The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-11

| OCCii iiSdiO Ol THEM mere because the
band of late has been seldom away
from Washington. 1t visited here a
year ago, and concerts were given in
the Auditorium, but it did not then
clash With union musicians, as it was
| not brought into any competition with
them. The Marine band was probably
brought to it's greatest state of eff
cheney by John Philip Sousa, and, in
fact, SouSa's reputation was made as
It's leader When Sousa got to taking
! the band over the country on too fire.
quent excursions, however, there was
a demur. SouSa left the organization
to form band of his own, and many of
the government musicians found it con-
venient to go with him. His successor
was Lieut.. Santelmann, who still has
! charge of the band.
The rumpus here in Chicago was
nothing to what has been going on
IN Washington for some time. The
| history of the campaign conducted
| against the band by organized labor is
| full of interesting details. 1t began
about three years ago, the principal
reason being, according to a letter
| from Owen Miller, president of the
Federation of Musicians of st. Louis, to
| President Gompers, of the Federation
| of Labor that the Marine band re-
| ce1yes magnificent pay and allowances,
suhclent to enable them to keep their
hands off outside business"
ne monthly pay of first class mu-
slclan In the Marine band is $50, while
the monthly pay of a second-class mu-
slclan is 500. In addition to this, each
member receives a monthly allow
ahce OF "a for playing at public con-
cefts Twice week during the summer
| and at the White house functions in
| the winter. In addition to this each
| member receives $3.50 "a month eonomu
! taIlon OF rationS and a little over two
cords OF wood year, making the total
yearly salary of first class musician
$6o1.96 and of a second class musician
With regard to this phase of the
case Lieut. SanteImann. director of the
| band, said the other day:
FROM the above amounts a first or sec
ond class musician must deduct house
rent, which is anywhere from SIS to SOS
month He must provide for his family
and clothe himself, and as 70 ner cent
o! the men are married and have fam
!lleS dependent upon them for sllpport
! II Is readily seen how small the pay really
IS When the ability required to hold q
pace In this organization which has been
continuous Tor upwards of 100 years is
Il ken into consideration -
AT least a dozen members of the Marina
pand came to the organization from the
NEST famous bands and orchestras in the
country They had received salaries rang
N, be-
came tired of rowing from place to place
about the country, away from their fam
lies. After joining the Marine band they
were enabled, until the agitation had it's
erect, to make up the difference between
thelr compensation as members of the
band and the amount they had been ac-
cuStomed to receive.
AT present every theater orchestra in
Washington is closed to members of the
Marine band. and this is true also of the
greater number of places in and around
employed.
At first the warfare upon the band was
confined to appeals to public sentiment
through the press and by other means
against the employment of the members
of the band in competition with musicians
from civil life; but in December 1902
the American Federation of Labor Sc
cured the introduction of q joint resolu-
ton, presented in the house by Repre-
sentative Bartholdt, of Missouri directed
primarily against the United States Ma.
rfne band 1t read in part as follows:
That hereafter no enlisted man in the
service of the United States, the army or
navy, respectively, whether a noncommis-
stoned officer, musician or private shall
be detailed, ordered or permitted to leave
his post to engage in any pursuit bust
ness or performance in civil life for emolu-
ment, hire or otherwise, when the same
shall interfere with the customary en-
ployment and regular engagements of To-
cal civilians in their respective arts, trades
or professions
officials of the Washington order of the
Federation of Musicians lately stated that
they were confident 1t will be more sue
cessful at the coming session of congress.
In speaking of this resolution Lieut.. San
telmann said:
This resolution sought to deprive our
men of taking outside engagements, yet it
says nothing about the multitude of other
employees in the government service who
take outside engagements of various kinds.
It says nothing about the laborer who re-
ceiveS 1920 q year from the government
and in the evenings fires a stationary en-
CINE. nor the draughtSman who receives
81 200 a year and takes outside contracts
for building houses and drawing up plans
and specifications.
''It says nothing about the men in the
government service who practice the medi-
cal profession, and who are known in the
Vernacular of Washington as shutdown
DOCTORS 1t says nothing about the men
who take contracts for wiring buildings
and installing electric plants after their
daily work in the executive departments
of the government is over.
1T says nothing about government
clerks who receive anywhere from Sl,20O
to 81 500 a year. and who belong to the
musicians local union Of the Federation
of Musicians, and take outside engage
ments of a public and private character.
OF these latter there are more than
dozen that l know of who receive more
than $1,000 a year from the government,
who belong to the musicians local union
and who have been the most active lead
ers in the fight now being made against
the Marine band.
but although the resolution sought to
do none of the things l have mentioned,
it did seek to prevent a musician who
stands at the head of his profession
and who has given hard study to the
perfection of his art, from taking engage
ments, upon the plea that he takes the
bread out of the mouth Of the civilian.
speak at length of this resolution because
it was introduced at the instance of or
ganized labor, and because it embodies
the desires of those who have been max
ing the fight against the band.
'"There is not a foreign government
which does not permit its crack bands to
take concert engagements and to go on
tours. Many of the famous bands of the
world have visited America and have been
received with ovations by our people, but
whenever 1 have desired to play an en-
gagement in or outside of Washington /
have been met with storm of protest
from local musicians unions
At the time the Bartholdt resolution
was under discussion. the American Fed
Grafton of Musicians embodied the fol-
lowing article in it's constitution:
mo member of the American Fedora ton
of Musicians shall be permitted at any
time to play a paid engagement with any
enlisted man of the United States army
or navy.
This of course. makes an enlisted man
ineligible to membership in the American
Federation of Musicians. Then the Ameri-
can Federation of Musicians connected it
self with the American Federation of La
bOr the strongest labor organizat ton, nu-