Evening star., 1902-02-06
A FAVORABLE REPORT
Enlisted Men Cannot Compete With
Civilians.
EFFECT ON TEE MARINE BAND
Committees Statement on the
Bartholdt Resolution.
M r. II A l. Z Y s B r l e T

with civilians. 1t is generally understood
that if this resolution should become law
it would prohibit the Marine Band from
accepting outside engagements.
The resolution provides:
THAT hereafter no enlisted man in the
service of the United States, the army and
navy, respectively, whether a non-com-
missiond- officer, musician or private shall
be detailed, ordered or permitted to leave
his post to engage in any pursuit, business
or performance in civil life for emolument,
hire or otherwise, when the same shall in
terfere with the customary employment and
regular engagement of local civilians in
their respective arts, trades, or profess
sions'
Importance of the Resolution.
The committee emphasizes the Importance
of the resolution as follows:
The legislation herein proposed has for
It's object the protection of civilian musi-
clans against the competition of enlisted
men. Its enactment is demanded by every
consideration Of justice and fairness in be-
half of those citizens and taxpayers who
are depending upon their profession as mu-
sicians for the support of themselves and
families. Under existing conditions the
members of army and navy bands are al
lowed to freely compete with civilian musi-
CidilS anu Will private DdlluS III tIle IdlleI
of securing engagements and contracts to
furnish music for all occasions. They are
under the pay of the government; their sub
sistence is provided for by the government;
their uniforms and instruments and all the
necessary sheet music and other parapher-
MALTA are paid for out of the national treas
Try, all of which affords them considerable
advantage and easily enables them to un-
derbid the citizen musicians on all occa-
sions where music is to be furnished under
contract The chances of the latter for
employment and to earn the means for their
support are thereby correspondingly re-
duced.
Localities in which no military bands
are located are, of course, not affected
either by this competition or the proposed
remedy, but the extent of that competi-
tion wherever it exists, may be measured
by the fact that engagements to furnish
music are invariably made under contract
and just as invariably awarded to the low
est bidder, which, under the unequal con-
dftiOnS above described, is usually the mill
tary band But even if the figures of the
civilian band We're not higher. experience
teaches that preference is usually being
given to the military band because it is
looked upon as special attraction. This
is due to strong prejudice the part of
many people in favor of military organi-
cations. and the present system nurtures
this prejudice, thus indirectly promoting
what both parties abhor, the spirit of
miltarism.
Justice to the Citizen.
Simple justice demands that a citizen
musician, as a citizen, is entitled to the
same consideration as men of any other
trade or vocation. The government does
not allow soldiers to compete with citizens
as bakers, bricklayers, masons, black
smiths doctors or lawyers and it does not
dream of ordering out the artisans of any
particular craft in case of labor troubles
to take the place of ordinary workmen, and
the same measure of protection against
government competition should be extended
to civilian musicians.
This resolution, If passed. will in no wise
interfere with regimental bands fur
nishing music at official occasions or
social functions at the Executive Man
sion or other places where their SER
vices may be required by the President
or other officials of the government, nor
will the inhibition extend to any free con-
certs given by army and navy bands. The
committee is on the contrary, of opinion
that these governmental bands should be
more frequently utilized for such purposes
in order to give the people an equivalent
for the pay they are receiving, which pay
should be sufficiently increased to render
unnecessary the competition with civilians
which this resolution is intended to prohibit
and which remuneration would attract the
best musical talent of the country.
The committee also laid out a program
for hearings on the eight-hour bill, deciding
to extend them to March 13.
MIR. Haley's Brief.
a brief on the Bartholdt resolution has
been filed by Mr.. William A Haley of
Haiey's Band with the committee. The
brief deals particularly with the contro-
versy regarding the Marine Band. He
says:
In the first place, the reorganization or
personnel bill of the marine corps provides
for a band of sixty musicians, thirty first
class at StfJ month and thlrtv second
class at $50 per month, with allowances
of sergeant, one leader with pay and al
lowances of first lieutenant and one sec
ond leader to receive SO per month and
allowances of sergeant major. No pro-
vision is made for the ten additional pri
Yates attached to the band and who are
oftentimes used and the best men excused
from their government duties. To build
the orchestral part of this organization
we find that men who have had no eXpe-
rience as bandsmen have been taken in
the organization. In one case we cite a
violinist who after enlisting was given the
saXophone, an instrument strange to him.
but he was at liberty to carry it and take
instructions from one of the bandsmen
Can we find any such state of affairs eX-
listing in the ranks of others employed by
the government? Several such cases can
be mentioned in connection with the
United States Marine Band, where men
have been given classes in the band, not
for their value as bandsmen provided for
by the government but because they were
good orchestral players and could be used
by the leader in competition for orchestral
work against the civilian.
Mr.. Santelmann, within short space of
time, has in his statements shown great
sympathy for the enlisted men, but when
he was on the outside struggling with the
rest of us for a living, where was his SYM
pathy? Did he not fail to employ enlisted
| men? Did he not find the French horns
and many other instruments among the
ranks of the civilians that he now claims
we have not got, in order to furnish first
class service?"
AS to the claim that the passage of the
Bartholdt resolution would deprive the
community of the services of musicians es-
sential TO the advancement of the art,
cool and adverse criticism of the Marine
Bands playing by Chicago paper is given.
The brief continues:
Possible Outcome.
"Mr. Santelman disclaims that his inter
est in the Marine Band alone causes him
| to oppose the resolution, and throws down
| the gauntlet on behalf of the enlisted man
| generally. But he fails to remark that the
enlisted man, when he enlists, voluntarily
| takes all the hazards and hardships of his
employment at small wage. He seems