band) and
our civilian musicians were never Dctter
than they are today. Its management does
not solicit business, but on the contrary
does all 1t can do to aid and elevate the
musical conditions of the civilian musicians
and their business interests
Such words coming from one of the very
class whom the Federation Of Musicians
claim to be most aggrieved deserve special
consideration.
Perhaps the most contradictory feature
OF this controversy lies In some of the
statements that have been made by officers
of the musicians local concerning the OBJ
ject of their organization-its excuse for
living as it might be termed. Among the
articles recently published j fnd he fol-
lowing: But the American Federation Of
Musicians is distinctly and explicitly OPP
posed to musicians In the employ OF the
government. Its position is that men regu-
larly paid from the national or state .reas-
uries should not accept the separate special
engagements which were the only means Of
livelihood open to musicians not employed
by the government
"As will appear from the following facts.
this statement is false in most important
particular. The objection is not against
the employees Of government on the ground
that they are drawing a fixed salary from
that source, but is aimed expressly at the
enlisted men of the regular military ser
vice, the army and the marine corps. As
an evidence Of this I may mention that
one of the charter members OF the new mu-
sicians' union is an employe at the Wash
ington navy yard, and that any and all OF
the employees of the different departments
Of government under civil control who shall
qualify musicians are eligible. Further,
the American Federation OF Labor has en-
rolled among its locals employees OF the gov
ernment printing Office and machinists at
the navy yard, together with employees
from the other departments OF government
under civil control. The only employees of
government whom the American Fedora
ton of Labor and the musicians refuse TO
accept are the enlisted men OF the regular
military service. That the movement is
specially directed against the Marine Band
is not difficult to prove. In the first place,
there are no other military musicians reGu-
larly employed In the theaters Of this city:
secondly. / have. before me the announce
ment of the result Of this movement at the
Academy of Music and purporting TO be by
authority of Mr.. Nachman. published I'm a
Baltimore paper unaer the head line La
bor Defeats Marine Band The leader OF
the Academy orchestra was fined s25. not
for failing to report to the new union an
has been stated by its vice president but
because he violated the rules OF his local
in having employed enlisted men. In spite
of his assertion that he could not get men
in this city to fill his orchestra he was
given less than thirty-six hours TO dis
charge three men of the Marine Band and
engage others In their places. And In the
end one man was brought from Baltimore.
The Bljou will, In a.. probability, be COM
PEELED to supply three men from abroad TO
HI lne ptdces OF the NAL me bdiiu men now
employed there and for whom there are no
substitutes in the city.
THE position which Washington Musical
Assembly takes in this AFFAIR lis that there
should be no discrimination against any
particular department of the public ser.
vice. If IL Is best to prevent the employees
Of government from entering into compe-
tition with civilians then make the restrsc-
ton universal and include all employees who
receive regular fixed salary from the gov
eminent"
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