Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-04-28
REPORT ON THE BAND

The report of the Military Commit.
tee OF the House, presented at the fore.
noon session, and relating to the band,
was as follows:
Your committee interviewed Cap.
tain Berger, bandmaster. and he read.
lily and willingly gave all the informa.
ton required on the subject matter of
the joint resolution. He showed your
committee the reasons and methods
employed in the deduction OF salaries
and in furnishing the members of the
band, most OF which are for breaches
of discipline as well as for sickness.
On the face of the joint resolution II.
| self, the bandmaster, on the part OF
the Government. is placed at the mer.
cy Of the members, because 1t is plain,
ly mandatory without any discretion
whatever in anyone, and over whom
there can he no control. The chair.
man Of your committee, who was for
rial band for over twenty years, knows
that such will be the case, If his expe,
rience Of the past is to be taken into
any account.
AS most of the penalties inflicted are
for breaches of discipline, your com.
mittee believes that some such discre-
tionary powers should be placed in the
hands of the bandmaster as a protec.
ton to himself and to the interest Of
the Government, so that some control
may be had over recalcitrant and un.
disciplined members, for without such
discretion. there can be no alternative
left to the bandmaster but to subject
himself to the whims and capriCes Of
the boys, with whom the chairman Is
familiar. II Is clear that without such
discretionary powers, whereby tho
bandmaster may be enabled to use his
own good offices and judgment in the
treatment and control of those under
his charge, neither discipline nor or.
der could be maintained, as discipline
Is the only means Of control of that
institution today. Without discipline
or restraint Of any kind whatsoever,
these same band boys will no doubt
eventually override their superior anu
do whatever their fancy wills them to
do as to when to come to and to go
from work.
There is a well.establshed custom
in the band that II one member is
sick there must be a substitute in his
place who is paid out of the allowance
OF the principal, and that It is one
reason for the penalty imposed during
sickness. no provision being made for
is of the opinion that II is not quite
necessary for such substitution In
many of the cases, for certain instru.
ments could be as well dispensed with
AT certain times, while certain others
could not be.
And in the light Of the foregoing ex'
pressions, your committee feels that
responsibility must be placed on some
one and II can only rest upon the band
master the one in immediate control
over the band boys. In order that such
responsibility may be respected, there
must be some restraint, for without
authority there can never be any dlscl'
pline, and none is better than the band.
master himself to handle and control
the band boys, his long experience of
over thirty years giving him such adj
vantage.
Therefore, your committee recon-
mends the pessage Of the Senate joint
resolution with certain amendments to
conform to its views as herein ex'
pressed.
The joint resolution was adopted.